The other week, Isaacullah posted a thread called 'It's Slow Blues Day at MBH!' So, I thought it would be a bit of fun to have a fast(ish) blues day. If you feel inclined, post something here for comments or just for the hell of it.
By the way, Isaacullah, I posted something on your thread, but took it down cos I wasn't happy with it.
Very cool! A lot of precision, but rough and bluesy... 1 random thing. I would have ended it on another note, just as a little twist at the end. Like the 7th or 3rd. Sitting in school at the moment so I can't try it out. Something to create suspense... Your piece makes me wonna pick my harp up and jam!
It's an Antony Dannecker Big River Harp; it's got the Meisterclasse reed plates.
Ant,
Very classy. I felt like someone in a restaurant who wants what the other guy has got: I wish I'd though up your combination of notes. Very nice.
When I get back from tonight's jam, I hope there are a few more for my late night entertainment. Keep 'em coming, harp peeps. ---------- YouTube SlimHarpMick
another idea you guys could do, is the first guy would play 2 12 bars, then the next guy could take it from there with another 2 12s.. and so on, till you all deside it is done, then someone could splice it together, and see the finnished product..
just an idea..
great thread, hope to see more vids... if i ever get camera......
Okay, here's mine... There's three takes in the video--all basically the same song. The theme in the I chord doesn;t really change between versions, but the IV chord occasional does and so does the V chord and the solo... There are things I like and dislike about all three takes, so I figured I'd put them all up and let you fellows help me out! I need your critiques!!!! (I'll need a bit of time to listen to all of yours a gain, but I'll give you critiques too, I promise!)
Here's mine in one take. It turned out to be a compilation of Ronnie Shellist and Nat Riddles stuff, go figure. All the examples posted so far are really good! And Mickil your tone is excellent.
Great job guy's ive learnt alot from the other video's. This is really a question for Preston, can i ask what you are doing at around 26 sec in your video, it sounds very Jason Ricci and its the type of stuff i want to learn next, is it Triplets? I can't seem to nail what you are doing. If anyone else can figure it out i would be gratefull. ----------
It is triplets. Have you watched Jason's videos on playing fast? That's where I got all that stuff. I just tried my best at arranging it into a sort of call and response
Thanks Preston, i have watched Jason's lessons on playing fast but i can't seem to make it sound the way it should. I guess it just takes alot of practice. Thanks for tabbing it out, i'll get to the woodshed straight away.. ----------
Got to watch these last night-great stuff by all! Damn it, I need some time to myself to do some videoing! This thread did make me take a harp on the road for my Christmas shopping, though! ---------- ~Todd L. Greene, Devout Pedestrian
"listen to what you like for inspiration, but find your own voice"
Yeah, Ant is right, that's really well played, that stuff you got from Jason's video.
GH,
Very nice work. I always like your 'low down and dirty' style and tone. I know what you mean about that last note; to get all technical and boring, it's an unresolved perfect cadence, hence that 'hanging in the air' feel.
IU,
Nice work, though, if you want criticism, I would suggest that the notes needed a little more variation in tone, eg: a bit mor throat vibrato, especially on that repeated 2 draw - it can be so naked without it; also, I thought that overall it could have been played with a bit more of an aggressive attack, like punching the crap out of that 2 draw with a few 'kah's instead of just just 'ah's. Anyone agree / disagree? Still, that was very nice control on the 3 draw at 0:12.
MichaelAndrewLo,
Lovely little 'old school' sounding boogie. That throat vibrato on the 3 draw bend at 0:26 was top draw. Thanks for the remark about my tone.
One more video, and we've got half as many as we had for the whole of HPC 1 - after just one day! ---------- YouTube SlimHarpMick
@Mickil* said, "One more video, and we've got half as many as we had for the whole of HPC 1 - after just one day!"
Yeah I like this format. I think it's more spontaneous than the HPC's. Looks like a lot of people have gone out of their way to post something. Just shows how keen we are to get it out there.
Unfortunately I have nothing to offer on this one, (well not blues anyway), so I've discovered a big hole in my repertoir which needs addressing. I'm more of a slow and soulful player.
Anyhow, this is all great stuff. People are getting to grips with the tech side of YouTubing. It can only be a good thing.
@Mickil, thank you for the critique! After hearing all the vids from the slow blues thread, and now this one, and comparing them to my own playing it has indeed become dreadfully clear to me that I seriously lack draw vibrato! I think you are absolutely right. When I listen back to my track, those two draws just sound boring and repetitive... I'll take your advice into the woodshed with me! And thanks for complimenting my 3 draw, that's something i HAVE been working on!
Okay, here are my first impressions from top to bottom. You guys all know my experience level and ability, so you know where I'm coming from! A lot of my critiques will be for stuff I certainly lack as well!
Mickil: Overall, just fantastic! I agree with GH that the ending should have been on -2bb, but think that it could also have been on a -25 tongue split double stop with hard vibrato. Your tone was really great, but it may have projected a little bit better if you played with your head more upright (ie. not looking down). The hand cupping may have also been used slightly more effectively (eg. like Ant). Note combinations and tone were just really good though, as was overall groove and musicality!
Ant: Great tone, very good use of hands to shape the sound. I know you were doing it a little rushed this time, so there was a bit of polishing that could be done. However, I thought yours was just really quite fantastic! GREAT job of finding, getting into, and staying in the groove!
Preston: Wow, those triplets were fast! There's just nothing I can say to that! You've been working very hard on this style, and it really shows! Great job! For what it's worth, My very favorite part was at the end (1:05) where you go up high before coming back down to the finish. That high riff was fantastic! One critique: your first overblow stuck out to me as obviously being an OB, but your others didn't.
GH: Great tone! Must have used a lot of breath control to do that on such a low harp! Really good use of vibrato on the 2 draw (which I need to work on!), and good control of the 3 draw! Only things I can say is that that first time you went up high (around 0:45) you lost the highest note (not too big of a deal, but perhaps your mouth shape was still set for low notes?), and in your case, I would NOT have ended on that -2b! I might have hit the -2 bent all the way, or perhaps even actually just on the natural -2 note...
Isaac: Get to work buddy! You have a lot of stuff you need to learn before you can get up to snuff!
Michael: the groove was really nice. For some reason, your tone sounded thinner than I remembered from your slow blues vid. I think it may have been because you did not keep a cup on the harp (ie. you played it with only one hand). That one note where you brought up your other hand sounded MUCH fatter... Great control on your three draws. I also like how threw in a very nicely controlled short warble at 0:30. That was a very nice touch! Good control over the tongue split octaves,and fantastic vibrato on your two draws! Overall, a very nice job!
Everyone: This has been very cool, and I'm learning SO much from these threads! Especially from you guy's who have a music background, and who already have a good sense of note combination, rhythm, and groove. I don't have any music background (except for rock drumming when I was a kid), so this is all new to me! Especially how to properly pick note combinations (scales, arpeggios, and music theory in general). I'm still trying to train my ear, but doing stuff like this is BIG help! Thanks again to all! ---------- ------------------ The magnificent YouTube channel of the internet user known as "isaacullah"
I'm enjoying these. Looks like everyone is coming along nicely. I don't have access to equipment to record stuff on-the-fly. I think I need to get me some, 'cause I want to play too.
I'll just say, I liked what I heard from everyone.
Thanks Isaacullah and Mickil for those critiques. Isaacullah I 100% agree with that thin tone. Since BBQBOB gave me a critique about playing to hard I have devoted all my effort to playing really soft and light, and it has certainly improved my playing! But, he also mentioned the use of hand effects to compensate and change the sound, something you astutely noticed I need to do! I am still trying to wrap my head around how to sound big with a full tone while not putting forth maximum air pressure.
I think everybody is eager to contribute to this thread as it IS a great way to improve our playing and we are all realizing that. When there are multiple videos of the same topic, all with related/similar skill levels, we can really see the difference perhaps in one area where we are lacking. If a master posted their videos on here we wouldn't know where to start cause everything would seem wrong, but here the things to work on really stand out. Long live the "It's *blank* day at MBH" format!
MichaelAndrew, I totally agree with your second paragraph.
Isaac, you're right the ending was kinda off, also (but not only) because the tone was super week. I think a simple 2 draw would prob. have been best. Thanks for that fantastically thorough review and for taking the time and effort, we're all thankful!
tooka, yeah this kinda spontaneous event is cool. However, I like the HPC's especially because of it's more formal character and because you take your time to prepare and several takes etc. to get it right (and win :).
mickil, is the unresolved cadence only a seventh. Or can you also have unresolved cadences on other notes, let's say the blue third...?
Preston, thanks for making it so clear! This is not the first time, that your explanations made something clear that I just didn't get the grasp off. Great stuff!
Btw. what about a thread with different Jason-triplets tabbed out...
---------- germanharpist on YT. =;-)
Last Edited by on Dec 03, 2009 1:29 PM
Yeah, you can have other notes that are left unresolved, but, off the top of my head, I can't think of an instance where the blue third would work in that way.
You know how music has natural cadences that mark end points, the most common ones being: perfect - V I; plagal - IV I (the 'amen' ending in hymns); imperfect - I V; and interrupted - V - VI.
That's not an exhastive list of combinations, just a brief summary.
Anyway, the 7th in that place at the end of your piece has a very strong pull back to the root; it doesn't feel final or resolved without going there. You can use that kind of device in any place where one chord is expected to be followed by another.
I hope my explanation makes sense.
tooka,
If you want to play fast passages, just break them down into their smallest chunks, learn those little chunks on their own, then gradually put the pieces back together again.
That SBWII / Cotton riff I throw in a couple of times, I practiced it over a long period: a minute here, a minute there, just noodling while watching telly.
Of course, the hardest part can be hearing what the notes are that you want to learn. I bought the Amazing Slowdowner, and, it's worth it weight in gold - well, it doesn't weigh anything, but, you know what I mean. I wish I could have had that program years ago. I probably wouldn't have given up so many times.
Lastly - and, I expect you realise this - practice the stuff you can't do slowly enough so that you can do it. Otherwise, you'll just end up banging your head on the wall, and chucking all your harps out the window.
Isaac,
Doc's early YT video on throat vibrato, and Ronnie Shellist's and JPAllen's videos on the subject really helped me a lot.
Still, there's no quick way to learn it. One reason I took down my video in your slow blues thread was because I was so hacked off with my vibrato in it. I think it's hardest of all in a slow piece: the rate of vibrato is actually quicker than in a piece that's more than double the speed, that is, you're varying the note six times per beat instead of just three, as you would in a fast piece. ---------- YouTube SlimHarpMick
Thanks for that Mickil. Trouble is I don't have the musical theory that some of you guys have, I have to rely on trial and error. There's a lot of error and it takes a while to get it right, I get there in the end but it would have been quicker with the theory.
I won't be around for a few days, got to go to Cornwall in the morning to see my olp Pop in a nursing home. ----------
Honestly, you don't need the theory. I've got the theory, and it's not necessary for this stuff. Take Doc's early YT vids as a starting point; it's as good a place as any to start. Just about everything in my video above can be found in his videos. It's there if you want it. Have a good time in Cornwall. I'm stuck in smelly old London. ---------- YouTube SlimHarpMick
wow. ALL of you guys are leagues ahead of me re: solo stuff. my compliments to all. it seems i became sort of dependent on a guitar at least, to be behind me keeping me grounded to some extent. but i will work up something solo before long. i planned to anyway for the hpc3 thing.
i am a total gut player. if it feels right it's in there, if not it isn't. i spent a lot of years blundering around though, until i began the real journey, which has included "discovering" 3rd position, chromatic harp included, and then a revisit to 1st and 2nd positions also. i'm beginning to look into 4th and 5th positions also.
there was a time when i felt like i was "good enough". but especially since the advent of these forums, and youtube, i had to re-evaluate that. there is always more to learn and more horizons to strive toward.
y'all are a true inspiration to me in my journey, and you are all teachers whether you knew it or not!
Here is a video I did last January using a low d harmonica. Not sure if ya can call it blues or not, but it was in tribute for my cat Misty that I had for 16 years. She passed away in mid January.
Thanks for the comments fellas. The first time I ever heard Jason Ricci I knew I wanted to learn to play like him. Then low and behold he made 3 videos on how to do it!
Anway, although I love getting critisism and feed back on my own playing, I still have a hard time giving it to others. I'll just say I enjoyed everybody's vids, and can't really come up with anything other than what's been said by others!
That being said, I think you dudes are actually too easy on me. It's been several days since I watched my video and looking at it this morning I see several things that make me cringe. But fortunately I can use it as a learning experience.
Bending and Overblowing while playing at break neck speed: Shit that's hard. I hear several absolutely horrible 2draw full step bends, and a bunch of what was supposed to be blue thirds bent too far down. Isaac, you're right about that first 4OB, the intonation was way off. That's not my best harp, but that's not a good excuse either. Also, I totally missed a 6 overblow at the end of the song. I hit it so hard it choked out on me. I was just lucky it didn't squeel and honk.
It's also still amazing at how you can be in a basement all by yourself, flip one little camera on "record" and get stage fright. I didn't settle down until about bar 25 or 26!
You gotta just let it be. It sounded just fine, and we got exactly what you were doing.
It is funny how even a few days can completely change your perspective on how you play. You will probably work on that stuff another week and your recording will sound amateurish to you and you will want to redo everything you did.
I think it goes to show how important it is to record yourself to improve your playing.
I wonder if the pros are ever satisfied with their playing, or if this is something we need to be prepared to experience our whole harmonica playing careers? Also, does the marginal returns on woodshedding get less and less the higher we get in our abilities?
(I agree with you on the stupid recording stage fright thing. It is irrational, but there none the less. There is nothing worse than having an "almost perfect" first recording.)
I still freak out when I hit record. My piece was done in only two takes, which is not far short of a miracle - for me, at least.
As for criticising your piece, I found it hard to pick apart techniques that I've yet to learn. Sure, we could go through and scrutinise each other's pieces; we all know our faults, anyway.
Nevertheless, those passages are still impressive, regardless of the odd duff note here or there.
Now I come think of it, I thought that some of the tone was a bit bare in the open passages; those brief notes at 0:06 and 0:17 are examples of what I mean. I should have just been honest and said so. Otherwise, what's the point?
It's that sort of little thing that I sometimes get a bit hesitant about criticising on here; they do seem petty. Even so, I think it's those things that make all the difference between sounding good and shit-hot, even more than fast and fancy notes. ---------- YouTube SlimHarpMick
You know, I get stage fright every single time I turn on the camera. Suddenly, a little riff I'd just minutes before been playing repeatedly will just go out of my head or become super difficult. I've found that it's best to just turn on the camera, and keep it rolling. The first several tries will suck ass, but after a few minutes, it becomes just like practicing again, and you forget about the camera. When you are relaxed again, the music flows better. Then I chop it all up in a video editor, throw out those horrid first minutes, and only keep the stuff from when I'm relaxed.
Isaac, your last note on 'camera fright' hit home. I've only put one video on line but I've sat down to video myself many times and never come up with anything any good. I never thought of the obvious of just letting the camera roll and then edit it...DUH! I find myself tensing up, making a mistake and immediately stopping the recording process.
I'm nowhere near the level of the posts here but I realize that recording and putting myself out there for critique and assistance is a big step I should take so I'm stating 'in public' that I'm going to do more of it. The concept of "just keep rolling" with the video and edit later will help.
---------- "You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it. You Cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom."
No it's not an octave up, just moving up the blues scale at the IV chord to simulate the change, but it's still basically the same pattern.
-2 -3' +4 -3' +4 -4 +4 -3' -2 -3' +4 -3' +4 -4 Actually since this is the IV chord, somtimes I'll throw in a 4overblow there instead of the 4 draw. But like I said, it's hard for me to hit overblows playing that fast so this time I played it safe and went for the 4 draw. They both sound good.
Now, your not being a pain, but I do have to tell you I hope you're not gonna ask for tabs for the V chord, because most of that was improv. I had a standard for the I and IV chord, but was just trying to go with the flow on V chord. I think I did something diffrerent both times.
Thanks Preston, don't worry im not gona ask for the tabs for the V chord. Im just working on those triplets. They really do make sense to me now, thanks again for that. ----------
