RE: [Harp-L] Building solos

["Bill Hines" <billhines4@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Good advice on listening to other types of instrumentalists and how they
improvise. Little Walter got many of his riffs/style from listening to
the sax players of the day.

The other thing, if you sound repetitive, you are probably practicing
over the same music and keys a lot. Get some of those ultimate jam
tracks cds (they have one just for harp now), they have all sorts of
backing tracks (real musicians, not midi or electronic) to play against.
Boogies, shuffles, slow blues, fast blues, etc in all different keys. I
think you'll find yourself playing very differently to each one, and you
can pick where/when to play as well. I just got one but haven't started
to use it yet, I've seen lots of positive comments.

Bill Hines

-----Original Message-----
From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Michael Fugazzi
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2005 1:33 PM
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Harp-L] Building solos


I've been working really hard lately at learning
overblows, how to follow chord changes, and scale
patterns on top of listening to a wide range of blue
harp players at every chance I get.

I feel like I am at a sticking point, though.  I try
to spend a lot of time imporvising, but I feel I play repetitively.  I
understand people work toward their own sound, but I'd like to be able
to play extended solos and not have all the songs sound alike.

Any advice on phrasing and how to take your vocabulary
and use it throughout the night?  I listen to a lot of
music and really am into Jason Ricci and Kim Wilson
right now.  How do you know if you are playing the
same thing too much?  

I really want to get into the jamming aspect of
playing harp and not always planning my solos and not
always using riffs or solos from other players.

Mike Fugazzi
Harmonica/Vocals
http://www.niterail.com

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