Many thanks to Mark Nessmith aka 'MN' for allowing me to repost and talk about his playing here. Mark, if you want to chip in with some thoughts, hints and tips you'd be more than welcome.
Here it is in full...
I like this piece, and want to use it to learn from, for two reasons:
1. He starts with a comping rhythm, squarely in the groove. Then in solo mode, he switches to a different feel that I particularly like, where it's more free, and yet the phrases do start and end in the right places. I'd like to be able to do that, I think it sounds great.
2. Mark uses loads of twiddles on and around the 4 and 4'. It's very satisfying to hear. It's a classic sound, but have I read about it any instruction book? I don't think so. Of course they aren't random twiddles but specific little moves that have to start/end on the right notes and sit in the right place. Lots of little puzzles. He really drives the thing along with this stuff.
Here is the main harp solo section, slowed down a fair bit...
I can't do this myself yet but I've been breaking it down to work out some of the puzzles. The aim of the game is to play them slowly then hopefully speed them up then join them up. Here are three I've picked out.
This is an approximation of the first phrase - played on an A harp so it's quite a different sound to Mark's hi-energy offering. I'm trying to play it straight and simple just to get the notes and rhythm in my head. The rhythm isn't straightforward even though I've simplified it here. 4 4 4' 3', 4 3, 4' 4 4' 3', 4' 4 5.
This one is a triplety phrase 4 3' 4', 4 4' 3', 4' 4 5, 4 4' 3', 4' 4
And this one is includes a 4B: 4 (4' 4 4') 3' 4+ 3+ 3' 2 with a characteristic fast twiddle on 4' 4 4'
MTG: What does 4' mean? I haven't seen it written out like that before. Usually i have just seen 4D or 4B. Then there's the bend on 4D, i don't know how they notate that in tab. Anyway i want to steal some of these licks so i need to clarify it! Great work and thanks for posting this up!
you'll see 3', 3", 3"'...the first is 3 draw half step, the second is 3 draw whole step, the 3rd is 3 draw step and a half
Last Edited by SuperBee on Nov 23, 2015 11:30 AM
Thanks SuperBee i appreciate the help and that clears it up. I was going to ask about this before when i first read the thread but got sidetracked by stuff. I can try learning some of these licks now! Thanks.
Thanks SuperBee. For completeness I'll add that I'm using
4 = 4D (Draw), 4+ = 4B (Blow).
Is that David Barrett's convention? I don't have a book to hand. But it seems reasonable to me as draw notes are given so much emphasis in playing blues.
Yep, David notes the blows with a + I'm not sure if he leads the chamber number or trails it, but no matter in my mind. Some systems note the draws with a - but I think David's approach is more efficient.
I don't think I've heard the term twiddles. Sorry for sounding like the class dunce, but to what part of the phrase do you refer? Thought I had it but then I listened to your last example......
Ian. Twiddles! - yes I coined the term for this kind of ornament, because I've not read a description of it anywhere else. Maybe a 'trill' would describe it generally but that's used for other ornaments too. I'm talking specifically about an ornament using rapid variations between 4' (4D bend) and 4 (4 Draw), also incorporating 3' (3D half-step bend).
In the OP there's examples all through it, e.g. at 2m 08s.
Some time ago I also I came across Little Sonny where the treatment of his 4D is a key part of his style e.g.
https://youtu.be/pDWIqTCFK3Y
You can do the same thing on the 6D, and in 3rd position it performs the same function i.e. it's the 5th and flattened 5th scale degrees.
I had to slow them down to work out how to play them, and the trick is NOT to articulate them. Even though - at speed - they sound sharp and staccato you actually play them legato. You know, like your question about those triplets?
...with the exception that... starting with a 'thwa' articulation on the 4 can give a sharp dip into the note. The softer 'th' rather than hard 't' keeps the note going and the 'wa' gives you the dip!
Hope that helps.
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Nov 28, 2015 12:30 AM
Aha...that's awesome...this is the equivalent of what I've been doing with 8 and 9....especially 8 blow...I can't describe it, even to myself...I can't even do it if I think about it too much.. Playing the 9 blow and bending it in 1st position is actually the same thing...the 5th and flat 5th...as is the 6/6' for 3rd...and of course they all take their place across the changes of a second position 12 bar... Just today I've been getting to grips with the mid/high 12th position chord tones...because I've been playing first position, so the IV chord in 1st equates to 12th pos...5draw, thru 9 draw..with the chord tones 5 draw, 6 draw and bend for the flat/minor 3rd, 7 draw for the 5th...no flat 5th (6overblow, but no smooth transition between 5 and flat 5...and the 8' for flat 7...it's actually quite expressive...and of course the V chord in 1st position is equal to good old 2nd...so you can hit the 10" in the 9th bar... 1st position is so much fun but it all hangs on being able to 'twiddle' the 8 and 9...I've only just realised that controlling the 4 and 6 is probably the equivalent 'key' to second...I'll have to pay more attention...all my 2nd pos attention has been aimed at the 2 and 3 chamber...which are important obviously, but I'm afraid I've rather neglected 4 and 6...like not totally but I just don't have that crazy fluency which is needed...cool, Jimi Lee tried to turn me on to this but I haven't quite comprehended the importance until right now... In 3rd, playing Minnie the Moocher I do get the 6 draw to fire up like this...I don't have a bunch of third worked out but I muddle through most things by ThinKing about minnie the Moocher, St James infirmary and black magic woman...I'm sure I can do better.
Good. Yes I hear what you say about 8 and 9. I don't play a lot of 1st position myself, but it was listening to a lot of Charlie Musselwhite that legitimised the top end of for me, in 2nd position. He often moves up to play 2nd position IV-chord riffs using twiddley things on the 8 and 9 blow bends. Then stays up there for the return to the I chord, using the same blow bends to substitute for 8D and 9D. I like it.
I've also heard a similar thing from Sam Myers.
When I first started to try to improvise, I shied away from the 4 4' because I read people moaning about beginners wailing on those notes.
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Nov 29, 2015 1:57 PM
