Hey guys, i need some fellow harpers help. I have been asked to perform the harmonica from 'what a wonderful world' with stevie wonder backing on harmonica, he uses a chromatic (which i have never played), so i would be very grateful if anyone or lots of people had varied ways of playing this, in diatonic, to this song. Tabbing it out would be great, thought this could also be a good challenge for those who tackle new songs.
You can get away with something pretty decent without doing a single bend. The tune itself is dead simple. Obviously, that fella's doing a liitle more than that, but it's still a nice tune just played as it is. ---------- 'If it sounds GOOD to you, it's bitchen; if it sounds BAD to YOU, it's shitty' - Frank Zappa
http://www.youtube.com/user/SlimHarpMick
Last Edited by on Aug 19, 2009 6:01 PM
I really don't mean to to sound funny, but if you have to ask then perhaps it might be better to stick with something straightforward for now, especially if you're performing it in public. Or, to put it another way, if you could play it like the recording, you wouldn't be asking.
It's easy enough to spice it up with a few well chosen glissandi, wah-wahs and throat vibratos here and there. I just had a go and it's not technically difficult.
Anyway, that's all I've got to suggest. Maybe someone else will say how cool / easy it is in another position. But, I don't have time to try that.
Good luck with it, anyway. ---------- 'If it sounds GOOD to you, it's bitchen; if it sounds BAD to YOU, it's shitty' - Frank Zappa
http://www.youtube.com/user/SlimHarpMick
Last Edited by on Aug 20, 2009 10:40 AM
Sounds like opportunity knocking to me...perfect time to take up chromatic harmonica....hmmm. I use gig money to buy my harps and other necessities of the music addiction. If I had a gig requiring chromatic to do it right, I'd give myself an advance and get one. Knock knock...
Are you are looking for someone to tab out that Stevie Wonder video for you note for note?
My recommendation would be to sit down and tab it out note for note yourself. Yeah, it is a lot of work, but it is also a good learning experience.
If that seems like too much work, than maybe learn a basic version first. If it is in first position, just transcribe it to second position so you can give it the bluesy sound.
I bought a Hohner Super Chromatica 270 in the key of C over a year ago. I mostly play traditional or gospel songs on it and only recently began messing around with playing blues in 3rd positon in the key of D.
I took sheet music for the song "The Entertainer" and transcribe it into a tab sheet and it sounds pretty good on a Chromatic.
The bottom line is...either tab it out note for note...or learn a basic version and improvise from there. (Isn't that what mickil said???)
Last Edited by on Aug 21, 2009 6:40 AM
