Just bought a harmonica today, going to watch youtube videos all weekend and try to play something good before Christmas. Any harp players here? I want to get obsessed with it!

What brand and type harp used by Mick Blue and lonesome.
Gr Bert Strijk.

Mick traditionally uses Lee Oscar harps. Their good, bright sounding, and tuned a bit sharp.

ROCKMAN

Mick is a great blues harmonica player although he is technically limited. Like he said himself, he doesn't play often and because the Blue and lonesome sessions were short and spontaneous he didn't elaborate his harmonica contributions.
That been said, Mick and Brian were pioneers of the little mouth-organ. Both of them fell for it from the beginning. I believe that at the start Brian was more inventive than Mick and Brian could also imitate the tones and sounds of the Chicago players to the level of Cyril Davies and John Mayall.
But Mick Jagger is particularly brilliant on Midnight Rambler, Silver Train, Love is strong and Out of Control.
Thank you Mick for making playing the harmonica looks as cool as playing the guitar!!!
Rock and roll,
Mops

marine band special twenty is a real nice harp if you do not play a lot. For blues music one plays a harp a fourth above the key of the tune...so when the song is in E one uses an A harp. If the song is in D one uses a G harp and so on. harmonica123 and Jason Ricci's channel on youtube are nice resources. I studied with Joe Filisko in chicago for a few years.
Midnight Rambler which is in B requires an E harp.

this is sometimes called cross harp or second positions

rock on!

Learn cross harp technique to sound bluesy - up to a 4th.

In other words, if it is an A blues song, use a D major harp. The harp will contain the notes of the minor pentatonic scale for A. This can be used for all keys.

Thanks for all the amazing info!

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dadrob
marine band special twenty is a real nice harp if you do not play a lot. For blues music one plays a harp a fourth above the key of the tune...so when the song is in E one uses an A harp. If the song is in D one uses a G harp and so on. harmonica123 and Jason Ricci's channel on youtube are nice resources. I studied with Joe Filisko in chicago for a few years.
Midnight Rambler which is in B requires an E harp.

this is sometimes called cross harp or second positions

rock on!

It's so cool you've studied with Filisko! Did you learn from him about harmonica customizing techniques as well?

I enjoy plaing harmonica,I have an A,B,C,D E,F G

I can play along to spider and the fly,midnight rambler,love in vain stuff like this.

Feel The Fear
And Do It Anyway

Love playing harp. Especially with a great guitarist. I am not a technical great, but can blow it when I got a rattle of burbon and a few bong rips. Can rip it up. Love playing the A on rock stuff. And a D and C are great for some rocking blues. Love me the E! On Midinight Rambler. I prefer the older live versions where its not the single note attack Mick does on the modern versions. Get an A and get Sweet Virginia down, that is a great one to play hitting the high note is fun.
I think Mick is spectacular on Lonesome and Blue! He is pulling out some nice Junior Wells and Little Walter riffing. Very nice too with the Bullet mic, and dig the singing through the same mic. Love it. He is rolling and tumbling, having a ball.

I have about a dozen harps. I have tried to teach others over the years. The successful ones had the ability to FEEL the music, going beyond learning simply how to play notes. When I began learning, I was 19 years old and bought a couple of harps, taking them everywhere. I had seen John Mayall in concert and was inspired to try. Then at a rock concert, I noticed that a small crowd had gathered around a guy who was blowing the harp. I remember thinking, "If he can do that, so can I". I was an arrogant little prick! Anyway, after buying them, while driving I would be playing, learning to bend notes, developing a style. Then, finally playing with a group of guys in a garage band, it was an incredible rush. A few months later at a Savoy Brown show, between acts I pulled the harp out and simply began playing. When I opened my eyes, I was shocked to see a small crowd gathered around me! Anyway, I suggest for you to play as much as possible, learn to play along with some of your favorite blues tracks. Nothin' like playing the blues!

I bought an harmonica 3 years ago but still need to start learning how to play it!

I know a bit about tuning my harps from Joe

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JohnnyBGoode
Thanks for all the amazing info!

Agreed, but ... w/ so many choices, which is a good one to start with (I have long considered playing one too)? "C" or "D" ... etc?

C to play in G is a nice starter harp. Get Muddy Mississippi Waters Live and learn every lick on the tunes in G.

C to play in G is a nice starter harp. MIddle of the road in terms of range...Get Muddy Mississippi Waters Live and learn every lick on the tunes in G.

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LeonidP

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JohnnyBGoode
Thanks for all the amazing info!

Agreed, but ... w/ so many choices, which is a good one to start with (I have long considered playing one too)? "C" or "D" ... etc?

C is good because a lot of Bhe training programs use C. For blues,you play cross-harp (2nd Position). because so many great songs are in E or A, I would recommend an A (for E) and a D (for A). That way you can jam along to a lot of good tunes. It gets a little more complicated when you get to the minor keys, you gotta play in the 3rd position if you don't have a minor key harp.

The Blue & Lonesome album has a lot of great jam-along songs, if you have C, A and D harps you can just about play the whole album!

Just keep playing along and you will work out some basic licks for jamming.

I like Special 20's but they run about $45 each. Blues Bender's run around $17, not great, but smaller investment for a beginner. Lee Oskars are solid, run about $35ish. Look for 3-paks, you could save a little that way!

Here is a very helpful key chart...

[www.leeoskar.com]

Enjoy, harp is a blast!

Mick plays Lee Oskars but I don't like them. They ARE too sharp and bright and you can't bend the notes as easily as you would with a Hohner Blues Harp, for example. That's why Mick often sounds like he's bleating or honking while the original versions of the songs he plays have more depth and feeling.

Listen to the original versions of the Blue & Lonesome tracks, especially the Little Walter songs. Walter likely played Hohner Marine Bands which is their Blues Harp with a different shaped cover.

Marine Bands used to cost $5 and Blues Harps were $6. Now they are about $37 and $42 respectively.Wow.

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Rockman

This is THE book.

Rick estrin is the best!!!

............... "Shakey" Walter Horton .... CLASSIC ... the slow build of it all



ROCKMAN

Thanks for the info, C it is!

Along with understanding the notion of cross harp, the big thing that opened up playing for me was coming to understand a little basic theory -- in other words keys! I own all major keys including flats and sharps, and a few specialty ones, like a "low E" and some minors. However, in the bands I've been in (most of which did a few Stones covers btw) I likely played an A (for the key of E) a third of the time, a D (for A) a quarter of the time, and then C (G), F (C), and G (D). Occasionally I played another for some key change, or if the guitar player use a capo or something. It all gives you adaptability.

Not mentioned yet is the joy of miking up. I have gone to plenty of sites where they advertise expensive mics and amps for harp players. Often they will advertise a "Little Walter" mic. Who was infamous for picking up and plugging into whatever was on hand! The Chicago blues guys used old dispatcher mics because they were dirt cheap. Now would cost you hundreds! Amps too...best sound I ever got was a beat up Realistic played through my old stereo.

Lastly I'll say I learned by playing along with records, and then playing with other musicians. Have a blast.

I've played harp for more than 40 years. But I don't practice. So my chops have stagnated. Learning to play harp is like learning to eat p---y. Use a lot of lips and tongue, and figure out what works.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-12-20 06:59 by ab.

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ab
I've played harp for more than 40 years. But I don't practice. So my chops have stagnated. Learning to play harp is like learning to eat p---y. Just keep doing it and figure out what works.

Yep, I use a knife & fork...

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Ross

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LeonidP

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JohnnyBGoode
Thanks for all the amazing info!

Agreed, but ... w/ so many choices, which is a good one to start with (I have long considered playing one too)? "C" or "D" ... etc?

C is good because a lot of Bhe training programs use C. For blues,you play cross-harp (2nd Position). because so many great songs are in E or A, I would recommend an A (for E) and a D (for A). That way you can jam along to a lot of good tunes. It gets a little more complicated when you get to the minor keys, you gotta play in the 3rd position if you don't have a minor key harp.

The Blue & Lonesome album has a lot of great jam-along songs, if you have C, A and D harps you can just about play the whole album!

Just keep playing along and you will work out some basic licks for jamming.

I like Special 20's but they run about $45 each. Blues Bender's run around $17, not great, but smaller investment for a beginner. Lee Oskars are solid, run about $35ish. Look for 3-paks, you could save a little that way!

Here is a very helpful key chart...

[www.leeoskar.com]

Enjoy, harp is a blast!

When I was playing out regularly my harp of choice was the the Hohner Pro Harp. In the same ballpark price wise if perhaps a bit more than the Marine Band, Blues Harp, Special 20. All are fine harps though I would usually blow a reed on the Special 20s pretty quickly. Like others I am no fan of the Lee Oskars though you can repair them relatively cheaply. Played some Suzukis which were fine. My bargain harp would be the Hohner Big River.

My favourite model is the Hohner Golden Melody

@Wry Cooter, have you tried Blue Midnights? I picked one up, around $30 and pretty solid. It doesn't bend quite as nicely as the Special 20, but maybe that "bendability" is what leads to blown reeds (I've had that problem with Special 20s also).

B&L is really a fun album to jam to!

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Ross
@Wry Cooter, have you tried Blue Midnights? I picked one up, around $30 and pretty solid. It doesn't bend quite as nicely as the Special 20, but maybe that "bendability" is what leads to blown reeds (I've had that problem with Special 20s also).

B&L is really a fun album to jam to!

Will try a Blue Midnight soon. Agreed on the 20's -- they do bend the the best but don't last. There are also higher priced harps that I never tried -- it's hard enough spending 30 - 40 bucks!