Tip of the Day

What is the soloist doing when he attempts to "build"? Actually the ideal process hardly ever takes place--that is, it is hardly ever the case that a conscientious soloist plays a thinking solo for a hard-listening hearer, but when this does happen, the key process is memory. The soloist has to establish for the listener what the important POINT, the motif if you like, is, and then show as much as he can of what it is that he sees in that motif, extending the relationships of it to the basic while never giving the feeling he has forgotten it. continue reading...

In the book Improvising Jazz by Jerry Coker there's a quote author by Richmond Browne that "The listener must come our right around 50% of the time" in regards to guessing where the music is going next. Ruminate on that important statement and I'll elaborate tomorrow.

Listening to Chorus 2 of George Harmonica Smith's "Juicy Harmonica" notice that the first and second line use the same rhythm. Though the notes are different, the rhythm remains the same. This is a rhythm sequence. He changes on the last line (last four bars). Focusing on pitches only, you would call this an A B C Chorus Form. Taking into account the rhythm, it's clearly an A A1 B Chorus Form (A, A variation 1, B Chorus Form).

Here's what he plays using TAB. I placed the pickup to each line in parenthesis so that you can see the main meat of the line he's playing. continue reading...

The next time you're at your local hardware store take a stole down the fence supplies isle and grab a chain link fence cap. The most common size is 2-3/8", which is the same size as our bullet microphones. This is the inside diameter measurement, so it will feel a tad large, but it's pretty darn close. This is a great bullet mic analog for those wishing to get used to holding a bullet microphone before they make the investment for a real one. You can also play into it like a cup, creating cool, cavernous Wa Wa and Hand Tremolo effects. Not a bad tool, and under $1! continue reading...

This BBC special is now streaming online. Thanks to Kim Addonizio and Sara Jane Hall for such a great program. Congrats to Steve Baker, Joe Filisko, Martin Häffner and Richard Weiss for being featured.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05283j4

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Imagine a town of harmonica players; sounds a bit surreal?

Now 'Between the Ears' gives listeners a chance to hear the harmonica as a
truly virtuoso instrument, always an instrument of the people - portable,
affordable and playable. Acclaimed poet Kim Addonizio turns harmonica continue reading...

Taking a listen to George Harmonica Smith's famous cut "Juicy Harmonica" (West Coast Down Home Harmonica CD on Elsegundo Records) you can easily hear that he's using the AAA Chorus Form in the first chorus. What is the second chorus? If you focus on pitches only you won't get it.

Have a great weekend everyone!

You know that Joe Filisko has video lesson at BluesHarmonica.com, but you may not know that he has blues harmonica study songs (with music notation and recording) at his website http://www.filiskostore.com/category/34192016 for sale. If you like having purpose-written songs for the studying harmonica player, these are invaluable.

Let's stay on the Ross Garren theme for today... his second article of "Introduction to Studio Harmonica Work" is now up: http://tightcup.com/introduction-studio-harmonica-work-part-2/

Instructor Ross Garren spends an afternoon interviewing Tom Ball. The interview can be read in the National Harmonica League's magazine "Harmonica World." Here's a video snippet of his interview: http://youtu.be/D7CCPNayShI

Just released this Friday... a quick video on what got Carlos del Junco started on harmonica: http://us.playhohner.com/news/harpin-on-a-riff/