Found this video by Jim Bruce, who regularly plays on the street in France.  Very informative, and good humored.  Jim also has a series of excellent finger picking blues lessons available online.  Interestingly he has an amp I cannot recognize, but seems pretty cool - 30 watts, about a perfect size and weight.  Can't quite make out the name, but probably purchased in the UK or France. Anyway, when weather permits, he's out there every day so he is the voice of experience.

It's 16.0.2.

I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for all of your great feedback.

Hi Michael .. thanks!  Is Firefox 16.0.2 or 6.0.2?

I think it may be 16.0.2 as that is the latest.  6.0.2 is likely very, very old.  Just want to confirm.  Thanks.

Firefox and the Slow Down Buttons

Firefox does not support the slow down feature.  Chrome, Safari and IE9 all do.  Firefox will likely support it in the future ... and when they do we will start showing the slow down buttons for Firefox.  We chose to not show the slow down buttons for Firefox as they would not be functional.

I will put it on our list to notify people using Firefox that they need Chrome, Safari or IE9 to use the slow down feature.

On my iMac

Firefox: 6.0.2

Safari: Version 5.1.7 (6534.57.2)

Chrome: Version 21.0.1180.89

I'm using an older version of Firefox, because I'm using an older version of the Mac OS: 10.4.1 and it won't support a newer version of Firefox.  Safari: 4.1.3 -- same issue of support for newer version.

I'm not about to upgrade my OS. 

 Thanks.

Hi guys; what versions of Safari/Firefox are you using? In general, Chrome is your best bet, but we'd like to try to make sure the features work across all browsers.

Thanks I'm also going to try Chrome.

Michael - I, too, have a Mac.  I've had some problems with some things (such as no slow-down buttons) while using Firefox as the web browser which don't appear if I use Safari.

Sometimes, just closing Firefox and opening it again solves the problems.

Hi Michael .. glad you are enjoying it!  The YouTube looper is all fixed.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Thanks very much Mike. I'm really loving this site very much. Jerry and the rest of you are so friendly and of great help.

Hi Michael .. welcome to Sonic Junction!  Thanks for the note.  Mac is fine.  

We just added some functionality to the video player / looper and unfortunately introduced this issue with YouTube videos.  We will fix it this week.  My apologies for the issue and thanks for letting us know about it.

Mike

This looper isn't working for me. I'm on a Mac. Wonder if that's the issue. I love the idea of learning and looping parts of the tunes.

It's the same for all keys although the higher keys tend to require a slightly tighter focused embouchure. Once you get it in any key you should be able to make the slight adjustments to other keys. Stick with it. It will come.

NEW KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

We wanted to make looping, rewinding and seeking the video easier and more precise.  We know that most people are viewing the video with either a guitar or harmonica in their hand, so getting to the mouse is tricky and a bit fustrating.  So, we have implemented the following keyboard short-cuts.  Typing

- 1,2,3 ... 9 will now rewind and automatically loop the last 1-9 seconds of the video

- Q and W will move the loop start point backward (Q) or forward (W) 1 second

- O and P will move the loop end point backward (O) or forward (P) 1 second

- the left and right arrow keys will seek the video backward (left) or forward (right) one second

- the space bar will play / pause the video

- the ESC key will exit the loop

Please give the new features a test and let us know what you think.  

BUG FIX

We fixed the progress bar forward / rewind bug.  You can now click on the progress bar to move the video forwards and backwards.  We apologize for the issue and appreciate those of you who notified us of the bug.

Thanks! 

Mike

Yes, at least that's what I do. Lip pursing, tongue blocking, octaves etc. After a while it will become fluid.

Thanks Jerry and Iceman! I'm relieved to know that I don't have to learn to TB the blow bends.  The irony is that I now realize that I have to switch embochures at the high end of the harp as well as at the low end because my unbent upper register blow notes sound better tongue blocked, and I usually bend draw notes from the lip pursed position. Would it be fair to say that one has to be able to move quickly back and forth between embochures all over the harp?

I have always used pursed lips to bend the high notes at the top of the harp.

So really it's all about the same,thanks for comments

I can predictably bend some of the draw notes from a TB position, and I can see the value of it with certain phrasings. I do, however, enjoy draw bending in the pursed lips embochure. I'm wondering about the blow bend end of things.  I find that I can play the top end of the harp easier from a TBing position, particularly the 9 and 10 blow, but I can't imagine blow bending from a TB position.  Any thoughts on this?

In your bending lesson you said you use the vowel sequence of E, U, O and Ah to get the 1/2 steps on the 3 draw.

Here's my question do you use the same sequence of letters on all keys or do you change the letters for high and low harps?

Thanks

What is now referred to as the classic "Chacago blues" style was developed in the late 1940s and early 1950s by artists who fully amplified the Delta blues and put it into a small-band context.  Adding drums, bass, and piano (and sometimes saxophones) to the basic string band and harmonica aggregation, the style created the now standard blues-band lineup.  The form was (and is) flexible to accommodate singers, guitarist, pianist, and harmonica players as featured performers in front of the standard instrumentation.  * (The Blues Project: Blues Teachers Guide - Blues Glossary)

Mike it is made by Bob Gernandt in Bryson City, NC.  Here is the link:

http://www.gernandt.com/parlor_acoustic_guitars.html

I really dig the guitar.  He doesn't produce a lot of instruments, as he is more interested in quality instead of quantity.  I first met Bob at Merlefest in 2010 and was hooked as soon as I played the guitar.   Check out his website and tell him that I sent you.

Thanks

C H

Hi Corey,

I've gotten a couple questions about the parlor guitar you use on Catfish Blues.   Can you tell us a little bit about it?

1. Who made it?

2. Is it a slightly shorter scale?

3. What woods are used ... it is a beautiful guitar.

Any other details would be appreciated too.  Thanks!

Mike

From what I've read, instrument amplification is what makes "Chicago Blues" different.

What makes Chicago Blues, what is the different then any oother blues.