Hi Sonic Junction -
Rick Estrin back again. This time we'll be working on a slightly uptempo piece I called "Bo Dee's Bounce". It features amplified Chicago style harp and it's played on an A harp in the key of E. This tune is actually a version of an instrumental I put together for our brand new Alligator CD. The album won't be officially released until mid-September, but here on Sonic Junction, you're getting a general preview of how this tune goes. I'm employing lots of devices we've worked with before - vibrato, swells, split chords, burrs or growls, octaves, and intentional slop - all served up with a whole lotta groove.
Learning this piece can also be instructive for understanding how to construct an effective instrumental. Notice the way I'm fitting the successive verses together - It's what I call making apparent sense, or what's more commonly known as, telling a story - musically speaking. I hope you enjoy the performance, and next week we'll begin to really get into it!
Rick
Topics and/or subjects covered in this lesson:
Chicago Blues
A Harp in the Key of E.
Loop 0:00 First Verse
Loop 0:21 2nd Verse
Loop 0:37 3rd Verse
Loop 0:54 4rd Verse
Loop 1:10 5th Verse
Loop 1:26 6th Verse
Loop 1:41 7th Verse
Loop 1:57 8th Verse
Loop 2:13 9th Verse
Comments
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Hey, how about a close up of the watch you are wearing here?
(Some of us besides Rusty are into vintage watches, ya know!)
Aside from that, if anyone learns this complete song, they will totally understand how to use 3 hole inhale in all of its possibilities (except for 3 hole inhale third bend), how to solo off the 2 hole inhale alone, how to break that feel of 4/4 ocasionally into a triplet instead, as well as repetitive shorter linear ideas over different chords and how this works merely by changing one note slightly within that line.
I'd call this a Master Class lesson in everything int/adv!
🤣 - There's also some good conjunctive use of 2 draw with 3 blow.
Seems to be in the beginning a lot of 1 draw 2draw 3drawnotes would that be correct? And is the whole piece Tb or is there any puckering in the piece? Great Music 🎙🙏👌🛸
I'll be trying to break down exactly what I'm doing as we get into the lessons. I'm pretty sure I'm tongue blocking the whole thing, but there may be a time or two when I lip on the 2nd hole - I honestly can't say for sure. I do know that the whole piece can absolutely be played with your tongue on the harp and that it would be very difficult to replicate most of it lipping.
Thx it’s all about the groove 🔥🔥🛸🛸🙌
Will do.
Awesome tune Rick! Thanks again or sharing. I'm planning to see you next Friday night at the Chenango Blues Fest - glad you made it out east!
Bill
Glad you like the piece, Bill - Be sure to come up and say hi in Chenango.
Rick, Thanks for another great lesson and performance. What mic are you using?
Thanks. Joe. New York
Hi Joe, it's an Astatic JT-30. I got it from Mark Overman. He's one of the top harp mic customizers in the world. You can look him up on fb