Bill Blatner

Bill Blatner
Bill Blatner commented on: Lightnin' 4th Verse Breakdown Jan 27, 2019

Hey Rick,

Not that the previous verses were a breeze but I definitely find this kind of thing challenging.  When a phrase stops and leaves a big silence hanging it really draws attention, especially to the last note in the phrase.  If it's right, it stands out in a really cool way.  If it's not, well, it still stands out :)  Getting the ugly sound right ain't as easy as it sounds.  All this practice with tongue blocked bends on the 2 and 3-draw, with and without slop, trying to get those brief subtle vibratos in there - it all makes for a great work out.

Thanks.

Bill Blatner
Bill Blatner commented on: Lightnin' First Verse Breakdown Jan 13, 2019

I am so bummed out to discover that you were right here in Boston and I missed it (I'm about 2 hours west in Northampton MA).  I'm hoping to catch you in Maine this summer.

On the other hand, I was totally inspired to resaturate myself in James Cotton music.  I've listened to about 100 cuts in the last two days and haven't exhausted all the stuff I have of him with Muddy and on compilations like Harp Attack and Superharps.  What a performer.

When you said, "Playing clean, that ain't nothin"" I couldn't agree more.  It's really hard to get those 3-hole draw half step bends with the right amount of the 4 hole to consistently sound "right." 

One question I have: When you (and Cotton) are playing it sometimes sounds like you're sucking the reeds right out of the harmonica.  Are you pulling that hard or is it just getting the right grip on the note?  My tongue block on the 2-hole draw has gotten a lot better but it still sounds kind of anemic at times.  More energy or more finesse? (or something else?!)

Thanks!

Rick Estrin
Rick Estrin Jan 13, 2019

Definitely more finesse - a more focused "grip" on the trajectory of the air is one way I could try and describe it. I have heard that Cotton had a very fierce, physical attack, but I hear a lot of finesse at work creating that impression.                                                     That Cotton tribute show was at The Narrows, in Fall River - It was a lot of fun.

Bill Blatner
Bill Blatner commented on: Lightnin' Performance Jan 06, 2019

Wow!  What a gift!  Thanks for sharing this with us Rick.  I hope you'll let us know when the documentary becomes available.

Bill

Rick Estrin
Rick Estrin Jan 07, 2019

Hi Bill, I'm not sure when the documentary might be completed, but it's being made by a legit company called Northern Light Productions, out of Boston. They flew a bunch of us in for interviews and a tribute concert. It was a lot of fun just hangin out with everyone and reminiscing about Cotton.

Bill Blatner
Bill Blatner commented on: Boogie on the I Breakdown of 2nd Verse Nov 14, 2018

Thanks Dennis and Larry,

I'm literally feeling my way forward with this idea. Sometimes you experiment with something that seems to work only to find out later that you're developing a bad habit. This guidance allows me to experiment knowing I'm on the right road.

B

Dennis Gruenling
Dennis Gruenling Nov 14, 2018

What you say is very true...so many players develop bad habits on their own or from an "instructor" who deos now know any better and then you get years of bad habits and it becomes more difficult to undo them...Glad you're feeling this out and working on it!! Well done!

Bill Blatner
Bill Blatner commented on: Boogie on the I Breakdown of 2nd Verse Nov 10, 2018

I think I see what you mean. Thanks.

Dennis Gruenling
Dennis Gruenling Nov 13, 2018

You're welcome. The higher the note you are bending the shorter the reed, and also the closer to the front of your mouth that you need to use to bend it.

Bill Blatner
Bill Blatner commented on: Boogie on the I Breakdown of 2nd Verse Nov 09, 2018

I'm glad you're doing this piece on the D harp in A.  I definitely need work on bending on the higher pitched harps, especially the 3-hole bends.  It seems like they need a lighter touch.

Dennis Gruenling
Dennis Gruenling Nov 10, 2018

They need a different type of touch, not neccessarily lighter, but different. Higher pitched bends are done closer to the front of your embouchure, not back towards your throat.

Bill Blatner
Bill Blatner commented on: Boogie on the I Breakdown of First Verse Nov 05, 2018

That's what I want to hear. I'm a slow-and-steady-wins-the-race kinda guy. So just to hone in on this technique, are you alternating between adjacent holes or what?

Thanks Dennis. This feedback is invaluable.

Dennis Gruenling
Dennis Gruenling Nov 05, 2018

There are many ways you can vary up any technique, and a tongue trill is no different, but in this case most often I am doing 2-5 draw tongue trill. Tongue trills are usually NOT adjacent holes, which are usually done the "normal" trill way (shaking your head and/or hands), though they can be done with the tongue as well. But also keep in mind, they are also not "clean" tongue trills, so the notes 2 & 5 are not super clean and precise, meaning that I am bleeding in some of the adjacent notes to get more texture and a more chord-like sound. 

Bill Blatner
Bill Blatner commented on: Boogie on the I Breakdown of First Verse Nov 04, 2018

Thanks. That tongue trill is gonna kill me :)

Dennis Gruenling
Dennis Gruenling Nov 05, 2018

Haha...you'll be fine! Like any new technique, the trick is to start practicing it SLOWLY, and practice it often, in short practice sessions.

Bill Blatner
Bill Blatner commented on: Boogie on the I Breakdown of First Verse Nov 03, 2018

Hi Dennis,

On the tongue trills, is it a rapid on and off or are you doing something else?

On rhythmic vamp at the end, is there any particular way you're articulating the 1-2 draw chord?

Thanks. I really love the groove. I'm looking forward to working on improvising over the backing track as well as learning what you're doing.

Bill

Dennis Gruenling
Dennis Gruenling Nov 04, 2018

Hi - for clarification, a "trill" is a quick alternating of two different notes (such as the common 4-5 draw trill) so a tongue trill is not on & off (vamping a chord against a single note), a tongue trill is alternating two notes separated by your tongue...in other words, a tongue trill is a side-to-side movement, whereas a vamp would be on/off with the tongue.

Articulation of the chord is usually similar to a "tut" if you want it sharp and clear.

Thanks, I love working with this groove, and working with just a I-chord track is so important and can be LOTS of fun!!

Bill Blatner
Bill Blatner commented on: Boogie on the I Performance Oct 31, 2018

Here here!

Bill Blatner
Bill Blatner commented on: Boogie on the I Performance Oct 27, 2018

Whoa!!! What a jam!!

Dennis Gruenling
Dennis Gruenling Oct 30, 2018

Thanks Bill!

Bill Blatner
Bill Blatner commented on: Crawlin' Kingsnake Outro Breakdown Oct 01, 2018

Thanks for this series Rick.  It's really given me some new tools for keeping the groove, especially playing solo.  I'll be working on many parts of this going forward. And enjoying every minute.

Best,

Bill

Rick Estrin
Rick Estrin Oct 01, 2018

Thank YOU, Bill. I'm real glad you enjoyed it!

Bill Blatner
Bill Blatner commented on: Crawlin' Kingsnake Last Vocal Verse Sep 22, 2018

Nasty lyrics! A female singer friend suggests keeping the number of songs involving snakes to one per performance 😉

Bill Blatner
Bill Blatner commented on: Crawlin' Kingsnake 2nd Half of Solo Sep 16, 2018

Yes, that definitely makes sense.  That fact that I can improvise at all used to seem like a miracle to me but your analogy of building up a vocabulary and using it to say something takes a lot of the mystery out of it.  This piece inspired me to go back and listen to John Lee again.  Sometimes it seems like he's using the same devices over and over, but on the 8-CD set I have he's playing on over 400 tunes!  Obviously he's going to reuse a lot of the same vocab.  On the other hand, I'm newly in awe of his expressiveness, inventiveness and groove.  And your breakdowns of the techniques in this Crawlin King Snake piece are helping me figure out other things he's doing that I couldn't hear before.

If you wanted to do another John Lee tune I'd vote for You Better Cut That Out.  It's always been one of my favorites.

Rick Estrin
Rick Estrin Sep 16, 2018

Thanks Bill - We'll see. Cut That Out's a great tune.

Bill Blatner
Bill Blatner commented on: Crawlin' Kingsnake 2nd Half of Solo Sep 15, 2018

Hi Rick,

Thanks for focusing in on these details.  Lots of things I was wondering about are now clear - I just have to practice until I can execute!  There are so many very deliberate things that, as you say, make this effective.  When you're performing a piece like this do you pretty much have it worked out like this in advance, or is this so in you at this point that you can improvise and still get the effect (get house as you say:)?

Rick Estrin
Rick Estrin Sep 15, 2018

I think I can pretty much play off the top of my head in my own version of this style, but the way that came about, was by learning different pieces in this style. Then, over time, I was able to internalize much of the vocabulary - not all, and not perfectly, but enough to find little devices that I could latch onto and take ownership of. Hopefully that explanation makes sense.

Bill Blatner
Bill Blatner commented on: Crawlin' Kingsnake First Half of Solo Sep 08, 2018

Ha!  I've known this JLW lick for years but I didn't play it split tongued.  Now that I'm doing that I started out doing exactly what you said not to do!  Just sliding my tongue back and forth and losing the percussion.  Thanks!  The focus on keeping the groove in a solo piece is really helping me.

Bill

Rick Estrin
Rick Estrin Sep 08, 2018

I'm glad it's helping!

Bill Blatner
Bill Blatner commented on: Crawlin' Kingsnake Chord Rhythm Aug 12, 2018

Knowing exactly what you're doing on the parts you demonstrate here makes the whole first verse kind of fall into place. I always felt that John Lee Williamson's playing had a kind of sloshing quality about it that made the groove.  Maybe a good example of what you call "intentional slop." You've really illuminated it here.  There are still some places in the first verse where, no matter how many times I listen and watch how your cheeks are moving, I can't quite tell what you're doing.  Hopefully I'll be 90% there and when you demonstrate that verse I can clean up the details.  It's also a blast trying to get the hand effects. Thanks.

Rick Estrin
Rick Estrin Aug 12, 2018

Give it a chance - work with it and see how it comes together for you. As always, I'll be happy to attempt clarification wherever I can. 

Bill Blatner
Bill Blatner commented on: Crawlin' Kingsnake Performance Aug 07, 2018

Nice!

Bill Blatner
Bill Blatner commented on: Crawlin' Kingsnake Performance Aug 07, 2018

Your version sounds a lot like the Tony Hollins version from 1952. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJZt4qIFFF8

Big Joe Williams recorded a version, different but sounds to me like the same song, in 1941. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDoeZa50Z8g

For what it's worth, some sources site Joe Williams as the composer, others just as the first to record it.  I've been taught to learn as much as possible about the origins of my repertoire and I like to see whatever it is I'm doing as part of a tradition.  You are a strong link in the chain for me!

Bill Blatner
Bill Blatner commented on: Crawlin' Kingsnake Performance Aug 05, 2018

composer. 😉

Rick Estrin
Rick Estrin Aug 05, 2018

I think maybe the first recorded version was by Tony Hollins, so maybe it originated with him - but, maybe not

 
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