[Harp-L] Re: Stevie Wonder's Harmonica
BassHarp
> > > >> How many people noticed that the covers on that '64' come full
> > > >> flare all the way to the ends of the chromo? It's not a hohner
Anyone familiar with Hohner's line of Super 64's will refute such a
statement.
Simply take another look at the video in question and if one notices
approximately 3/4 of the way thru, immediately after he invites the
audience to sing along with him, hit your pause, and note the big block
letters on the back of the comb spelling HOHNER. This is after he drops
his left hand away momentarily.
Also, anyone familiar with Stevie's association with Hohner will be
aware that his technician all these many years has been, and presumably
still is, none other than Frank Huang, originally of Hohner and of
course younger brother of Cham-Ber Huang. Stevie plays Hohner!
Ref:
http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/search/stevie%2Bwonder/video/x1105h_stevie-wonder-et-jean-luc
Danny
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Winslow Yerxa
The dailymotion video you are commenting on is different from the
Youtube video that Joe's comment addresses.
The dailymotion clip has Stevie accompanying another singer on Isn't
She Lovely, played in F (instead of E) on what I'm fairly sure is a
Super 64X.
But Joe was writing before that video link was posted. He was referring
to a video posted on Youtube of "True to your Heart" from the film
Mulan:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyt6Emkv3iY
In this one Stevie is playing a completely different instrument. It has
an opaque, dark-colored comb and silver colored covers. You can hear
Stevie early in the song, then he appears with the harp at about 1:25,
first playing and then singing.
Stop the video at about 1:23 as he's putting the harp up to his mouth
and you'll notice two things:
1) The dark color of the comb looks almost like the gray of stainless
steel.
2) The covers, while they extend to the end of the comb the way a Super
64 cover does, they DO NOT taper downward toward the comb. The top
cover presents an almost flat plane parallel to the comb.
Clearly not a Hohner.
The tune begins in Bb, and it sounds to me like a C instrument from the
slide ornaments and legatos (By the way, listen closely to the intro
and you'll hear Stevie play the Bb reed bent down to Ab, then release
it to Bb again).
Then at 2:27 it changes to the key of B-natural and Stevie starts to
solo again, but it's not stuff that plays gratefully in B on a C
instrument. It's the sort of thing that might work in A, D, G, C, F,
Bb, or even Eb, but not B. To me it sounds like C position - all the
slide moves fit, and he plays a fluter-tongued high tonic note,
something most easily done on a blow note.
The video shows him with an identical-looking instrument, but that's
just what they shot for display. Either he's playing an instrument in
some other key or they could have shifted the instrumental track up
from B to C to record his solo, then shifted track and harmonica back
down a semitone. This is something Stevie has done before, on Chaka
Khan's "I Feel For you" where the track was in F# and it was shifted to
allow him to play in either F or G position, I forget which now, but
you can tell from the way he uses the high D.
Winslow
--- BassHarp <bass...@earthlink.net> wrote:
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Joe and Cass Leone
Plus Ultra, Sans Pariel super hero and I take back everything I have
ever said about you.
smokey-joe el Gratia Morte
> !DSPAM:5614,4661e7fb130079619845300!
BassHarp
proper video clip and Stevie Wonder's harmonica.
Joe was right in stating that it was NOT a Hohner harmonica. I am still
not convinced though, that Stevie was actually playing on camera. He
looks good at times, but of course there was the moment when he was
vocalizing while his harmonica can be heard in the background. Is it
possible he was provided a non-Hohner harmonica at the last minute for
the video shoot, having prerecorded the soundtrack? Just wondering, as
I've never known him to play anything but Hohner.
Nevertheless - again my profound apologies to Joe and anyone else I may
have offended.
With my tail between my legs,
Joe and Cass Leone
On Jun 2, 2007, at 7:44 PM, BassHarp wrote:
> My sincere apologies
Danny, Danny, there's no reason to do this. There's no problem here.
It was MY fault. See below.
> to Joe for my inattention to details regarding the proper video
> clip and Stevie Wonder's harmonica.
>
> Joe was right in stating that it was NOT a Hohner harmonica. I am
> still not convinced though, that Stevie was actually playing on
> camera.
I can see that too. I'll bet you really have something there.
> He looks good at times, but of course there was the moment when he
> was vocalizing while his harmonica can be heard in the background.
Yeah, that bothered me too, and you being one of our premier
historians would have caught that.
> Is it possible he was provided a non-Hohner harmonica at the last
> minute for the video shoot, having prerecorded the soundtrack? Just
> wondering, as I've never known him to play anything but Hohner.
Sure, I agree. I have never known him to play anything BUT Hohners
and like I said in an earlier post, I should have placed the question
mark in a different place. So, in retrospect, it's all MY fault. I
wasn't accurate enough in my writing. (Something I am notoriously
known for...snicker).
>
> Nevertheless - again my profound apologies to Joe and anyone else I
> may have offended.
No, no no no no no, bad word. There IS no 'A' word. There is no 'O'
word. You're STILL the 'Prince of Bass'.
> Danny (Naah, I'm taking that last phrase away.....Saint
> Happenin....smo-joe) :)
>
> !DSPAM:5614,466200ef130071837321035!
BassHarp
You're simply too soft for your own good! And extremely kind to the
adversary.
Do you remember Gaston & Alphonse? No doubt you do, but for those
uninitiated, check out this page:
http://www.toonopedia.com/alphgast.htm
In summation, thanks for your kindnesses.
Best,
Danny
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BassHarp
PO Box 5061
Hudson, FL 34674-5061
http://www.bassharp.com/bh_itin.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Robert Bonfiglio
Germany. Took a look at the harmonica Stevie was playing and I think
this Frank Huang's model. He mad a brass 280 but with cover plates
with channels like the CBH 2016 that were set in from the front of
the comb so as to not be totally air tight and stop all notes from
playing. I played these when Frank made them at Hohner years ago in
Long Island; very heavy harmonicas using old 280 plates. Nice sound
and the channels added some focus, you can barely see them in the video.
He was still using them when I met him at the Song Writer's Hall of
Fame concert I was performing in; he was honoring Barry Gordy. We
talked harmonica back stage for 30 minutes before going on.
Harmonically yours,
Robert Bonfiglio
http://www.robertbonfiglio.com
Jose Texidó
First of all let me introduce myself. My name is Jose, from Buenos Aires,
Argentina. I've been playing blues harp for almost four years.
I always wonder about the steve wonder's harmonica tunings. For example,
when he plays songs like Is't she lovely or "there must be an angel" with
annie lennox. Both songs has similar harp solos, and I wonder if they are in
the same key, and which key is he using, so I ask you if you know the
exactly key of those plays?
I'm really novice in this type of playing, so I'd like to start playing
Steve Wonder's method. Do you have a web page, tutorial or some useful
material to bring in order to understand his licks?
Still working to perform my style.
Thank you very much!!
Jose Texidó
joset...@gmail.com
-----Mensaje original-----
De: harp-l-...@harp-l.org [mailto:harp-l-...@harp-l.org] En nombre
de Robert Bonfiglio
Enviado el: lunes, 04 de junio de 2007 11:31
Para: har...@harp-l.org
Asunto: [Harp-L] Stevie Wonder's Harmonica
Richard Hunter
<I always wonder about the steve wonder's harmonica tunings. For example,
<when he plays songs like Is't she lovely or "there must be an angel"
<with annie lennox. Both songs has similar harp solos, and I wonder if they <are in the same key, and which key is he using, so I ask you if you know the
<exactly key of those plays?
So far as I know, Stevie usually plays a C chromatic. He's capable of doing very good stuff in lots of different keys, which is a sign that he knows the instrument inside and out.
<I'm really novice in this type of playing, so I'd like to start playing
<Steve Wonder's method. Do you have a web page, tutorial or some useful
<material to bring in order to understand his licks?
My book "Jazz Harp," available from amazon.com, includes transcriptions of 3 classic Stevie Wonder solos, with comments on how they can be played on the chromatic harp. The book now ships with a CD that contains illustrations of a number of points in the book.
In general, Wonder's style is not extremely demanding technically--most intermediate level chromatic players could play many of his lines. It's relatively easy to duplicate what he does on a particular solo when you see a transcription and have a chance to practice it. It's easy enough to learn a few of his favorite tricks, such as the way he works the slide on the chromatic to execute quick trills and turns, and apply them to your own solos. It's much more difficult to improvise as brilliantly as Stevie, because he has a rare combination of melodic, harmonica, and rhythmic sense. It's that musicianship that makes it easy for him to fit in perfectly with everything from African bands to James Taylor.
Regards, Richard Hunter
Winslow Yerxa
On both those tunes, Stevie is using a standard chromatic in C. He
usually plays a four-octave instrument similar to the Hohner Super 64,
though he often plays customized instruments.
"Isn't She Lovely" is played in the key of E major on a C chromatic.
"There Must be an Angel" is played in G major on a C chromatic.
They sound similar because it's Stevie; his style has a few
well-defined elements that are very characteristic of his playing.
Winslow
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