[Harp-L] Jimmy Riddle playing chromatic harmonica on polkas

[Rick Dempster]

Thanks for that Winslow. Does that mean he liked playing the chromatic best
in "ninth" position?
RD

On 27 March 2018 at 07:02, Winslow Yerxa via Harp-L <harp-l at xxxxx>
wrote:

> Riddle on his Country Harmonica LP usually alternated between second
> position diatonic and a chromatic tuned one semitone *below* the key, so
> that he could swoop up to the target note from one semitone below using
> slide jabs. Several of the cuts have him switching back and forth in this
> manner, and that partly explains his choice of keys like Bb (using an A
> chromatic) even though string players (i.e., his accompanists) aren't
> generally fond of flat keys.
> However, he also played in first position.
> Winslow Yerxa
> Producer, the Harmonica Collective
> Author, Harmonica For Dummies, Second Edition: ISBN 978-1-118-88076-0
>             Harmonica Basics For Dummies, ASIN B005KIYPFS
>             Blues Harmonica For Dummies, ISBN 978-1-1182-5269-7
> Resident Expert, bluesharmonica.comInstructor, Jazzschool Community Music
> SchoolPresident emeritus, SPAH, the Society for the Preservation and
> Advancement of the Harmonica
>
>     On Sunday, March 25, 2018, 3:21:24 PM PDT, David Naiditch <
> davidnaiditch at xxxxx> wrote:
>
>  Thanks for enlightening us smo-joe.  Great comments from everyone, but I
> like those piggies!
>
> > On Mar 25, 2018, at 11:03 AM, Joseph Leone <3N037 at xxxxx> wrote:
> >
> >
> >> On Mar 23, 2018, at 10:53 PM, Rick Dempster <rickdempster33 at xxxxx>
> wrote:
> >>
> >> Love it! But that "Hee Haw" clip is dubbed I'd say. He's in A & E, and
> >> unless he's got an A (or E) harp (possible) he couldn't
> >> play all that without use of the button, which he does not appear to be
> >> doing.
> >
> > He’s probably using an A tuned (3 sharps) chromo and switching to G (1
> sharp) to get E (4 sharps).
> > And yes, he is using the slide. He uses his thumb most of the time. Hard
> to see with the cupping.
> > I agree that this particular clip was dubbed.
> >
> >> Anyway, the movement of the harp sems out of sync in general.
> >
> > Yes, it does. At least to me. Not in synch. He may have had tape over
> the mouthpiece for the video?
> > But it might have been previously recorded?
> >
> >> I have Riddle on some old recordings, and like most chrom players back
> then
> >> (and not a few now)
> >> he plays in first position most if not all then time.
> >
> > Mr Riddle was known to use first position. Similar to McCoy who, when he
> did play chromo, used one
> > that was tuned IN the tune he was doing. Example: ’T.D’s Boogie’. The
> beginning is done on a G tuned
> > chromo. for the first couple bars, then McCoy goes to a C diatonic in
> cross harp (2nd position) with a
> > multitude of bends.
> >
> > When I was at Ernest’s music store in 75 and showing how I was going to
> do Frosty the Snowman on
> > the Ryman Christmas show, Riddle was there listening. He asked me how I
> was able to get a sharp on
> > the 5 draw. I told him that I had cut the reed UP one sharp. He nodded
> his head in approval.
> >
> > But, all in all, Riddle was an accomplished player nonetheless. Clarinet
> polka isn’t a super difficult tune
> > to begin with BUT at the speed he is going, it does take some
> concentration. His piccolinos are the result
> > of his ability to do something called: ‘Eefin’. Riddle was over shadowed
> on Hee Haw. I guess because
> > McCoy was musical director for a while, and even HE only played
> occasionally.So didn’t want harmonica
> > to be over exposed.
> >
> > And I could have done without the piggies. It only exacerbates the
> problem that harp (in general) is looked
> > upon as a toy or Johnny Adventure Jokey Joke instrument. Aaaargh.
> >
> > smo-joe
> >
> >> Thanks for that.
> >> RD
> >>
> >> On 24 March 2018 at 03:59, Gary Lehmann <gnarlyheman at xxxxx> wrote:
> >>
> >>> The Jethro Burns of the harmonica!
> >>> Don't get me started on eefin . . .
> >>>
> >>> On Thu, Mar 22, 2018 at 1:16 PM, David Naiditch <
> davidnaiditch at xxxxx
> >>>>
> >>> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> A fiddler recently told me about Jimmy Riddle playing chromatic
> harmonica
> >>>> on Clarinet Polka with fiddler Howdy Forrester. I’ve always enjoyed
> the
> >>>> sound of fiddle and harmonica.  This is the only tune on this MGM
> album
> >>>> that features Jimmy. (I've been hearing this polka played for years at
> >>>> fiddle competitions and festivals.)
> >>>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W_85umzOqs <https://www.youtube.com/
> >>>> watch?v=8W_85umzOqs>
> >>>>
> >>>> Here is another example of Jimmy Riddle playing a polka—Jesse
> Polka--on
> >>>> chromatic. Love those dancing pigs.
> >>>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpfiwMVR6ls <https://www.youtube.com/
> >>>> watch?v=TpfiwMVR6ls>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>
> >
>
>