Re: Chromatic octave tips? - scales - Clarke?

["G." <gigs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2003 11:27:57 +1000
From: Mark Crowley <Mark.Crowley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: Chromatic octave tips? - scales - Clarke?

G's website advises practisng yr smiles - and practice them lots!

Not being a happy-jack at best of times it's a real bummer for me too - must
be the chimpanzee inside.

// Well you could practise your grimaces instead - it works just as well.

// When building up embouchure strength for playing sax its one of the
exercises.  One suggestion is to say "Cheeeeeeeese".  The other exercise is
to pucker and whistle or to say "Oooooh".
// So you say "Ooooh!  Cheeeeeese!  Oooooh!  Cheeeeeese! ...."

On another note - I understand for blues you play 3rd position (?)

// Right.   D minor on key of C chromatic harmonica.

so does this mean most players stay within the D blues scale range all the
way through the song or do they then go to to the G blues scale (play all
over it) for the IV and the A blues scale for the V?(playing three different
positions for a song - which i think sounds exciting if not difficult)

... as opposed to playing parts of those scales staying within the D - as
you would playing 2nd position on a G diatonic..?

//  All of the above.  But basically it isn't that different in musical
terms to playing in 2nd postion on a G diatonic... except its more minor
feel.  Fine for both major and minor blues.  It works.

// Don't think about it too much.  Stuff the thing deep in your mouth, leave
the button alone.  Vamp with the music, and as you get the feel of it start
trying out octaves as well as chords.  Play by ear and you'll find it a hell
of a lot easier than trying to figure out the notes and what you should or
shouldn't be doing.

finally got to hear some William Clarke - The Hard Way - it's a hell of a cd
and i guess there is some chrom in that from the sound of it?

// I forget if its William or one of the earlier cats, not Walter I know
that - but sounds like he's playing chromatic with that big deep fat chordal
attack - but he's just playing regular blues harps in 3rd position.

The cd says this is the most 'jazziest' of his cds(?) and that the others
are more bluesy -not complaining, mind you. Not at all.
crowley

// Jazzy as in the feel more than anything.

// Get 3rd position on your 16 hole C chromatic down, then you can play any
key chromatic in third to play in other keys.
// C Tenor 270 is the same as the bottom 3 octaves of 16 hole chrom.
// All the other key chromatics are between Tenor C and C, theres nothing
higher like there is with blues harps, so they're all good for it.
// D chrom gives you E minor
// Eb chrom gives you F minor
// F chromatic gives you G minor
// G Chrom gives you A minor
// A Chrom gives you B minor
// Bb Chrom gives you C minor

// But wait theres more.  If you hold the button in and you get the next key
up. So on C chromatic you'll be in Eb Minor.
// Best thing is to just play along with songs on your Cds that are in key
of D until you feel confident with your playing, then go bowl 'em over.

G.