I've been trying to nail this one for ages. But it still sounds rubbish. Time to call in the best critics to be found anywhere! A couple of questions... Is it an octave at the beginning or a single note? Do the tongue slaps work or am I overusing them? Why is my tone so bad? (btw I know the harp out of tune , I'll do a retake on my new Zen harp that should be here in the next few days. )
Does not sound THAT bad......aim the camera better next time LOL
---------- Music is your own experience, your own thoughts, your wisdom. If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn. They teach you there's a boundary line to music. But, man, there's no boundary line to art. - Charlie Parker
I've heard the song many times......If you want me to tell you it sucked well then why did you ask my opinion. I was just trying to be supportive. ---------- Music is your own experience, your own thoughts, your wisdom. If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn. They teach you there's a boundary line to music. But, man, there's no boundary line to art. - Charlie Parker
Well firstly don't be too hard on yourself. That's a pretty good rendition. If you turned up at a gig and played that people would be impressed for sure.
The opening riff is played with an octave on the 6-9 blow. Now most people will tell you that it's played on 3-6 but it's wrong.
But I have heard Jerry Portnoy insist it's the 6-9 blow and as Muddy Waters harp player for numerous years he would know! Having tried both ways I believe Jerry 100% and would play it on 6-9 blow.
As Jerry says when you amplify it that particular octave leaps out of the amp in a way that the 3-6 doesn't to enhance that riff.
In your version the only advice I can offer is this: In the part after the opening riff it sounds as if you are on the 2 draw for the whole time (I could be wrong about that) though. Walter switched between the 2 draw and 3 blow to get that "do do dah do dah do dow" sound.
Even though 2 draw and 3 blow are the same note they have a very slightly different tonal character to them.
Other than that just try to relax and have fun with it. Listen over to the track to get the tiny nuances that Walter adds to the notes. That will take time to learn, but it will make a huge difference to the tune.
It's more important to nail the feel of it rather than play every single note of it correctly.
I struggle with this one, too. The main thing I hear is you are rushing. It's a fast song, but there is some space. You sound like you are trying to keep up with it. Those pauses between the head have to be there and are as important as the riff. Other than that, I think you are doing quite well with it. Relax and try it.
Last Edited by on Jan 18, 2010 10:49 AM
Cheers guys! Pharpo... dont be encouraging unecessarily I can take the criticism but cheers anyway! Kingley... So left side tb ing on the way up for the opening lick then. addict... I'll stick a metronome on then. ---------- "Blow as thou pleaseth"
Well I right tongue block on all my notes even the low ones. As in I block the left 3 and blow through the right 4th. But yes the reverse would work just as well.
When you play the 6-9 octave it also slows it down just a touch which opens up some of the character of the tune a little more.
You may be past the metronome stage... listen to what he does. Then listen to what you do. Mine always sounds rushed, too. But in general, I think you sound better than me. I tend to play too clean and pretty. I hate hate hate that.
Last Edited by on Jan 18, 2010 11:14 AM
One of the best things I've found for working on my timing and it also has a lot of technique in it, is the intro to Can't Hold Out Much Longer (Little Walter).
Not every great Chicago blues harmonica player plays the opening riff on the 6-9 blow. Billy Branch clearly doesn't, for example:
As far as I'm concerned--and after hearing what Billy does--the only reason to play "Juke" like Little Walter, note for note, is because you're a student in a particular phase of your learning curve. Once you're a pro, you should behave like a pro and make it your own, stamping your own imprint on the song. That's what Billy B. does.
Of course he's not worried about proving that he belongs in the Muddy Waters Band, or that he knows the inner secrets of the instrument. He's just a pro who likes the song and knows how to get to the heart of it while maintaining his own indivuality--rather than, for example, being swallowed whole by the ghost of Little Walter. A good lesson, that.
@Jflr: Your version is quite respectable. Since you're playing acoustic, rather than amped, it's naturally going to sound a little different. You might want to play with a metronome; you might be shocked, if you do, by how much your groove surges & lags at particular moments. If what you're after is a note-for-note copy of LW, there are also a few places where you're substituting things that don't sound quite as good for the things he's actually playing. I'm not just talking about places where you're deliberately stepping away from what he's playing, but places where I think you think you're copying him accurately but actually aren't.
Addict that's a great tune to practice. Lot's a great techniques to work on it that one and as you say great for working on timing too.
Adam, The way Billy plays it exactly what I mean by "It's more important to nail the feel of it rather than play every single note of it correctly. "
I do think there is a place for both performing it note for note and for improvising with it.
Personally with any of the classics I tend to take the main motifs and then make the rest my own. However as a student wanting to learn a "set piece" then I can see the benefit of learning it "parrot fashion".
Last Edited by on Jan 18, 2010 11:53 AM
Kingley... yeah, I think Dennis spent most of two lesson working with me on the subtleties of Can't Hold Out...
As for Juke. I think of it, and all the songs I learn note for note (or as close as I can come) as learning vehicles. Exercises. Though I have to say, it was pretty exciting to get to play Juke with Jimi and Franck. Jimi corrected me on a few things, too... they have been so amazing to work with.
Addict has it nailed. When you play the songs by these guys, you sort of imbue their stuff, and you can then use it and build on it. I trying to do a parrot copy of this and whammer jammer atm, and it makes MY playing better. Cheers for all the feedback, and I'll do an update with the metronome and the 6/9 blow.
@addict. To try and "dirty things up I had a few tongue slaps in. Not major, but every now and then, it sounds especially good amplified.
Also addict, lessons with D to the G!! Man I'm jealous... ---------- "Blow as thou pleaseth"
Here's a link to Glenn Weiser's on-line transcription of Juke. He's got a note at the top saying it should start on a 3 blow and I'm sure he's put out a correction somewhere for the 3-6 split he shows as being a 6-9. Anywho, you've got a real solid foundation for the tune. It may be worth it to walk through the transcription to clear up any uncertainties about what was going on for certain phrases and to tease out some of the subtleties that Adam was referring to.
http://www.celticguitarmusic.com/juke1.htm
Last Edited by on Jan 18, 2010 12:31 PM
Addict, lessons with Dennis! Damn I'm so jealous of that. Man has he got the chops. He is one of the best blues players on the planet! Hell he even makes Rod Piazza stop and grin.
Here's somebody I've never heard of doing Juke solo, along with a rhythm track that he worked up himself. Pretty cool. Uneven, but he's doing the 6-9 blow octave up front, and he has all the parts in the right place (which I don't, BTW). This is a guy who loves harp.
I'll say something else about "Twist"--who may, for all I knew, be a longtime member of the forum: he's got a mic/amp setup that gives him a fantastic tone on the swooping 5 draw early on. Now, if he were my student, or asked for what I thought, I might point out a dozen small things that could be worked on, tone-wise (HIS tone, not mic/amp tone). But sometimes what makes a player special is actually the small things they do differently from other people. I like this guy precisely for the fact that this is HIS "Juke," not Walter's, sound-wise--even though he's basically trying to play it note for note.
He's got the heart of the song, in other words, and I wouldn't change a thing about that.
Last Edited by on Jan 18, 2010 12:49 PM
Yes, lessons with Dennis.. very lucky. Playing with Jimi Bott and Franck Goldwasser, also very lucky. I didn't start playing until I turned 55. I wish I had started young. I know there aren't any shortcuts, but working with excellent people makes a difference.
Still looking for the crossroads... I love it when Adam goes to the crossroads.
You have the camera aimed at your crotch, you're wearing sweatpants, and I can see the distinct outline of your penis.
It sounds pretty good though, but don't listen to the people who say it's a 6-9, it's definitely a 6-3 or just a 6. The roll offs from the 2 draw in the second chorus could be smoother
