Members Armchair Bronco Posted January 2, 2011 Members Share Posted January 2, 2011 I've decided that in 2011 I want to learn how to play the Blues harmonica. Lately, I've been jamming to a lot of Zeppelin and SRV titles, especially 12-bar blues progressions using open chords in E7, A7 and B7. What kind of harmonica tuning do I need to learn a cover to "You Shook Me" from Zeppelin I? This song uses a standard EADGBE tuning. And what are some harmonica brands I should consider? I don't want to buy some crap harmonica, so I don't mind shelling out some cash for a nice harp. (Harmonica starts around 3:06) [video=youtube;S3-XqLFKQzA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3-XqLFKQzA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bubbluz Posted January 2, 2011 Members Share Posted January 2, 2011 Blue harmonica uses the 'cross harp ' technique...eg song in E --->harp in A here's a link http://www.bluesharp.ca/lessons/harmonica_lessons.html Hohner and Lee Oskar are a couple of popular brands Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Armchair Bronco Posted January 2, 2011 Author Members Share Posted January 2, 2011 Blue harmonica uses the 'cross harp ' technique...eg song in E --->harp in Ahere's a link http://www.bluesharp.ca/lessons/harmonica_lessons.htmlHohner and Lee Oskar are a couple of popular brands Cool! Thanks for the tips, Bubbluz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wagdog Posted January 2, 2011 Members Share Posted January 2, 2011 I personally like the hohner marine band harps. A little pricey, but worth it imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members t_guns Posted January 2, 2011 Members Share Posted January 2, 2011 Check out the Hohner Special Twenty. I went with it because it because of the good features for a beginner (easier to bend, plastic instead of wood, good quality, relatively cheap).I picked one up to learn on a few months ago. Seems like a good harp (but I'm no pro!)Also, look into a multipack to save you some cash. I have seen the Special 20 in a 3 pack with a small price cut from purchasing seperately (E, A & G).Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Armchair Bronco Posted January 2, 2011 Author Members Share Posted January 2, 2011 So, I've been checking out the different Hoher offerings, in particular the Blues Bender and the Steven Tyler signature models in the key of A. These models are less than $25/each new on Amazon.com. Just curious which harp ya'll think I should get if I were trying to cop the *tone* in Zeppelin's "You Shook Me" that I linked to in the OP? Let's forget about playability or whether a given model would be a good choice for a beginner like me. If I were just trying to nail the tone from that one song, what harp make and model would you recommend? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Armchair Bronco Posted January 2, 2011 Author Members Share Posted January 2, 2011 Found this bit of folklore while digging around: "Always diatonic harmonicas. Typically for blues songs, the key of the harmonica is four notes higher than the key of the song. On "When the Levee Breaks" (song in key of F), he used a Bb (B-flat) harp. On "Nobody's Fault but Mine," "You Shook Me" and "Bring It on Home" (songs in key of E), he used an A harp. On "Poor Tom," (song in key of C), he used either a C or an F harmonica. As for the brand of harmonica, even Dave Lewis' "Equipment File" in "Led Zeppelin: A Celebration" doesn't get that particular!" http://en.allexperts.com/q/Led-Zeppelin-501/Robert-Plant.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mistersully Posted January 2, 2011 Members Share Posted January 2, 2011 I personally like the hohner marine band harps. me too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Armchair Bronco Posted January 4, 2011 Author Members Share Posted January 4, 2011 The Steven Tyler models have received very mixed reviews so I'm no longer considering them. Now looking at the Special 20 and the Marine Crossover. Apparently, the Hohners with "Blues" in the name aren't very good blues harps...just a marketing thing. I've played flute for 30+ years, so I'm thinking of getting something with a wood or bamboo comb to start. Not a big fan of plastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 's mel gibson Posted January 4, 2011 Members Share Posted January 4, 2011 I'm no harp player but, from what I've noticed, is...Hohner Marine Band harmonicas have been around since the beginning of time. They are what everybody used in the very beginning. Then came the Hohner Blues Harp which was easier to bend, on the draw. It's 'tynes' were easier to permanently bend and therefore render the harp out of tune, otherwise regarded as broken or useless. They don't seem to be repairable from what I've seen and they become garbage. Marine Bands are breakable too. Nothing is for ever. Harps are not a hand-me-down instrument. They are as personal and disgusting as a toothbrush. Don't ask to borrow some body else's harp. Yuk! There are other brands and some are cheaper but most are more expensive. Cheap is cheap. They break sooner. Lee Oskar (from Eric Burden's War) has his own brand. There is also a fancier brand that is like a heavy duty chrome chunk of heavy metal and they were about $100 each. Owtch! Joe Satriani achieved that Robert Plant LZ tone on one of his songs. I forget the song's name. Lee Oskar's harp playing ability is way above most so called harp playing lead singer's abilities. Most of them are just 'hacks' compared to him. Also, keep the harp in it's carrying case and keep pocket lint out of it. You don't want to suck pocket lint into your lungs. That is all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Armchair Bronco Posted January 4, 2011 Author Members Share Posted January 4, 2011 Thanks for the reply, Mel. For me, the big decision is whether to go with plastic (Special 20) or bamboo (Marine Band Crossover). Seems like the bamboo model sounds great but may be over-priced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 's mel gibson Posted January 4, 2011 Members Share Posted January 4, 2011 Try them all. You will break them all anyways. My buds all used to soak theirs in Smirnoff's. The wood stuff holds the fumes longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Armchair Bronco Posted January 4, 2011 Author Members Share Posted January 4, 2011 The Lee Oskars have replacement parts available for some of their harps. Maybe I should research the Lee Oskars too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members csm Posted January 4, 2011 Members Share Posted January 4, 2011 Most harps from Hohner and the other reputable brands (excluding the cheapo crap, obviously) sound pretty much the same in the hands and mouth of a competent player. The differences lie in the physical feel and the player experience. Very few people (if any!) could listen to a track and tell a Marine Band from an Echo Super Vamper (which was the most popular Hohner in the early-to-mid 1960s when I first started fooling with harp) or a Special 20 from a Blues Harp. FWIW, Buffalo Bill Smith (the harp player in my band Crosstown Lightnin') uses Lee Oskars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Eddie Posted January 4, 2011 Members Share Posted January 4, 2011 Most harps from Hohner and the other reputable brands (excluding the cheapo crap, obviously) sound pretty much the same in the hands and mouth of a competent player... I once heard a guy playing just a song and when he finished I asked if: "Was that a Lee Oskar?" And it was To me plastic sounds different than wood. When I used to play I used both, mainly Hohner Blues Harp or Marine Band and Lee Oskar. Bubbluz, Cross-harp is perhaps the more typical approach, but you can also play blues in straight harp. 3rd position, 5th position, etc. Here's a nice chart: http://www.harmonicalessons.com/overview_chart.html It does not include all positions. Cross-harp may get boring after a while. I used cross-harp on the first cyber-jam we had here at HC, with Moeman singing (RIP). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members csm Posted January 4, 2011 Members Share Posted January 4, 2011 ^^^^^^^ Okay, fair enough, if you CAN tell ... But once a harp is amplified and stuck in a band mix, either live or in the studio, and then further processed by mastering compression ... audible differences between different models become less and less cost-effective in terms of the overall civilian listening experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Eddie Posted January 4, 2011 Members Share Posted January 4, 2011 ^^^^^^^ Okay, fair enough, if you CAN tell ... But once a harp is amplified and stuck in a band mix, either live or in the studio, and then further processed by mastering compression ... audible differences between different models become less and less cost-effective in terms of the overall civilian listening experience. Agreed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soundcreation Posted January 4, 2011 Members Share Posted January 4, 2011 Joe Satriani achieved that Robert Plant LZ tone on one of his songs. I forget the song's name. was it this one you were thinking about? [video=youtube;1BOZ6Wm-vPU] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members csm Posted January 4, 2011 Members Share Posted January 4, 2011 ^^^^^ That tone has a lot more to do with the kind of mic, amp and desk processing (reverb, compression etc) the player uses than with the particular harp model in question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jrockbridge Posted January 4, 2011 Members Share Posted January 4, 2011 I love LZ, "You Shook Me!" But, the harmonica actually starts at about the 6 second mark rather than 3:06. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Armchair Bronco Posted January 5, 2011 Author Members Share Posted January 5, 2011 So, the deed (to say nothing of "the reed") is done. I guess the allure of all that bamboo on the Hohner Marine Band Crossover was too hard to pass up. Maybe it's because we got bamboo floors installed in our house last year or maybe it's because I'm a cork-sniffer and prefer wood & metal to plastic & metal. Who knows? Either way, I just spent $59 (w/ free shipping) for a new Hohner Marine Band Crossover harp in the key of A. Can't wait to get started learning "You Shook Me" and "Bring It On Home"! Woo hoo! "You Shook Me" - harp solo starts @ 3:05-ish http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3-XqLFKQzA "Bring It On Home" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihWhTvHVLAM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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