Feelin' for the Blues
This is a live performance at Mark Hummel's Blues Harmonica Blowout in 2006 at Yoshi's nightclub in Oakland, California. For the construction process I started with the hook you hear on the guitar and bass. My main focus was that I wanted something with a lot of feeling and something that connected with the audience... that was 100% my goal. In most of the songs that I write I like to work out the head and use Chorus Forms, but I didn't want it for this song... I wanted pure emotion.
While messing around with this song I figured I could play it in the key of A so that I could play in each position. I started with 3rd Position (G Harp) on the amplifier and then gave the guitar a solo. After that I played in 2nd Position (D Harp) on the vocal mic. My goal was to take advantage of how this higher harmonica can really cry. I also wanted to use the vocal mic so that I could use a lot of hand technique (which I'm not known for ;-). After that the piano solos. I finish my playing in 1st Position (A Harp) off mic, at the very edge of the stage to engage the audience... that's why you can barely hear me in the recording (this was recorded from the board)... again, the goal to connect with the audience.
So, here you go, my "Feelin' for the Blues." Note that I incorporated the opening to this solo in your 3rd Position Study 5 song. Enjoy!
Comments
Feelin for the Blues
What can I say but that I look forward to the day when I can play with that level of emotion.
I look forward to learning third position to expand those possibilities for myself. In the meantime I feel fortunate that I am learning from an instructor that I just so happen to also enjoy all compositions he creates. Which means from my standpoint I can't go wrong following your lead.
Feelin for the Blues
What can I say but that I look forward to the day when I can play with that level of emotion.
I look forward to learning third position to expand those possibilities for myself. In the meantime I feel fortunate that I am learning from an instructor that I just so happen to also enjoy all compositions he creates. Which means from my standpoint I can't go wrong following your lead.
Another beauty example
I think we are all listening differently now, so here's what I heard.
On the G harp, raw gutsy emotion comes through. How is a 'hook' different from a 'head'?. The melody on the harp certainly fit with the guitar hook but didn't mimic it. Did you mean you let the guitar set the hook? I felt the chorus structure was there but was it improvisation as opposed to being pre determined?
On the D harp, the hand effects really added to the mood and feeling. Great example of the effects of using different positions and different mic techniques.
Too bad the A harp wasn't picked up although the little I did hear sounded like you really used the high end of the harp - another contrast to the other two.
Thanks David - lots to listen to here and to think about in terms of how and why to use different techniques. Gotta get to that 3rd position Study 5 now!!
Hook...
The hook is played by the guitar and bass... not me. In other words, I wrote that lick and asked them to play it... it's a variation of what's called a box.
What I played was completely improvised...