Tmannion87
1 post
Sep 21, 2009
11:14 PM
|
Hey everyone, I've been playing harp in an guitar/harmonica duo for awhile now and I've run into a problem. I always find myself playing the same riffs while on the 4 chord of our blues jams. I usually just stick to the root note and I was wondering if you had any suggestions as to what else sounds good on that part of the progression. Any ideas would be great! Thanks.
|
scstrickland
248 posts
Sep 22, 2009
1:31 AM
|
Welcome Tmannion.
The forum search is a useful tool. I found this for you.
http://www.modernbluesharmonica.com/board/board_topic/5560960/346524.htm
http://www.modernbluesharmonica.com/board/board_topic/5560960/475289.htm
also anything that works on the I chord will work on the IV
|
Tmannion87
2 posts
Sep 22, 2009
12:12 PM
|
Thank you for the links. I just now saw the search function. I understand the idea of an octave that 1 blow and 4 blow would be the same, but how is it that you can play the same notes on the I and the IV? Thanks.
|
bluemoose
66 posts
Sep 22, 2009
1:44 PM
|
When you are play the I chord in second position
(E on an A harp) you are playing second position cross harp licks.
When the song goes to the IV chord (A) you can play
first position straight harp licks (A on an A harp).
On the V chord, B, you can play third position draw
licks. (song B->E->A third position on A harp)
(In third pos you play third pos on the I, second pos
on the IV and root notes on the V)
moose.
|
Preston
507 posts
Sep 22, 2009
2:59 PM
|
It sounds like you are already aware that the 4 blow is your root of the IV chord, but keep in mind that 2 draw becomes your 5th, and the 3 draw half step bend becomes your flat 7th. The 5th harmonizes very well, and the flat 7th creates tension.
So those two notes that are the root and flat third in the I chord, are also very important in the IV chord, allowing you to play the same licks for both chords, and it really doesn't sound "wrong".
Use the 4 draw and 5 draw sparingly in the IV chord. Don't wail on them here. They become the major 2nd and the 4th, neither a chord tone, so they tend to clash against the root.
|
Tmannion87
4 posts
Sep 22, 2009
9:25 PM
|
Thanks everyone for the info. That really cleared up my confusion!
|
GamblersHand
86 posts
Sep 23, 2009
5:07 AM
|
When you're on the IV also think about a slightly deeper bend on the three draw - right to the Bb on a C harp. When you're on the I you should have a slightly sharper note on the three draw half-step bend.
So if you were playing a simple swing phrase over the tonic/I-chord, something like
3d' 2d 4b 3d'
You can repeat this on the IV but hit those three draw bends a little deeper. Sounds really sweet, and very bluesy.
|
ChrisA
77 posts
Sep 23, 2009
9:06 AM
|
Another one i like is finish bar 4 on the 2d", hold and release into 2d at the beginning of bar 5 and move on from there.
|
Jim Rumbaugh
86 posts
Sep 23, 2009
10:29 AM
|
@ ChrisA
Did you really mean "finish the 4 bar going to the 5"
or finish the 6 bar going to the 7 ?
That's what comes natural to me.
|
ChrisA
79 posts
Sep 23, 2009
11:19 AM
|
Jim, 2d" is the flat 7th in 2nd position and becomes the 4th in 1st position and release into the 5th then i go to 3d' and back to 2d. Sounds good to me....
|
Jim Rumbaugh
87 posts
Sep 23, 2009
6:40 PM
|
ChrisA
Just put on a jam track and tried it. It's good.
I see what you mean. I'll steal it and use it.
|
ElkRiverHarmonicas
237 posts
Sep 23, 2009
6:48 PM
|
On the change, you can hit the 3rd or fifth instead of the root. It's a softer change, but it works on a change... that would be the 2 blow, 3 blow, 2 draw, 5 blow, 6 blow.
----------
www.elkriverharmonicas.com
|
Preston
508 posts
Sep 23, 2009
6:58 PM
|
The 4 chord is an awesome spot to break out that 4overblow and 5 overblow that you've been dying to work into your playing!
|
swampboy
7 posts
Sep 23, 2009
8:01 PM
|
How's about playing 1st position major pentatonic scale over the IV chord?
1b,1d,2b,2d,3d",4b,4d,5b,6b,6d,7b,8d,8b,9b,10d,10b.
Not particularly blusey, but works...and covers the whole harp with only one bend.
Last Edited by on Sep 23, 2009 8:18 PM
|
kudzurunner
710 posts
Sep 23, 2009
8:09 PM
|
Don't forget Gussow's first postion blues scale on the IV chord:
4b, 4ob, 5d, 5ob, 6b, 6ob, 7....
Try the same scale descending, too. Make some of the notes triplets and some of them dotted eighth notes. Add in the notes of the scale in the first octave....
3d 1/2 step bend, 2d...etc.
and then find smooth ways of transitioning back to the regular cross harp blues scale when you return to the I chord.
Last Edited by on Sep 23, 2009 8:11 PM
|
Preston
515 posts
Oct 08, 2009
6:05 AM
|
"and then find smooth ways of transitioning back to the regular cross harp blues scale when you return to the I chord."
To some of you this may be elementary, to others it may make a lightbulb or two go off.
With my own meager skills and knowledge, I was trying to instruct a blues guitar newbie on the changes in a I IV V. I tried breaking it down in simple form to show him how the I IV V was such a successfull progression: The first half of the I scale matches the second half of the IV scale, and the second half of the I scale matches the first half of the V scale. Confused?
Let me try it in tab. We'll use the minor pentatonic instead of major scale since we're a blues forumn. We'll also base it off of cross harp.
"Key of E" I chord:
-2 -3' +4 :::: -4 -5 +6
"Key of A" IV chord (1st octave of the harp):
+1 ^1(ob) -2" ::: -2 -3' +4
"Key of B" V chord (2nd octave of the harp):
-4 -5 +6 ::: -6 +7 -8
See the repeated notes that correspond with each other?
It works all the time in a I IV V. Not just cross harp. Look at first position:
I Chord:
+4 ^4 -5 ::: +6 ^6 +7
IV Chord:
-2" -3" -3' ::: +4 ^4 -5
V Chord:
+6 ^6 +7 ::: -8 -9 +9
I could keep going on...
|
mr_so&so
224 posts
Oct 08, 2009
8:23 AM
|
Preston, that is some cool sh*t, thanks! When are you going to post some more YT videos?
|
Preston
516 posts
Oct 08, 2009
8:56 AM
|
"When are you going to post some more YT videos?"
I guess when the inspiration hits me again.
I set out of HPC2 because I was on "harp hiatus", but I'm putting something together for HPC3. I have had one riff for about 6 months that I didn't know what to do with. I'm slowly but surely building a song around that one riff.
|
