Re: [Harp-L] Doo-Wop Changes

[philharpn@xxxxxxx]

First of all you have to understand what doo-wop chord changes are. Doo-wop is a format like the 12 bar blues., with its 3 chords: I, IV, V. 


The chords used in doo-wop ( I, vi, IV, V) are plain vanilla -- or like ice cream changes -- since they are simple triads (simple 3-note major chords and one minor chord) without 7ths, flatted 3rds, 5ths 6ths, 9ths, 11ths, 13ths et al. 


Ice cream changes and doo-wop were popular in American soda shops  and ice cream parlors of the 50s where teenagers gathered after school to get a soda (pop/Coke/Pepsi) or ice cream sundae. All these shops and parlors were equipped with juke boxes -- coin operated automatic record playing machines where you could listen to all these songs of the 50s. The kids would gather like shown in the TV program Happy Days. 


Doo-wop chards are NOT chord substitutions. If you change the chords, you don't have doo-wop -- you have something else. Yes, you can play doo-wop in any of the 12 major keys. but they have to be the one, six, four and five chords




Since doo-wop depends on the relationship of the chords to each other. Doo-wop is different than the blues because it is based on tin pan alley songs from the American songbook. (Even tho everybody claims that EVERYTHING is based on the blues)




"Doo-Wop changes" refers to the chords (changes) of I, vi, IV, V in a given key. C/, Aminor, F, G in the key of C. The pattern of these chords started out in the songs Blue Moon (1934) and Heart and Soul (1938). The idea of doo-wop was to make a bass line and background with nonsense (or vocal horn imitations similar to scat singing), hence the name doo-wop, one of the background refrains..


If you play those chords repeatedly on a  piano or guitar or uke, you will soon recognize that these sound like the doo-wop sings of the 1950s.


If you check out YouTube, you will be overwhelmed with doo-wop selections.


The problem with most harmonicas is that you cannot get these 4 chords on one harmonica. That is why you might need a Seydel Schaman  ($159). 


<http://rockinronsmusic4less.com/content/harps/seydel/schaman.php>

The standard diationic (blues harp) has only two chords -- for all practical purposes. Like the C and G/G7 chord	s on a C harp. 

I didn't mean to write a treatise on doo-wop but yesterdays trivia turns out to be today's obscurity. 


Hope this clears everything up,
Phil



-----Original Message-----
From: Stephen Jennings <harpfixer@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: 'j r' <jr_parker_jr@xxxxxxxxxxx>; harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tue, Apr 15, 2014 6:39 pm
Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Doo-Wop Changes


It seems I pressed the wrong button (or something). I'm curious as to what,
precisely, is being referred to by the term "Doo-Wop changes" - I probably
know what they are. In my mind (which is usually reasonably fuddled) we're
looking at a set of relatively simple chord substitutions, but I'd like to
be clear on this before I jump in with both feet!!


Kind regards,

Steve Jennings



-----Original Message-----
From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of j r
Sent: 15 April 2014 4:28 AM
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Doo-Wop Changes

I'm impressed!  I play a couple songs with doo-wop changes, and I can only
hope to one day utilize that setup.  


-JR
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