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