Re: [Harp-L] blowing rags



One of the best things I ever did, or nearly did, was to arpeggiate
rhythm changes in all 12 positions on the chromatic and then in 6 on
the diatonic, perhaps one day I will do the rest.  My jazz teacher, a
guitarist schooled at Berklee, Alex Meek, out of Wimberley Texas, told
me there were three commonly played A sections and one bridge for
rhythm changes.

A section #1 (Each chord gets two beats)

I    VI7   II7   V7        I    VI7    II7   V7
I     I7    IV7  IVm6    I     V7     I     I

A section # 2

I    VI7         II7    V7          I    VI7     II7     V7
I    IIIm7b5   IV7   IV#dim    I    V7      I        I

A section # 3
I    IIbdim (1 3b 5b 7bb)  II7   IIIbdim   IIIm7   IIIbdim   II7   IIbdim
I    I7                             IV7  IVm6      I         V7         I      I

Bridge

Each chord gets two bars of 4 beats each:

III7      VI7      II7      V7

The progression is A A B A.

The method of arpeggiation was also a new concept to me.

Let's say the chord progression was simpler, C major to G major,
repeating, each getting 1 bar of four beats.

The first note on the C diatonic harp is C.  Then it ascends to E,
then, G, then -very important- since there is no 4th chord tone, play
a major seventh, B.

So you would play 1 blow, 2 blow, 2 draw, 3 draw.  Then switch to the
next chord, G.  After B, the next highest note on the C diatonic that
is in the G major seventh chord  is the D in four draw.  Then 5
overblow is F#, 6 blow is G, 7 draw is B.  The chord switches to the C
major chord.
After B, the next highest note on the C diatonic that is in the C
major seventh chord is C, 7 blow.  Then E, 8 blow.  Then G, 9 blow,
then B, 10 blow single bend.  Then the chord would switch to the G
chord.  Since there is no higher note on the harp that is in the G
major seventh chord, you would return to the next lowest tone on the
harp, G.  You would keep going lower and higher until you begin to
repeat yourself.

At that point you would start all over but your first chord tone would
be the E.  After you begin to repeat yourself, start on the G chord
tone, then the B chord tone.

After each time you find yourself repeating the pattern, take a solo
for 5 minutes.

I also recommend doing this with a metronome or preferably a band in a
box type system and suggest using a diatonic and possibly a chromatic
that is not in the key of C, that way you really will think more about
your note choices instead of relying on a harp layout that you already
have memorized.

Obviously this is a long journey.  Try it with one position with
Section A and the bridge.  You will learn plenty with just that.

Michael Rubin
Michaelrubinharmonica.com





On 10/28/09, icemanle@xxxxxxx <icemanle@xxxxxxx> wrote:
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>  you may be correct. this has also been called the bridge to "I Got Rhythm Changes". In this case, H. Levy's Sweet Georgia Brown approach on that bridge would be a good place to start or study.
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> I think in ragtime, this would more typically be III7, VI7, II7, V7, I ; e.g., in 'C': E7 - >A7 - > D7 - > G7 - > C.
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: Arthur Jennings <timeistight@xxxxxxxxx>
> To: icemanle@xxxxxxx
> Cc: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Wed, Oct 28, 2009 2:01 pm
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] blowing rags
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> I think in ragtime, this would more typically be III7, VI7, II7, V7, I ; e.g., in 'C': E7 - >A7 - > D7 - > G7 - > C. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragtime_progression
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> On Wed, Oct 28, 2009 at 10:48 AM,  <icemanle@xxxxxxx> wrote:
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>  short answer - I'm assuming from your description that these rags are actually iii, vi, ii, V, I, so the underlying tonality would have a MAJOR 7, not minor 7th (as in blues or 2nd position), so concentrate on positions or note choices that either include the MAJ 7th or avoid the 7th altogether.
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> -----Original Message-----
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> From: Ronald Burton <aussierwb@xxxxxxxxxxx>
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> To: Harp-L <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
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> Sent: Wed, Oct 28, 2009 1:26 pm
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> Subject: [Harp-L] blowing rags
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> For  the record...I'm dealing with the same issues....although I have played in
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> second and sometimes even third positions...I find myself with a decided lack of
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> imagination....in my case...lack of talent I guess.  The same old riffs just
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> keep coming.
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> Ron Burton
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> > From: harp3333@xxxxxxxxxxx
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> > To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx; harp3333@xxxxxxxxxxx
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> > Date: Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:06:40 +0000
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> > CC:
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> > Subject: [Harp-L] blowing rags
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> > Hi group!
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> > I've recently been playing a regular gig at a barbeque joint here in Chicago
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> and I'm blowing harp with a great fingerpicker(John Hasbrouck) who plays a lot
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> of ragtime pieces(III-VI-II-V-I changes). I'm stuck in a first-position rut
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> where I'm mostly on the upper register using a lot of blow bends. It works but
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> everybody ,including myself, is sick of the same old riffs I'm spitting out.
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> This is new territory for me and I would appreciate any tips(positions,
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> techniques, attitudes, etc) to improve my ragtime soloing. I think I recall in
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> my travels somebody saying that 12th/1st flat position is good for this. I know
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> on Levy's instructional video he dissected Sweet Georgia Brown and explained
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> some stuff, but I don't have the tape anymore. Any help will be appreciated.
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> Thanks!
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> > cheers,
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> > Jim Conway
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> > harp3333@xxxxxxxxxxx
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> > www.jamesconway.net
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> > www.youtube.com/jamesconway01
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> > _________________________________________________________________
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> --
> Arthur Jennings
> http://www.timeistight.com
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