Re: [Harp-L] Re: Let's talk Little Walter

[michael rubin <michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx>]

Patrick,
I am not sure which part of Juke you are referring to, but I know that
the flat 4 is not a common phrase in music theory talk.  The reason is
as follows:

Flat can be defined as "one note lower than".  In Juke, Walter is
playing in the key of E.  Here is the E major scale with the numerical
scale degree values underneath the scale tones.

E F# G# A B C# D# E
1  2  3    4 5  6   7   8

What is the 4? A.  If you play a flat 4, that means you are playing
one note lower than A.  What is one note lower than A?  G#, otherwise
named Ab.  There is already a G# in the scale.  G# is the third note
in the E major scale.  It would be unusual to name G# as a flat 4,
because it already has the numerical scale degree value of 3.  You
would call it a 3.

My guess is you are actually talking about the 5, B.  The flat 5 would
be Bb, or A#.
If Walter was alternating between the 5 and the flat 5, that would
mean moving from B to Bb.  On an A harp that would mean either 1 draw
and 1 bend, or 4 draw and 4 bend.  That is a very common move in blues
harp.  It is so common in the blues, that both the flat 5 and the 5
are in what is commonly referred to as the blues scale, 1 3b 4 5b 5 7b
8.

What might be causing some confusion is that hole 4 draw uses the
number 4 in its harmonica tablature name.  Just because you play hole
4 draw with and without bending does not mean that you are playing the
4 and the flat 4.  The terms 4 and flat 4 do not refer to the numbers
on a harmonica.  They refer to the numerical scale degree values of
major scales and the accidental notes in between major scale notes.

Patrick,  part of the problem with email communication is that you
have to guess at what another person means.  If you understood
everything I have said above and have another reason why you are using
the term flat 4, please explain it to me.

Michael Rubin
Michaelrubinharmonica.com


On 7/1/09, Patrick Lines <plines@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Amen!!! In the middle of both Juke and Off the Wall for example, he starts
> playing a bunch of variations of the 4. Like 4 4 flat 4, 4 4 432 1 - flat 4
> 4 flat 4 4 and on. Now listen to Big Joe Turner's " The Boss of the Blues
> Sings Kansas City Jazz." When the intensity of his song starts to build, the
> horn players are kicking something similar and I don't think it's a
> coincidence in Walter's music.
> ----- Original Message ----- From: <bbqbob917@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <Spschndr@xxxxxxx>; <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 01, 2009 9:54 AM
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Re: Let's talk Little Walter
>
>
> Hi,
> I believe it is. That approach described is very similar to the way Jump
> Blues sax players were doing things in the 40's and 50's, which he did
> listen to quite a bit and took from. Learning groove and feel is an
> extremely important aspect many players, regardless of what instrument they
> play or genres of music they play, often don't take enough time to learn.
>
> Sincerely,
> Barbeque Bob Maglinte
> Boston, MA
> http://www.barbequebob.com
>
> ---------- Original Message ----------
> From: HTownFess <Spschndr@xxxxxxx>
> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [Harp-L] Re: Let's talk Little Walter
> Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2009 08:02:03 -0700 (PDT)
>
> Is this rhythmic feel what is called rubato?  I'm not showing off, but
> trying to confirm the usage, which I first noticed in Jerry Wexler's
> autobiography, when he talked about Willie Nelson's singing and
> likened it to Sinatra's in that regard, IIRC.  The Wikipedia entry has
> some interesting quotations on the topic from the classical field.
>
> On Jun 30, 10:20 pm, Icema...@xxxxxxx wrote:
> > This is playing free of the metric time while being responsible to  it.
> >
> > Once you have the feel of the groove and the tempo engraved in your soul,
> > you have the ability to ignore them and phrase however you wish, as long
> as
> > you are able to catlike land on your feet.
> >
> > This truly feels like flying and is a very addictive endeavor - careful
> not
> >  to overdo it....
> >
> > In a message dated 6/30/2009 9:31:41 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> >
> > billross...@xxxxxxxxx writes:
> >
> > The  thing that always fascinated me about Little Walter is that his
> > measures  didn't always lay perfectly over the top of the measures being
> > played.  Sometimes he was a half measure ahead and sometimes he was a
> > couple beats  behind. But, harmonically, it fit. I've heard a lot of jazz
> > vocalists do  this as well. You really have to feel it rather than try to
> > count it. It's  like that secret spice that brings a recipe to life and
> > captivates the  taste buds.
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