> The term "chromatic positions" and my comment on it got the same reaction > it has elicited since I started teaching chromatic to diatonic players in > the early 70's. I admit, I threw it out there (on purpose) to see if I > couldn't stir the waters. I just wanted to see if everyone knew there was > a button out there on the end of the chromatic. It still amazes me that > people will retune harmonicas in every configuration, learn to bend every > note in every way to get every chromatic tone and are still afraid to death > to reach out there and touch that button. > > Where is the sense of adventure! > > We ought to redefine "chromatic positions" to read "diatonic positions on > the chromatic," i.e., how to play the chromatic as if it were a diatonic. > Stick to the key of D minor or tape the button or (flip the slide on an old > 280) and play in Eb minor. > > Where is the sense of adventure; that button won't kill you; chromatic > blues in D minor might be really exciting. I guess I learned to play > diatonic before there were positions (which I think came with that Glover > book); anyhow we just played in different keys. > > By the way, Stevie and Toots both play in keys and we all have used > different keyed harmonicas to have things lie better. For me, a B > harmonica allows me to play in flat keys but sounding in sharp keys, thus I > can take advantage of the blow F and draw C. A little knowledge of > keyboard harmony will help. > > I do agree that if playing in positions helps you get a Dorian mode out of > the harp, play in positions. I only mean to expand on that to take > advantage of the chromatic. If you are playing in D minor, button motions > of A to draw C button in, or the blow F button in to the E make for legato > phrases. So if you are shaking D to F in triplets, then F to E in the > same triplets, the blow F to E will be smoother. A good run in D minor > could be repeated up a half step in Eb minor as the whole band modulates > and then back to D minor with just the push of the button. Pretty soon > little chromaticisms start showing up all over the place and you are out of > Little Walter territory and into your own.
I agree whole-heartedly. I love using the slide. Even if only to play a complete blues scale.
> This brings me a very disconcerting thing that happened to me this weekend > when I was playing with Santa Barbara Symphony. I went down to the local > blues club to play a little and a local harp player was playing in the > Little Walter style; this was okay until I began to notice that this young > harp player was playing the solos note for note as Walter did on the > recordings; I MEAN NOTE FOR NOTE! > > Now Little Walter in a Beethoven type classical context was weird to me. I > mean we all used to learn those licks from the records, but I thought the > object was to improvise a solo and to have your own style, not be a Little > Walter clone. Is this where we're headed? I shiver at how retro that > sounded to me; color definitely does not define blues, but this is as > "white" as blues gets. Thoughts please!
Did he do this on more than one song? When I do cover songs I often throw in one or two of my favorite licks from the original recording and make the rest of the solo my own. However, every once in a while a solo is just so cool that I like to do part of it note for note. One example that comes to mind is Little Walter's solo in "Mellow Down Easy." My band does a completely original version of this song. We change the tempo, the feel add some changes, add some lyrics, add some breaks, etc. BUT I can't help but play the first half of the first solo note for note. I just think it is too cool to change. I've loved this solo since I was 12 years old and I just have to play it. Years ago when I played guitar in a rock band I always played the guitar solo to "The Wind Cries Mary" by Jimi Hendrix note for note. It is such a gorgeous, melodic solo that I just didn't feel that I could improve on it and I didn't want to try. In general, however, I definitely agree with your comment. Copying solos note for note all night long would get really boring - both for the performer and the audience and seems to go against the whole self-expressive nature of the blues.
