That is a very cool song, Jerry and Rick! When I saw the name I first thought of the song by Johnny Guitar Watson which is also a great song. I love the tone that Little Walter (and you) get on it. Very interesting that this was the first time that Little Walter played amplified in a studio. I also saw on a Youtube cut of Muddy Waters (I believe it was the same one you inserted here) doing the song that someone said Leonard Chess was on drums. Do you know if that is correct? Thanks.
Thanks Jerry for a great technical lesson. I found this really helpful as you break this down so clearly. Explaining how and why you use a technique at a particular place in the song, is very useful. Also, your point about how when you are playing a song you aren't thinking about what to do when, but letting muscle memory take over. Of course, like you said, I first need to master the technique.
I hope you don't mind me asking some general questions here, but a couple of things occurred to me as I was practicing this song and few others this morning. One thing you've said in a couple of lessons (perhaps in this one as well) is that a part of a song will require tongue blocking (as opposed to all of the song?). I would find it helpful if you could explain why at a certain point this is necessary, and what effect it might have on playing that part of the song. I do tongue block, but, most of the time, only when I am trying to get a deeper tone, or to tongue slap or for split chords. Learning about other reasons why I might want to tongue block would be useful. Please forgive me if you have covered this elsewhere.
Another thing that would help me (and I presume others) would be instruction on gettting a good cup, with and without a mic. I think I do an okay job of this, but certainly could do it better and be more consistent. I also have fairly small hands so cupping the harmonica and mic together seems a bit difficult at times. One thing that has helped me recently is acquiring a vintage Astatic 200 Brown Bullet (very cool!), which is a bit smaller than a JT-30 or Shure Green Bullet. Even so, I am sure I could benefit from your suggestions.
Jerry - I think is a great part of your overall lesson, letting us take what we've learned and do what we can without the crutch of your harmonica backing us up. Not to say I don't need both - trying to duplicate your tone (or any great harmonica player) is a huge part of improving my ability.
Thanks Jerry, I've been waiting for this one. Great explanation and demonstration of the first solo. As you said, that's the part I've had trouble with. You've given me some good clues. Rich
That sounds like a messy situation Jerry. It is a shame if you guys didn't get paid for the album (I am guessing with a bootleg that would be the case). I still have to say I like the album, though, particularly your harp playing. And on Caledonia there is intersting dialogue between Muddy Waters and (I'm guessing) Pinetop Perkins.
Hi Jerry, I did some searching and you are listed on the album I have. The album is called "Hootchie Cootchie Man Live," aLthough apparently it's been marketed uother names names. The description I found said it was from the"Jazz Jamboree"in Prague in1976. Among the musicians it lists you, Bob Margolin, Pinetop Perkins, Luther Johnson, Calvin Jones! Willie Smith, and, of course, Muddy Waters. Anyway, I love the version of this song (and others on the album, particularly, Hootchie Cootchie Man).
What a great song - Louis Jordan and his band are terrific! I've been aware of it through the Muddy Waters version on Hootchie Coochie Live. Were you the harp player on that album? I believe the song on that album is in the key G with the harp a C in second position. Is there anything different about the harp sequence on that (Muddy's) version?
A very cool song! For me, this lesson illustrated one of the most basic lessons that Jerry talks about - get the song in your head first. A friend of mine, Brian Lee, plays this song regularly in his gigs, so I have heard it quite a few times. With the song in my memory, it was easy to pick up a harp (Eb in 2nd) and play along with "Cleanhead." Brian, who is a great harp player, usually plays guitar and sings when he does the song. For him, it fits better into his trio - guitar, drums and bass - a setting where he normally plays more guitar than harp (as opposed to his four piece set up which includes another guitarists. Another thing I liked about this lesson was the personal connection with Vinson that Jerry talked about. Information like that really brings the history of blues alive for me.
Hi Jerry, As always, great lesson. I look forward to what you and Rick do with this song. I'm sure you have a number of songs in mind for future lessons, but I'd like to suggest a few if you don't mind. One would be Little Walter's "Blues With a Feeling," which I love. Another is James Cotton's "Dealin' With the Devil." And a third is George Smith's "Blowin' the Blues." Of course, anything else from Little Walter would be great, or Big Walter - like "Christine" or "Little Boy Blue." Thanks. Rich
Thanks Jerry, very interesting. It hadn't occurred to me that My Babe is based on This Train, but now that you mention it I can hear the similarities. Lately, I find myself switching between tongue blocking ang lip pursing without thinking about it, although I can't say it always works well.
I have been working on this and some other songs off Little Walter's "His Best" album, and had some questions. First, I was wondering if you knew if he wrote some his songs, on his own albums that is, I know he played with others such as Muddy Waters where he was doing other material. Second, he was known, of course, as a great (est) harp player but was also a terrific singer. Did he (or other well known harp players) ever struggle to be better known as singers? The other thing I was struck with on Juke and other songs is how deep and full his sound is (same with Big Walter), and how good it is for me to try to get that sound. I was also reading what you and Iceman were saying to Donald about tongue blocking - getting the harp deep into the mouth to get a fuller sound - and it made me wonder how much tongue blocking Little Walter did in general. I know you said in this lesson that you are switching back and forth between lip pursing and tongue blocking so I assume that Little Walter was doing so as well. Thanks, Rich
Corey, Terrific lesson - your playing is beautiful and you explain everything so well. I am a harp player - just came over from harp junction - and I know very little about guitar (except that I love the sound of great blues), but a lot of what you teach here is useful to me as well. In addition, it's fun to play along with you. Just as an aside, I had not heard of Mance Lipscomb until yesterday when I was reading a neat book called "River Bottom Blues" by Ricky Bush. I don't know Mr. Bush and am not trying to push his book (just heard about on harp-L), but it is fun crime mystery about harp players being killed going back to Sonny Boy I. Anyway, at the point I got to last night he mentions Mance Lipscomb which caused me to go to youtube where I heard this song.
One last question (hope you don't mind all of this being off topic but I'm learning a lot) - I have the main blues keys - A, Bb, C, D, E, Eb, F, and G. If I were to get a few more harps, which keys would you buy? Are the keys you mentioned - F#, B - used very often, or would an Ab (or something else) come up more often. Thanks, Rich
Thanks Jerry. I have been wanting to better understand how to play 1st posiition blues on the low end of the harp.
That is a very cool song, Jerry and Rick! When I saw the name I first thought of the song by Johnny Guitar Watson which is also a great song. I love the tone that Little Walter (and you) get on it. Very interesting that this was the first time that Little Walter played amplified in a studio. I also saw on a Youtube cut of Muddy Waters (I believe it was the same one you inserted here) doing the song that someone said Leonard Chess was on drums. Do you know if that is correct? Thanks.
Thanks Jerry for a great technical lesson. I found this really helpful as you break this down so clearly. Explaining how and why you use a technique at a particular place in the song, is very useful. Also, your point about how when you are playing a song you aren't thinking about what to do when, but letting muscle memory take over. Of course, like you said, I first need to master the technique.
Hi Jerry,
I hope you don't mind me asking some general questions here, but a couple of things occurred to me as I was practicing this song and few others this morning. One thing you've said in a couple of lessons (perhaps in this one as well) is that a part of a song will require tongue blocking (as opposed to all of the song?). I would find it helpful if you could explain why at a certain point this is necessary, and what effect it might have on playing that part of the song. I do tongue block, but, most of the time, only when I am trying to get a deeper tone, or to tongue slap or for split chords. Learning about other reasons why I might want to tongue block would be useful. Please forgive me if you have covered this elsewhere.
Another thing that would help me (and I presume others) would be instruction on gettting a good cup, with and without a mic. I think I do an okay job of this, but certainly could do it better and be more consistent. I also have fairly small hands so cupping the harmonica and mic together seems a bit difficult at times. One thing that has helped me recently is acquiring a vintage Astatic 200 Brown Bullet (very cool!), which is a bit smaller than a JT-30 or Shure Green Bullet. Even so, I am sure I could benefit from your suggestions.
Thanks. Rich
Jerry - I think is a great part of your overall lesson, letting us take what we've learned and do what we can without the crutch of your harmonica backing us up. Not to say I don't need both - trying to duplicate your tone (or any great harmonica player) is a huge part of improving my ability.
Thanks Jerry, I've been waiting for this one. Great explanation and demonstration of the first solo. As you said, that's the part I've had trouble with. You've given me some good clues. Rich
That sounds like a messy situation Jerry. It is a shame if you guys didn't get paid for the album (I am guessing with a bootleg that would be the case). I still have to say I like the album, though, particularly your harp playing. And on Caledonia there is intersting dialogue between Muddy Waters and (I'm guessing) Pinetop Perkins.
Hi Jerry, I did some searching and you are listed on the album I have. The album is called "Hootchie Cootchie Man Live," aLthough apparently it's been marketed uother names names. The description I found said it was from the"Jazz Jamboree"in Prague in1976. Among the musicians it lists you, Bob Margolin, Pinetop Perkins, Luther Johnson, Calvin Jones! Willie Smith, and, of course, Muddy Waters. Anyway, I love the version of this song (and others on the album, particularly, Hootchie Cootchie Man).
Jerry,
What a great song - Louis Jordan and his band are terrific! I've been aware of it through the Muddy Waters version on Hootchie Coochie Live. Were you the harp player on that album? I believe the song on that album is in the key G with the harp a C in second position. Is there anything different about the harp sequence on that (Muddy's) version?
Here is another great example of mimicing another instrument with a harp - Little Boy Blue by Big Walter and Carey Bell.
A very cool song! For me, this lesson illustrated one of the most basic lessons that Jerry talks about - get the song in your head first. A friend of mine, Brian Lee, plays this song regularly in his gigs, so I have heard it quite a few times. With the song in my memory, it was easy to pick up a harp (Eb in 2nd) and play along with "Cleanhead." Brian, who is a great harp player, usually plays guitar and sings when he does the song. For him, it fits better into his trio - guitar, drums and bass - a setting where he normally plays more guitar than harp (as opposed to his four piece set up which includes another guitarists. Another thing I liked about this lesson was the personal connection with Vinson that Jerry talked about. Information like that really brings the history of blues alive for me.
Hi Jerry, As always, great lesson. I look forward to what you and Rick do with this song. I'm sure you have a number of songs in mind for future lessons, but I'd like to suggest a few if you don't mind. One would be Little Walter's "Blues With a Feeling," which I love. Another is James Cotton's "Dealin' With the Devil." And a third is George Smith's "Blowin' the Blues." Of course, anything else from Little Walter would be great, or Big Walter - like "Christine" or "Little Boy Blue." Thanks. Rich
Thanks Jerry, very interesting. It hadn't occurred to me that My Babe is based on This Train, but now that you mention it I can hear the similarities. Lately, I find myself switching between tongue blocking ang lip pursing without thinking about it, although I can't say it always works well.
Rich
Hi Jerry,
I have been working on this and some other songs off Little Walter's "His Best" album, and had some questions. First, I was wondering if you knew if he wrote some his songs, on his own albums that is, I know he played with others such as Muddy Waters where he was doing other material. Second, he was known, of course, as a great (est) harp player but was also a terrific singer. Did he (or other well known harp players) ever struggle to be better known as singers? The other thing I was struck with on Juke and other songs is how deep and full his sound is (same with Big Walter), and how good it is for me to try to get that sound. I was also reading what you and Iceman were saying to Donald about tongue blocking - getting the harp deep into the mouth to get a fuller sound - and it made me wonder how much tongue blocking Little Walter did in general. I know you said in this lesson that you are switching back and forth between lip pursing and tongue blocking so I assume that Little Walter was doing so as well.
Thanks, Rich
Jerry,
I wonder if you could explain why you switch between lip pursing and tongue blocking at various points? Thanks.
Rich
Thanks Jerry (re: an Ab being useful). Rich
Thanks Corey for the welcome and the tip on the film. I'll check it out.
Corey, Terrific lesson - your playing is beautiful and you explain everything so well. I am a harp player - just came over from harp junction - and I know very little about guitar (except that I love the sound of great blues), but a lot of what you teach here is useful to me as well. In addition, it's fun to play along with you. Just as an aside, I had not heard of Mance Lipscomb until yesterday when I was reading a neat book called "River Bottom Blues" by Ricky Bush. I don't know Mr. Bush and am not trying to push his book (just heard about on harp-L), but it is fun crime mystery about harp players being killed going back to Sonny Boy I. Anyway, at the point I got to last night he mentions Mance Lipscomb which caused me to go to youtube where I heard this song.
Rich Greenberg
Oops - my bad! F is not 5th position for C#, A is and that sounds a lot better (for See Me In the Evening).
One last question (hope you don't mind all of this being off topic but I'm learning a lot) - I have the main blues keys - A, Bb, C, D, E, Eb, F, and G. If I were to get a few more harps, which keys would you buy? Are the keys you mentioned - F#, B - used very often, or would an Ab (or something else) come up more often. Thanks, Rich