Re: [Harp-L] Creating solid notes through bending techinques - wasSummertime ...

[Joe and Cass Leone <leone@xxxxxxxx>]

On Oct 2, 2008, at 10:01 PM, Rick Dempster wrote:

> Yes; the 'Spoonful' example is a good one. I'm trying to build up a  
> list of these. One I use is for what I call the 'Danny boy note' ie  
> semi-tone bend on draw 2; the start note for 'Danny Boy' in second  
> pos.
> RD

My approach on bends started when I first discovered them. I would  
work on a bend or series of bends and later, when I tried to do the  
same series, I had forgotten the series. Soooo, I started writing  
this stuff down. Then what I would do was try for the strangest or  
hardest combinations of bends.

Since this was during the doo-wop era, there were plenty of slow  
dance tunes that, frankly, weren't always diatonic friendly. But  
then, I compiled a list of tunes where bending practice would take  
place. The other day, I mentioned the tune 'Ruby Gentry'. That was  
one of my first tunes on chromo. But when I tried it on diatonic, I  
had trouble with it. Meanwhile playing it in FIRST position is  
possible but it requires some control in various steps of the lower  
holes where the notes have to be hit solid spot on. The bend has to  
already BE there when you hit the hole.

Sure, there are a lot of times when you can slur INTO a bend,  
glissando into a bend, blow bend a note from a natural starting note,  
draw bend down on a natural note. But it usually sounds better if you  
hit the note crisp instead of muddy.

Danny Boy (Londonderry Aire) is a good one. Crazy is tricky.  
Meanwhile I compiled a list of tunes I keep in a modified address  
book. The letters of the alphabet have been split and there are more  
pages than usual. Each page has tunes beginning with that letter. I  
had the book up to 590 tunes when I all of a sudden got an idea and  
threw the old pages away and started all over again. Btw, an entry  
doesn't mean that I can do the tune CONVINCINGLY. Most are for  
practice. So don't get the idea that I'm bragging.

I am back up to 393 tunes. What I do is draw several columns on the  
sheets. First goes the tunes name. Next goes the 'normal' key.  
Followed by WHAT harp I will use. This will either be CH (for  
chromo), DI (straight diatonic), S (smo-Joe tuned), CW (country  
tuned). CH (cross harp) Last of all I will jot notes. Here's are  
typical entries:

Daddys Home                Eb           SJ
As Time Goes By           D             SJ  (2nd harp for bridge-UP 4  
steps)
D.Y.K.W.I.M.T.M.N.O.    C, Eb, D  SJ/CH/CH  (use harps in that order)
Nightlife                          Eb, Bb     CH  (2nd harp is across  
scale from first)
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes C, Eb    SJ/CH  (2nd harp is UP 3 steps)

Last but not least. For those who weren't around in 2000, I said  
"Every tune has certain HOOK notes. They may be as few as 2, as  
average as 6, or even more. You MUST his these notes true. To do  
otherwise is a non sequeter. If you can't hit those notes, don't do  
the tune."
 Ok, while it IS possible to work around notes that you can't get,  
OR substitute notes, it is (generally) better to leave the note out  
entirely. Don't go waltzing around the mulberry bush and muddy up the  
tune.

just my opinion       Smokey-Joe