He uses a HarpKing 6x10. I love the sound of that low rich tone he's getting at the bottom end of the harp. He stays there for awhile before going up to the higher register and the contrast sounds great.
Dennis stepped on a tremolo pedal of some sort to get that sound. It's a pedal that varies the intensity or volume, not the pitch.
That is a truly masterful solo. It's on a Bb harp--maybe a low Bb--in third position.
Three things to notice:
1) He leaves an amazing amount of empty space in the course of the song. At points, his comping aesthetic is: don't play. Takes a lot of musicality and confidence to do that
2) He floats most of his notes a little ahead or behind the beat. He's not trying to carry the groove with his harp; he's letting others do that. So anybody who thinks "If I could just learn the scales he's playing, I could do that" is making a huge mistake. The music that he actually makes has little to do with scales--although of course you need to know those--and everything to do with the music he's hearing in his head and using scales, tones, spaces, to create.
3) He builds the solo, the density of his playing, in a beautifully controlled way. He really makes you wait. I wish I could play like that! It's an acquired skill and it takes about 20 years of gigging to learn the skill.
Last Edited by on Jan 11, 2010 7:25 PM
It is indeed a HarpKing 6x10...and thank you all for the kind words.
And...I did NOT step on a pedal, it's my technique actually - my hands are helping me get that "tremolo" effect (been doing it for years), added to what I'm playing which is tongue-blocked.
Funny: After several hours, nobody has responded...And I bet I know why. I'm wondering, "Is that really Dennis?" I don't want to openly doubt you because that would be an insult if you are really him, and I'm afraid to say, "Hello, Dennis" because I might look gullible if you ain't!! Maybe it's that username that's putting us off. :)
Well, I'm going to assume you are Dennis.
Hello, Dennis! Good to have you here! I really look forward to reading your posts!
BTW: You and a friend of mine look exactly alike.
Last Edited by on Jan 12, 2010 2:23 AM
Awesome stuff, Dennis! That cupping effect you're acheiving is second to none-I'm convinced after trying to mimic last night on my 520D that I'll need a smaller mic with my hands to even come close. What mic are you using there?
I would guess that Dennis was using a JT30 in that clip (probably with a CM/CR element).
Of course though the mic is immaterial. It's Dennis' technique that allows him to get that sound, not the mic.
A lot of people with enough practice could get something vaguely resembling the "Tremelo / Leslie Speaker" sound. It is however extremely hard to get it as refined and to be as creative with it musically to the degree that Dennis does.
Once again in both of these clips it demonstrates how much Dennis listens to horns for inspiration and not just harmonica players. A lot of his phrasing is similar to the way a horn player approaches things.
Yeah, he's very refined. With my hands(not small, but not super meaty), I can't get the super,super-tight cup required to do that, even though i still get a decent tone from my CM bullet. I'll agree with you that it is indeed his technique, but part of that technique is his ability to get that good cup.
Yes Dennis' cupping technique has a huge effect on the sound.
The way Dennis cups his mic is very similar to the David Barret method. He seals off the top holes with his cheek to allow for a super tight seal on the mic. This mean that when he opens his fingers even very slightly it makes for a huge difference to the tone.
It does take quite a lot of practice to maintain this style of cup using a mic and to still be able to move around the harmonica fluidly as well.
If you have trouble cupping a bullet mic to get it super tight then you could try using an Ev 605 or an Astatic T3. Both of those mics have a smaller diameter than a JT30 or 520 whilst still retaining the bullet style.
Yeah, I have tried a smaller-shelled EV, but the element didn't turn me on. Also, I have a Ruskin mic from the 90s with a crystal element. I dropped it once as a practice, and bye-bye crystal. I think the cover is glued on, so I can't open it to fix it, but that shell was a decent size as well. I posted a few days ago about playing thru a fully-operational RE10(mine is jacked up apparently), and loving it. I'm anxious to get my own and start refining those cupping techniques, which are a weakness of mine that I want to improve on.
Yes, I am very fortunate. I know that. But you could be, too. Sign up for lessons with him. That's what I did. I believe that what he can teach me is more important than tangible items I might spend money on, like amps and microphones and such. And trust me on this, I need all the help I can get.
2) I'm using an Astatic JT-30 (w/original crystal - the element you use must be a good match for the amp you use)
3) RE: gene - I hope you're friend is a fine looking gent!
4) the cupping technique is like any other technique you would work on, in that it feels very awkward at first, but with persistence, you can likely learn to do it
5) sorry if the name caught you off guard, it's the name of my new website that will be up in the near future
6) I find (even though I have bigger sized hands, I work with students hands' of all shapes & sizes) that a bullet shaped mic will help with tonal variations much more than another shape, partly because it is closer to the size of our cupped hands than another shape. Meaning, it's easier to get a good "hand seal" around something that basically fills your hands. It's those leaky edges & corners that always kill us.
7) I'm glad everybody dug the clip, and NO, the suit isn't for sale! ;)
I have not learned the cupping thing the way he does it. He claims I can. My hands are very small. And it is just about the most awkward thing I have ever tried.
Yes, it is Dennis. And I'm delighted to be proved dead-wrong by the artist in question! We gurus can occasionally be ignorant blowhards. It's good to be reminded of that.
I'm impressed that you're able to create that sound with technique alone. Trademark that!
Great input Dennis(don't worry Adam, no egg on your face!), but your item 2 brought up an interesting question:Is there such a thing as a definitive list of which mics/elements are 'good matches' for which amps? Obviously we have to judge with our ears in a normal situation, but is there some proof already to be had?
Guru "Blowhard" - I like that! ;) In all seriousness, I appreciate the comments Adam, thank you.
toddlgreene: There is a non-definitive list I'm working on that will be on my new site (when I finish more work and stop checking back on this forum, haha). "Proof", I dunno if I could supply that now myself, but I'm working on it. It is a fact that there are different styles/kinds of microphones & elements, and that different amps respond to those different signals differently.
To say that differently (ha!), there are many factors (on the mic side AND the amp side), but definitely some guidelines to keep in mind, that I've learned the past 19-20 years collecting and re-building microphones, and going through dozens & dozens of amps.
