Re: [Harp-L] how to play yiddish or maybe gypsy sound

["wmharps@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <wmharps@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Robin Mordasiewicz wrote:
> I have a nice Lee Oskar Cm, and would like to play a middle eastern
> type of groove. If anyone has any good youtube links or 
> instructional information or a list of the "classics" I'd 
> appreciate it.

The Lee Oskar harmonic minor tuning (as opposed to the natural minor 
tuning) works really well for this.  

An old harp-l buddy of mine, Ed Kliman, wrote a song several years 
ago that had a hook that laid out well on the harmonic minor, played 
in 1st position.  I worked it up in the studio with him.  Ed plays 
guitar, harp in a rack, sings and stomps the board.  I play 
harmonica, the hook in 1st position on an A harmonic minor, 
switching to an A natural minor (based on a D standard tuning) in 
2nd position for the solo.  Here's a link to the song: 
http://www.workingmansharps.com/Sounds/cometome.mp3

There are several harmonica players who work in the klezmer style.  
Check out Sandy Weltman (http://sandyweltman.com/) and Jason 
Rosenblatt, who plays with a band called Shtreiml 
(http://www.shtreiml.com/) doing traditional Eastern European and 
Jewish folk tunes.  Both of these guys play standard tunings, if I'm 
not mistaken, and employ overblows extensively to handle the 
chromatic notes the music requires. 

-tim