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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Summertime Blues. (Contest).
Summertime Blues. (Contest).
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tookatooka
395 posts
Aug 19, 2009
10:22 AM
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Crikey. I really didn't know it would be so hard. After take 145, I'm beginning to feel I need to go back to learning the basics again. I'm beginning to get very frustrated and feel I've bitten off more than I can chew. It's pathetic.
When the mic's not on I can more or less play straight through, but press record and one bit's OK and the second bit is useless, or vice versa, and so it goes on.
Apart from the general melody, I am improvising as I go and it seems that each and every take flies off into a different direction. What's going on? That SPAH2009 jam looks so bloody effortless for Brendan and co. How on earth do they do it? Technically, I think I'm reasonably OK technique-wise but with regard to the composition side of improvisation I am struggling very badly. After this I don't ever want to hear Summertime for a good long while. It's really beginning to hack me off.
I think there's a good subject for a thread about the rules of how to improvise correctly but I've thrown myself into such a confusing dilemma with this my confidence has hit rock bottom at the moment. Fortunately the only remaining way is up from the bottom
I have to admit my appreciation of how Adam can just jump into a tune and play through with no problem. How the hell does he do it. I know I've only been playing for 2 and a bit years but I would have thought my level would have been higher than what it is.
I feel like sticking my head up a dead bears bum and weeping.
I should have explained that I can play a bog standard version all the way though but it just isn't very interesting. I'm trying to include an obligato (counter melody) with some twiddly bits to sharpen it up. Thats where I'm screwing up.
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When I'm not blowing, I'm drawing.
Last Edited by on Aug 19, 2009 10:28 AM
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KingoBad
71 posts
Aug 19, 2009
11:18 AM
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You are being way too hard on yourself.
Just sit with it a while.
The musical part of it will sink in after a while, especially the counter melody stuff. It's not that you can't do it, it's just that it is not part of you yet. Just leave it alone and play the tune when you are ready to just plain enjoy playing.
Adam and Brendan have been sitting with these songs a loooong time. They also have a wealth of other musical experience to draw upon to play them so well.
I had the same problem with "Georgia on My Mind." I could play it in a standard fashion, but couldn't add any color to save my life. Just sat with it for a while and suddenly, blam, all of the stuff i wanted to embellish the song with started pouring out.
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Kingley
320 posts
Aug 19, 2009
11:28 AM
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Tooka,
A tune played in a simple way but with the emphasis on vibrato and tone is infinitely better in most cases than something with lots of "twiddly bits".
The recording blindness thing is a common problem.
That's why lots of the great records often took so many takes. So don't beat yourself up over it.
Why not just hit record and then play the tune in a variety of ways. Listen back to them all and pick the one that speaks to you.
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jonsparrow
816 posts
Aug 19, 2009
11:47 AM
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i know how you feel. except fot the stickin my head up a bears bum an weeping. but the contest was makin me mad too.
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mickil
468 posts
Aug 19, 2009
12:30 PM
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I'd echo Kingo & Kingley. I think many of us can play the tune without any embellishment in our sleep, but that does get kind of boring to do.
After doing a million takes for HPC 1 on the last day, and effing up as soon as I hit record most of the time, I'd already decided to take Kingley's approach this time round: just hit record and practice it.
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'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
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tookatooka
396 posts
Aug 19, 2009
2:44 PM
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Thnaks for the encouragement fellas.
Kingley. Vibrato - clean forgot about that. Shoot.
I've been playing, starting on draw 6 on a C harp (what position is that?) Am I playing in A minor?
Anyway, I'll try a few other positions and see if it makes anything click as the upper notes do sound a bit squeaky.
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When I'm not blowing, I'm drawing.
Last Edited by on Aug 19, 2009 2:45 PM
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mickil
471 posts
Aug 19, 2009
3:01 PM
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TX2,
That's in Dm. Might be better on a lower harp. I think most peeps do it on an A or G. You're doing it in 3rd position, which is probably as good as any.
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'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
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Aussiesucker
334 posts
Aug 19, 2009
5:07 PM
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tooka> I know as soon as I hit the record button it has the same negative effect & I sound yuk.
With Summertime, & I presume it is Brendan Power to whom you refer, my understanding is that he uses a Paddy Richter tuning?
For me I find Summertime plays real easy on Lee Oskar Natural Minors in Am. Also Georgia on My Mind on a LO-N in Em. Lots of room to move and improvise with these fantastic tunings.
Both Summertime & Georgia play easy on LO Melody Makers in G. I think Summertime in 4th ie in Em and Georgia in 3rd ie D however I could be wrong re positions as on these tunings it is different & I find it confusing. But it sounds good. The MMs are great for straight melodies but offer little scope for improvisation ie not suited to blues.
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mr_so&so
191 posts
Aug 20, 2009
8:42 AM
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My video went up a few days ago, so many of you guys have seen it by now. I played it straight, with some short improvisations at the beginning and end. For what it's worth, here's my thinking about it.
First thing I did was listen to a bunch of versions of it on Youtube by all the greats. Then I did a little research about it on Wikipedia. Then I checked out its context in "Porgy and Bess". All this to get a feel for what the song is about and how it's been interpreted. Then I found some sheet music for it and the lyrics, and learned them.
It's not a blues; it's a lullaby. So I decided just to play it using the harp as the voice and try to get some feeling into it. And, frankly, if I tried to get too fancy with it, I'm sure I'd mess it up. I'm not saying that my approach is the best. It remains to be seen what you guys, my peers, think about it. I'd certainly love to know, on the appointed judgment day.
As for the recording process, I practiced it a lot and recorded it often. I kept improving, but frankly got pretty tired of it. My submission was my very last take, and one of the few without a glaring mistake, but it's not perfection. This was my second Youtube video, and it was much easier to make that my first, which was an intentional dry run for this contest. I trust the process will keep getting more comfortable.
I can't wait to see more entries, so bring 'em on.
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sorin
34 posts
Aug 20, 2009
8:53 AM
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tookatooka , I have been playing just like you for 2.5 years , so I am not really in position to give advice , but I will tell you my view on improvisation . To really improvise I think you gotta have to things: complete control of the instrument and the ideas , the music in your head ,the improviser plays the music that's in his head , not just start blowing on the harp hoping that something will come out that sounds good( I think that is called doodling)
I ,personally , don't have complete control of the instrument ( yet) and I cannot come with musical ideas on the fly ,so I do this: turn on the backing track , and start singing(humming , scatting, whistle) but not the lyrics part ,the harp part , you can even record it . I'll do it a couple of times , than I go back and listen to it , I will find some ideas that I like ,and than i'll try to play them on the harp and arrange them on the backing track . This is how I do it . If you cannot cannot come up with stuff when you sing it , that means that's no way you can improvise on harp or any other instrument for that matter.
My 0.2 cents.
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tookatooka
398 posts
Aug 20, 2009
9:55 AM
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Thanks fellas. Some good constructive suggestions to get me on my way. Hopefully.
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When I'm not blowing, I'm drawing.
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