Another gig

Last Friday (15th Nov) played another gig at the pub beer fest. It was the usual mix of fun and mistakes. We did get some video footage of ourselves but the quality of the sound is awful so I'd rather just remember it in my mind (where I was incredible!!!)

Gear

Due to the PA being reduced, through the exit of a band member, I have been asked to get a mike. Today I found one in cash converters for £5. It's not that bad a mike, in that it sounded reasonable when I played through it. The music shop in Consett then sold me 2 leads and I decided to get a pedal which will give me a bit of distortion for those few songs which need it. All told it came in at £42 which was far less than any proper mike. I only hope that it all works out ok for Friday's gig. I think I will pick up a small practice amp at some point.

4th and 5th position

I've been thinking about trying to learn another position on the harmonica (more from a desire to try it out than to learn it for any tunes.) Tony Glover refers to 4th position but I think he means 5th because if you track them with the cycle of fifths, then what he talks about is the 5th key you come across. Anyway 4th starts on 6 draw and is semi complete. 5th starts on 2 blow and is complete and sort of works in the upper octave but has a missing note or two. I don't know of any recorded music which uses either of these positions so it really just a novelty.

So a C harp can be used to play in (amongst others):
1st: C
2nd: G
3rd: D
4th: A
5th: E

I can't see a particular use for it unless there is a blues in an obscure key or wanting to play in A on a lower harp instead of D cross.

To play in A

1st: A
2nd: D
3rd: G
4th: C
5th: F

Mordon Gig

We played Mordon hall last night. We are now 1 band member less so the sound has changed somewhat. I actually found it easier in the new format and had a really fun gig. I was, I think possibly for the first time ever, pleased with how I sounded pretty much throughout!

Also we had some good new songs in which went well. The speed we played Let's Stick Together at meant that my solo would never have worked so I just made one up. Mr Pitiful was a not too good (I think we missed a guitar solo) but my brass riff intro went well. And She Was, which I suppose isn't new any more, was cool. Born To Be Wild was awesome! I didn't quite time the switch from triplets to the main riff but I doubt it was very noticeable. My solo was loud and brash. Love for the Common people was great fun and worked well.

All in all, lots of fun :)

Current harps

Here's my current list of harmonicas which I use for gigs:

Special 20: C, D
Blues Harp: E, G
Golden Melody: F
Lee Oscar: A
Suzuki Bluesmaster: Bb

Chrometta 12: C
Super Chromonica: C

Summer Fun

Over the summer I've been working on various things. Let's Stick Together works well on my D harp (2nd position) it's been fun to try and steal some of the sax riffs.

Also, at band the other day, we started on Love for the Common People (1st position A) and Born to Be Wild -which I need to work out a solo for. 3rd position C, I think covers the key (Dm) but I'm lacking inspiration as regards the solo.

I've been reworking Bright Side of the Road too in case it comes back into the set. The intro is sounding better and I've tried some of the brass lines as fills. Still find the riff in the middle of the solo hard but it is coming.

There have been other licks which I've tried too but I can't remember them (oops). I think a run from 6 blow down to 2 draw with the flat 3rd down to major 2nd was one. Either way, I've enjoyed playing a lot. I'm going to work on the chromatic and try to get Madness's Our House next. The brass lines should work fairly well on the chromatic but it will be interesting to see if it is the harmonies which really make the song.

Onwards!

Practice: 1st octave

I don't play blues in 1st position because I can't overblow and I think the upper octave is too shrill especially when amplified. However, yesterday I tried "King of the Road" in 1st on the first octave. What made is particularly challenging was that I used my F harp. It needs some work but was useful for trying to get holes 2 and 3 in tune when being bent.

Worth more investigation.

Also "When the Saints" 1st position (start on 1 blow) then 2nd position (start on 2 draw) and "Amazing Grace" 1st (3 blow) and 2nd (1 draw) are good for getting the bends working. I don't think I can play any of them in 3rd because there is no way (without overblows?) to get the major third.

Gig two

It didn't go so well for me last night. Various solos went awry and it took ages before people seemed to start enjoying themselves. Completely mad dancing bloke was quite funny though, in a scary sort of way.

Beer festival

Awesomely fun beer festival gig tonight! Lovely comment afterwards from a lady who'd enjoyed it, "What a difference you make!" Awwwwww :)

Tomorrow night is the Morgan Owner's get together. Looking forward to it!

New vintage Chromatic Harp!

So a few months ago there was this chap who liked my playing. I couldn't go to the pub last night but when I arrived at work today I was presented with a new harp! This chap had been back and given the harp to D! Turns out it is a vintage Hohner Chromatic which could date back to 1926!

The man is coming back to our next gig so I intend to work some harp stuff out on it. Time to let him hear it played! Yay!

Easter Holiday Over

Nearly finished the Easter holiday and have had plenty of time to practice the harp. I've got my groove back and found it huge fun. I've tried to get some triplet runs going (in the style of Paul Butterfield) with some success. What else have I done? Ah yes I've slowed music down to help me figure it out. Adam Gussow plays some fast runs which I've sort of got but the speed is still massively beyond me. Now, as the new term looms, I have my traditional mouth ulcer-a-thon which makes playing painful. Oh well, at least I've had a few weeks off from them! Still completely neglecting the chromatic I just can't get my head round it so I'm using it for just 1 song in the set at the moment -And She was.

And that's it!