Re: [Harp-L] Bluegrass

[sheltraw@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

Hi Michelle

Thanks for all the suggestions and tips.

You referred to playing on the upbeats. But isn't the usual mando chop
on the 2 and 4 downbeat in 4/4 time?

While we're on the topic: How do mandolin players chop in 3/4 time?

Cheers



> sheltraw@xxxxxxxxxxxx asks:
>> Great points David and Michelle
>>
>> Do you have any pointers on how to get a good mando chop rhythm on the
>> harp? Mine sound unchoppy at this point.
>
> Sure. I'd start simply.
>
> I assume you know how to count the "off-beat" (aka, "up-beat;" when you
> tap your foot to the beat, the up-beat is when your foot reaches the top
> of the "up" swing). You don't want to hit the downbeat. Leave that to
> the bass player if you have one in the group. Keep your eyes glued to a
> mandolin player if you are unsure. [I find it to be good practice to
> clap on the upbeat in an audience full of people clapping on the
> downbeat. Practice tapping the upbeat whenever you listen to music. You
> need to cultivate the ability to hit those upbeats in a sea of
> distractions. Bluegrass is fast-paced so you need to be able to keep
> that upbeat at speed. Remember that when you take that role of playing
> rhythm, you become the heartbeat of the group and people rely on you to
> be keeping the time exactly right. I'd go so far as to say that what you
> play is less important than when you play it in this context.]
>
> Once you know you can hit those upbeats spot on, practice making very
> short, percussive chords on your harps. Once you get used to the whole
> concept, you may choose to not use them, but tongue articulations can be
> very helpful. Try articulating an abrupt "tuck" sound through your harp
> with just your tongue, no breath. Then try it combined with rapidly
> opening your oral cavity. You may be surprised at how much sound you can
> get out of a harp without breathing through it. But tongue articulations
> aren't enough to get that real percussive beat or good tone. You need to
> coordinate your in- and out-breaths with the motion of your tongue,
> timed with the expansion or contraction of your oral cavity. Think of
> your tongue as a piston inside your mouth. You can make a percussive
> little beat without any breath by moving your tongue from the front of
> your mouth to the back while simultaneously opening the inside of your
> mouth (and vice-versa). Now couple that action inside your mouth with
> some very short and choppy in- and out-breaths (for the blow- and
> draw-chords). As always, opening up your oral cavities and airways helps
> your tone.
>
> Another key factor in accentuating the staccato nature of those "chops"
> is your hand cupping. If you start with a tight cup and then abruptly
> open the cup in synchrony with your "tuck" articulation and choppy
> breath, you can make that "chop" even more accentuated (and pleasing to
> the ear). This will require some practice and maybe recording yourself
> or enlisting a volunteer listener, but the effect is well worth the
> effort. Just understand that the timing of opening and closing that cup
> can further accentuate that "piston" effect you are shooting for.
> Careful timing of opening and closing your cup with respect to the
> sounds you are making with the harmonica is key to a great acoustic
> sound. (If you don't know what I mean take a listen sometime to great
> acoustic players like Joe Filisko, Grant Dermody or Paul Davies.) The
> ability to employ hand effects is one of the great joys of playing
> acoustic harp. And, once again, you can use your hand cup to expand the
> tonal palette you have at your disposal. Many players don't realize that
> their acoustic hand cup can actually make their sound louder as well as
> muting it.
>
> When you become comfortable with the simple "tuck" articulations on the
> off-beat, you can think about what to do the rest of the time. Here are
> a couple of my personal ideas. I like to softly mirror or echo single
> (down-beat) notes that complement whatever the instrument taking the
> break is playing -- in a supportive way, say echoing simple tones from
> the melody or hitting harmony notes. [This also gives me an opportunity
> to cheat a little particularly if I am not terribly familiar with the
> song of the moment (you can't know 'em ~all~ ). I can (softly) and
> subtly practice what I want to play when it comes time for me to take a
> break. By the time it's my turn for a break, I will have heard several
> versions by the other musicians. That, coupled with my subtle "practice"
> usually enables me to acquit myself fairly well when it's my break. Of
> course, it's always perfectly permissible to deny being handed a break
> with a subtle headshake or motion to send it to the next player.]
>
> Another thing you can do is embellish the rhythms you play using more
> complicated tongue articulations. Try making the "tuck" you articulate
> on the off-beat the much more accentuated of several
> "tucka-tucka-tucka's" (timed with the string instruments) before the
> next off-beat. Sort of a "TUCKA-tucka-tucka-tucka. Also, try leaving a
> gap between your lips and the cover plates to vary your tone on either
> the louder off-beat "tuck" or the softer ones that follow until the next
> off-beat. As I'm sure you know there's lots of different sounds that can
> come from a well-played harmonica. That's part of what you can offer to
> a bluegrass circle. The whole idea is to blend in and enhance the
> overall sound of he group. Only the player taking the break or singing
> should stand out.
>
> A few words about bluegrass jam circle etiquette. There are two ways of
> selecting which player will take a given break. One is to simply hand
> the break to the next player in the circle (usually clockwise). Also,
> many circles take turns going around the circle to determine who will
> call the next song. Then the person who chooses the tune plays the intro
> and head and then the break will either hand off to the next player in
> the circle or s/he can point at any random player to take a break. Then
> when that player is finished, the person calling the song selects
> another player for a break with a head nod or pointed finger. When the
> song caller reckons the song is over, instead of handing off another
> break, s/he will lift one of their legs up off the floor a bit to
> signify the song's end (really). When one song is finished, the next
> person in the circle calls the next tune. (When you are "up" is when you
> really do need to know a few popular tunes.)
>
> That should help some.
>
> Closing note: Of course, rigorous study of the popular bluegrass
> melodies can certainly open (or keep open) doors for any wannabe
> bluegrass musician. But I wanted to make the point that even if you
> aren't a fiddle tune virtuoso, as long as you understand the genre and
> appreciate the roles that the various instruments play within it, it's
> actually fairly easy to fit harmonica into a bluegrass jam circle. Like
> Dave Payne, some of the most fun I've had playing music has been in
> late-night jam circles at bluegrass events. I suggest you try it out
> even if you aren't a Tony Eyers. :-)
>
> Michelle
>
>
>