Re:[Harp-L] Re: Harp Switches



To switch harps, I usually play a line that leaves
some space.  Most my gig shirts have a chest pocket to
house the harp, or I just hold it with the last finger
of my left hand.  

Normally, I don't switch harps very often.  When I do
it for effect and to not necessarily find or play
certain notes.  For example, in a slow blues I might
start playing acoustic in cross and then play an
electric solo to end it in third.

We've addes some songs like Milestones, and All Blues
(we've written some jazzy numbers too).  For those I
don't harp switch.  I just overblow.  When If I feel
the need to swtich, I'd play the same harp till there
was a rest.  So I would have to ob, but not the whole
song.  Maybe I'd only have to do it for a measure or
two.

I always pick a harp position that would be easiest to
play over the changes.

Mike

> --- In harp-l-archives@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Tim Moyer -
> > >>> "Tim Moyer" <wmharps@...> 26/09/2006 23:32:11
> >>>
> >Dave Murray wrote:
> > > I've never seen the Famous Norton Buffalo four
> harp switch thing,
> > > I'd like to.
> >
> >I remember seeing Norton with Bonnie Raitt on the
> Midnight Special
> >back in the 70s doing this song.  It's funny, he
> talked about this
> >at SPAH in Dallas in 2003.  He related the story as
> having harps
> >stuck all over the place, in his shirt pocket,
> under his arm, and at
> >one point dropping one of them.  I don't remember
> all that, but I do
> >remember it looking a little like a circus clown
> act at the time.
> >
> >Norton related that later he had learned to stack
> the four harps,
> >and that's how he does it now.
> >
> >I don't claim to be a proficient harp-switcher, but
> I do play two
> >harps on a few things.  Our band does "Girl from
> Ipanema" (does it
> >make your teeth hurt?), and it has a couple of
> interesting
> >modulations in the bridge.  At first I used three
> harps to do it,
> >one for the verses, and two for the bridge, but
> then I figured out
> >how to cover the bridge modulations with one harp,
> with just a
> >passing overblow and a passing bent note.  Now I
> play the song with
> >two harps, and F and an F# (Paddy Richter).  "In A
> Sentimental Mood"
> >lays out well on two harps, and I use an F# (C#)
> Melody Maker and a
> >D (A) Melody Maker.  I also use two harps to cover
> the Michel
> >Legrand bossa tune, "Watch What Happens".
> >
> >On songs where you're improvising over changes that
> require harp
> >switches, the challenge is always to find a place
> where you can
> >switch smoothly and continue the musical stream of
> consciousness.
> >
> >-tim
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >_______________________________________________
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> >Harp-L@...
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> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
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> 
> --- End forwarded message ---
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 


Mike Fugazzi
vocals/harmonica

http://www.myspace.com/mikefugazzi
http://www.niterail.com

"Capitalize on your own strengths; develop your own style.
The world needs another harp player doing Little Walter licks
as much as it needs another Elvis impersonator."
-Paul deLay

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