Re: [Harp-L] Re: Junior Wells Hodoo Man Blues

["Jim Greenwald" <staggerin@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <riccardo.scotti@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] Re: Junior Wells Hodoo Man Blues
> How could I guess if a song is played in 2nd or in 3rd position?
<snip>
---- Jim replies ----
Hi Rick
First, let's assume that we're confident that the tune is in B. "Snatch It 
Back and Hold It" doesn't really have any harp in it until Junior does his 
first solo at about 44 sec. The first two "notes" pretty much tell us enough 
to rule out an E harp: a slur from approximately G to G#, and then a B below 
that. Those notes are "out of range" on an E harp (as played by Jr. Wells in 
1965 <g>) - the G to G# slur would require an overblow 1, and the B below is 
lower than the lowest note on that harp. Our knowledge today might lead us 
to try a low-E harp, and of course those notes are there, but still involve 
an overblow. A "B" harp played in 1st position is still not ruled out until 
about 4 sec in, where an overblow 1 would be required. Up to this point, out 
of a "normal" set of Richter-tuned harps, the "A" harp remains the best 
suspect.
Now that there's a hypothesis, we look for events that support or disprove 
it. Throughout the solos there is a recurrence of notes that would be "out 
of range" on the E and B harps. This at first leads to the conclusion that 
it's the same harp throughout. Which harp? Here is where experience or 
knowledge can come in and make it quicker to zero in. If you know about Jr. 
Wells' history, or the "state of the art" at the time the recording was 
made, you can apply that, but actual experimenting is the only sure way to 
tell (especially if the player you're trying to figure out is highly 
skilled).
Outside of the needs of a professional studio player who must be prepared 
for anything, having a full set of harps (that play well - that you can 
actually get all the notes on <g>) gives you the tools to experiment and 
test yourself as you try to figure out positions and techniques. I hope this 
helps a bit, and don't hesitate to ask more. This list is full of very 
knowledgeable folks.

Cheers,
Staggerin' Jim