Hey, Sonic Junction -
This week, we're back with verse 7 of "Mr. Lee's Mambo". This verse starts out with some "breaks". I'm pretty sure they're called breaks because the flow of the music stops and starts again, but they could also be called "breaks" for the way they can (in the right spot) serve as a dramatic attention grabber that can "break" up any mounting monotony. And, very important - Always remember, even in the silent part of the breaks, the groove never stops. In this week's lesson, I also talk about a tip regarding finesse that came directly from the late, great Little Walter.
So have fun with it, and as always, any comments and questions are always welcome.
Rick Estrin
Topics and/or subjects covered in this lesson:
Groove
key of E
A Harp
Rick Estrin
Mr. Lee's Mambo
A Harp in the Key of E.
Loop 0:32 7th Verse Acoustically
Loop 1:08 Breakdown of First 4 Bars
Loop 5:50 Practice Loop of First 4 Bars
Loop 6:14 Breakdown of IV Chord
Loop 9:15 Little Walter and Playing In Control
Loop 11:15 Practice Loop of Bars 5 - 8
Loop 13:08 Breakdown Last 4 Bars
Loop 18:00 Practice Loop of Verse Seven
Loop 18:40 Slow Practice Loop of Verse Seven
Loop 19:16 Closing Thoughts and How To Learn It
Comments
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Hi Everyone and Rick ... i will have to work on the groove but that s it !! any comments ??
Hey Andre! That's great! You're starting to get a nice feel on the groove, the notes all correct and your tongue flutter sounds pretty awesome! Great job!
That helps! Thanks, Rick.
Hi Rick - Any tips on how to fill the harp up with air? Seems like it would be easier to do while tongue-blocking. Thanks!
Hi Robert - Good question! Obviously I can't know exactly what Little Walter meant when he said "Fill the harp up with air, and then you just navigate" but what I gleaned from it is something like this - Once you've created a nice, tight seal, devoid of unintentional air leaks, then you can find a balance in your playing - a space that allows you to relax while still maintaining intensity.This enables you to obtain a good tone with a more effortless, smooth flow. After that, when you want to really punch it, you can and it'll jump out - providing some good, effective contrast. I hope that helps. For me, that Little Walter statement is both a concept to ponder and a goal to strive for.