Any harmonica/blues harp doublers?

[Dave Wright]

Just wondered if there are many sax players that double on blues harp. I thought it was more common than it appears to be..its especially handy for blues gigs. What did you start on ? Influences?..I'd have to say Rod Piazza and Mark Ford..

[Gregg W. Jackson]

I double on blues harp and as davesaxa1 says, it's very handy for blues gigs. Some blues tunes work much better on harp than on sax. Also, there's the advantage that harps are equally easy to play in all keys (or hard, depending on your ability).

I started on a Hohner Marine Band because back in the early 1960's there weren't as many choices are there are today. Now I play Hohner Special 20's.

My influences (remember that I started in the early 1960's) are Paul Butterfield, John Sebastian Jr., Tony "Little Sun" Glover, Sonny Boy Williamson II, Junior Wells, and Little Walter.

[Dave Wright]

Hi Gregg

Yeah Little walter, what a sound! If you haven't heard any Mark Ford, i suggest you try anything by the Ford Brothers with Robben on guitar.
Yes the special 20's are like the old pro harp i think,nice.
I neglected practicing the harp for quite a while, but am just getting back into it.
Theres a couple of short clips on my site.
Cheers

[Captain Beeflat]

Yes, these two instruments compliment each other; I too play both harp & tenor sax. Something very cool about playing the fills on harp & the solo on saxophone...or, vice versa. Another colour for the band.

[hamilton]

Personally,I just don't get it.We get lots of guys that come and sit in for one or two tunes and they all sound the same.When you're playing a 12 bar blues and the harp player has a harp for every key,how could he possibly screw that up? you can't play a wrong note because the harp that belongs in the key the band is in has theblues scale built into it!!! Ask the next guy you see with 37 different harps if any of them are chromatic harps. the answer will proably be "No way man, those are too hard to play"

[Dave Wright]

I know what you're saying hamilton. I think like any instrument you get good and bad players, only the blues harp is very easy to get started on and make sound passable. As A result you get a lot of poor players all playing run of the mill ' trills' etc and mostly just huffing and puffing too much. It almost becomes a bit of a novelty instrument, " i'm not musical at all, but I can play the harmonica ".. and gives it a bad rep.
As for having the blues scale built into it, that not strictly true- you have to play whats known as ' 2nd position,cross harp' which means if its 'G' blues you play a 'C' harp, this requires mostly draw notes and ' bending' notes to get the minor 3rd and flat 5th.
I can play a little chromatic, but don't have the time to spend on it seriously- Toots Theilman was the man for that.

Cheers

[Randall]

Toots Theilman was the man for that.

Cheers

WAS!?
Is Toots dead?

[Dave Wright]

Humble apologies Toots- 84 years young:notworth: ...and its 'Theilemans'

[nachoman]

just reporting for duty as another tenor/bari sax honker & Blues harp player.... Sam Butera/Junior Walker and 'Big' Walter Horton/ Junior Wells repectively.

[Master.America]

I'm working on it, with a bit of help from my dad and some instructional videos. My dad's been playing for a while, dunno how long. He can play Take Five on chromatic, though.

[dshook]

Blues harp here. You all need to check out Carlos del Junco, this guy is nuts. He can SHRED in any position (any key) on a regular marine band diatonic (he gets a full chromatic scale with bends and overblows a la Howard Levy). I saw him live a while ago and it took me ten minutes after the first set to roll my jaw back into my mouth, and that was just when the second set was starting. Guy is cleaning up at all the international harmonica competitions, no one can touch him, plays all sorts of stuff besides blues with his extended techniques, pretty musical as well. I'll never complain about sax technique again. Can you imagine taking a lick around the circle of 5ths on a diatonic harp?

[nachoman]

Can you imagine taking a lick around the circle of 5ths on a diatonic harp?
...... er, no- I can't imagine doing that! :? :? :shock: Got to check this guy out

[Dave Wright]

Jean jacque Milteau is another one for taking the harp through all the keys. Over-blowing is achieved much like overtones in that you are manipulating the reed using the throat cavity.Oh to have enough time to practice harp again:(

harp clips (http://www.davewright.webeden.co.uk/)

[dshook]

Check out this chrom player William Galison. Guy went to Berkeley on the harp and everything, amazing, tasty player, I just got his new cd.

[Hobbes]

That is a Spanish blues band. Mr. Hurricane Band.
His harmonica player is one of the best in europe, play chromatic in ditaonic, is fast and special. Great !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fI0v6qbWeGA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eONnSwqeYZo

[MontyJJ]

hi. I just want to know, how playing the harmonica can influence the sax embouchure. should I worry about it?

[themacintrasher]

Been trying :(

[Arundo Donax]

As for having the blues scale built into it, that not strictly true- you have to play whats known as ' 2nd position,cross harp' which means if its 'G' blues you play a 'C' harp, this requires mostly draw notes and ' bending' notes to get the minor 3rd and flat 5th.

For now I've got just a C harp and want to get competent with that before getting something in another key. But, considering what you say above, if I want to play a blues scale and I don't want to be bending notes on my C harp, could I achieve the same thing by playing a G harp in first position?

[Dave Wright]

hi. I just want to know, how playing the harmonica can influence the sax embouchure. should I worry about it?


Hi Monty

I would say about as much as talking would influence it, you'd just be working a different set of muscles. No different to doubling on other wind instruments.

Cheers

[Dave Wright]

For now I've got just a C harp and want to get competent with that before getting something in another key. But, considering what you say above, if I want to play a blues scale and I don't want to be bending notes on my C harp, could I achieve the same thing by playing a G harp in first position?


Different positions allow for different vibes ( scales ultimately ) over the blues, whether it major or minor. You can play/practice all the positions on your C harp, and just change the chord or key of the blues you are in .

For example your C first postion would be over a C blues and gives you an old country feel and is especially good for blow bending the top notes.

If I get time and it would help , I could attach a small example from my book , maybe with some audio.

[BernieO]

For now I've got just a C harp and want to get competent with that before getting something in another key. But, considering what you say above, if I want to play a blues scale and I don't want to be bending notes on my C harp, could I achieve the same thing by playing a G harp in first position?

Hi Arundo,

In strictly laymen's terms (and I apologise if I sound patronising I don't mean to be) first position means that you are generally blowing through the reeds more so than you are sucking (drawing). If you listen to a Dylan song you will notice his harp has a particular (not really bluesey) sound. That is because he is playing in first position, so if the song is in 'C' so is his harp. First position is also used to play along to a melody line. On the other hand if you play in the second position, say 'C' harp in key of 'G', in order to achieve the blues harp sound you will find that the majority of the notes you play are sucked (drawn).

Most blues at some point usually involves guitar and if you are reasonably serious about learning to play harp to either play in a blues band or to play along to cd's etc then I would suggest you outlay another $50 or so and buy yourself another harp in 'A'. That is because guitarists love to play in 'E' and 'A' is the correct key for cross harp there.

There are other keys that your harps can be used in (e.g. 'C' harp can be used to play to a blues song in 'D' minor) but you are better off sticking to first and second position when you are learning.

When you first start playing along with other artists begin with fills between vocal lines or turnarounds at the end of a verse, they'll sound great and won't put you on the spot (as a solo will) until you are ready. It's probably worthwhile having a hunt on the net for more advance techniques such as bending notes and the like but they will come with practice.

James Cotton is my personal favourite harp player although Little Walter, Junior Wells and Rod Piazza are up there. I saw Rod Piazza at the Narooma Blues Festival in November 07 and I reckon he stole the show.

Regards,

Bernie O'Reilly

[oldbluesman]

I play harp and sax. I've been playing harp for 50 years and started on a Hohner Marine Band. My influences were all my relatives (ie., Willie "Son" Garrette, Noah Gomer, TBone Walker, my Dad, etc.,). I've been playing sax for 20 years and influences by Texas greats I've played with (ie., Reggie "Whimp" Caldwell, Donald Gennings, Larry Williams, Kaz Kazinoff, and a host of others). My band the Blues Specialists have been together for 21 years and features two saxophones (ie., me and the legendary Louis Thompson). My sax a Buescher TT has added new life to my music playing. I've taken my harp playing experience (both blues and jazz) and applied it to the sax plus taught my self music theory. I now dot! and having fun. Check out the blues harp: http://meldavis.uni.cc