backing

Jason Ricci shared with me his favorite series of jam tracks available for free on YouTube. Check out QuistJam here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KASgnQXLZrw with a Slow Blues in G. Thanks for the tip Jason.

When the vocals begin, hold the last note you you were playing softly until the vocal phrase is over and then continue playing (this assumes you were playing a chord tone, otherwise you would of had to change quickly to a chord tone). If you were playing a riff (repetitive lick), keep playing that riff softly through the vocal phrase. Holding a note equals inactivity and continuing an already-established phrase (riff) is inactivity. Change is activity and will distract from what's happening with the vocals.

Interview with guitarist/vocalist Eric Noden (of Joe Filisko & Eric Noden) where he shares his insights on playing in a duo setting is now up at Accompaniment Study 9 lesson (http://www.bluesharmonica.com/lessons/accompaniment_study_9)

Though Steve includes standard blues grooves in his jam tracks, where his series really excels is in their inclusion of songs that are bluesy in nature, but have elements of other musical styles. This also includes challenging keys, grooves and chord progressions. If you would like to add more diversity to your playing, or would like to start the process of learning how to deal with non-standard blues songs, this is a great series. More can be learned about the series here http://www.stevebaker.de/books_en_46.html

The Ultimate Jam Track series is another great collection of killer blues backing tracks. Like Jimi Lee's jam tracks, the musicians are steeped in the tradition of the blues and are inspiring to play with. There are three CDs available and they're all great http://www.ultijamtracks.com/blues.html

One of my favorite jam tracks with common blues grooves (designed to be generic so that they can be used with a wide range of songs) is Jimi Lee's "Every Groove a Bluesman Needs To Know." 31 tracks are included with PDF description of each groove. Download or physical CDs can be ordered here http://www.jimileeband.com/jam_tracks/

I often get asked by harmonica students if a jam track exists for a given song. Jam tracks, by design, are specific to common grooves, but intentionally vague so that they can work for many different types of songs. Some songs are famous due to their uniqueness... "Baby Scratch My Back" for example by Slim Harpo. For songs like these, specific jam tracks are needed. For these songs BluesHarpTracks.com is the place to go. If they don't have the song you're looking for, email Shoji, you may be able to pay him to make one for you.

Mark Mumea of the Elgins has some two-guitar harmonica backing tracks available for download. Here's some samples. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRiK9UTyjFM

Here's the website: http://www.devilstalemusic.com/product-category/cds/

Thanks to fellow students Mike and Dan for sharing this.

Fellow student Mike Z (thanks Mike!) is also a guitarist and said that this video is really informative on how to back harp players in the traditional 1950's style. If you play in a band or with a guitarist buddy that's not hip to this way of playing, it would be wise to purchase this DVD for them as a gift.

Little Walter - 50's Guitar Styles, Instructional Guitar DVD continue reading...