[Harp-L] Wayne Raney & note bending, tutorials, etc.

["the_jukester@xxxxxxxx" <the_jukester@xxxxxxxx>]

     As explained in my book on the life of Wayne Raney, during the Forties and early Fifties both he and Lonnie Glosson marketed instruction books on their respective radio shows for both guitar and harmonica.  In addition to ordering a "Talking Harmonica", listeners could order "How To Play The Harmonica In Just 10 Minutes" and/or "How To Play The Guitar In Just 10 Minutes".  Besides being offered on the radio, these courses in musical instruction were offered in full-page advertisements that often appeared on the inside back covers of numerous comic books, detective story magazines, and other pulp reading materials of the time. 
     The instructional copy by Wayne and Lonnie in their individual books was most likely the work of a single writer, with a few minor differences included to give a "personal" slant to the words attributed to each man. Comparing the single page of Lonnie's instruction in Lonnie Glosson's Harmonica Book published in 1937 to Wayne's single page of instruction in Wayne Raney's Standard Harmonica Course published in 1958, one finds the exact same wording. The same tunes are used as examples for achieving the talking, choking and train effects - "Lost John, "Fox Chase", Fast Train Blues", and "Red River Valley". The only real differences here are that Wayne includes the tune "Green Valley Waltz" in his examples, while Lonnie Includes "Birmingham Jail" in his. The only thing that changed in those twenty one years between 1937 and 1958 was the name of the publishing company.
     In the copies of both Wayne's and Lonnie's booklet in my possession, the bulk of the content consists of a number of old-time and popular tunes with guitar chords, but no harmonica notation. The single page of harmonica instruction covers bending in an oblique manner, while never actually using the term. Wayne's tips included the admonition to hold the lips "a little closer together" and to draw "just a little harder" in order to "choke" the harp. Train effects were described as being produced by using holes 2, 3 and 4 and "working your tongue as fast as you can" while it is against the roof of the mouth, and "drawing very hard".
     For anyone interested in learning more about Wayne (and Lonnie), please check the book's description on my web site by going to the "Books" page. All of the above information, and much more, appears in the the text. The book's title is "Wayne Raney, That Hillbilly Boogie Boy, Country Crooner, and Born Again Gospel Guy with The Talking Harmonica".  Yeah, it's a pretty long title, but it says it all.
Pete Sheridan
www.petesheridan.net
     
 
 
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