Harmonica & OT music
Vernon Ursenbach
music. Please let me know what you all use but most of all what sounds the
best for that OT sound. I have several diatonic harps but have been
thinking of getting a chromatic or echo harp.
Tin Fiddle
I've spoken with two of the better old-time harmonica players in the
country, Mark Graham and David Rice. Both primarily use standard
richter tuned diatonic harmonicas. Chromatic seems to lend itself more
to Celtic styles such as the Murphy brothers and Brendan Power. I'm not
sure about echo harps. Personally, I like Hohner Special 20's.
Most old-time music seems to be in the keys of A and D with some G and C
thrown in, so you really don't need a whole set of harps. Obviously
harps in the keys of G,A,C, and D would cover you for 1st position
playing which is well suited to a lot of old-time material. Furthermore
the G,C,D would also serve for those songs that lend themselves better
to 2nd position playing (e.g. Old Joe Clark). I try to avoid using an F
harp to cover 2nd position in key of C because the tonal range of an F
harp is so high.
Mark
Bill Dillof
>
> I've spoken with two of the better old-time harmonica players in the
> country, Mark Graham and David Rice. Both primarily use standard
> richter tuned diatonic harmonicas.
Two additional details about Dave Rice's harp preferences: He plays equally
well in any key a fiddler might play in, thus including an F harp in his
arsenal, and he uses Lee Oscar harps, as they have seperately available reed
plates (cheaper than buying an entire new replacement harp) which permit him
to fine tune the reeds (which he seems to spend alot of time doing).
<Most old-time music seems to be in the keys of A and D with some G and C
thrown in.>
Perhaps - in North Carolina and Virginia - but if you would play straight
harp with modern fiddlers, who draw their repertoires from as diverse
regions as Kentucky, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, etc., you'd
better be prepared to play in A, D, G, C and F. Dave loves to play along on
rags, which are most often in C and F.
Interestingly, there is really not that much straight harp on 78s. The Floyd
County Ramblers, which had a harp player, played a number of tunes in D.
Ernest Stoneman, who played rack harp, played in any key in which he sang,
notably A, G, D and C. Humphrey Bate (Tennessee), whom I believe to be the
ne plus ultra of old time harp players, seemed to favor D, with perhaps a
little C thrown in. Down in Arkansas, you can hear a few tunes (Arkansas
Barefoot Boys) in D, I think. In Kentucky, Emry Arthur had a harmonica on
some cuts. More 78s: Cherokee Ramblers, Murphy Bros. Harp Band. Am I
forgetting anyone? OK - Gwen and Garley Foster - but nobody plays like
*that*, do they?
Bill Dillof
Bill Dillof
> I've spoken with two of the better old-time harmonica players in the
> country, Mark Graham and David Rice. Both primarily use standard
> richter tuned diatonic harmonicas.
Two additional details about Dave Rice's harp preferences: He plays equally
well in any key a fiddler might play in, thus including an F harp in his
arsenal, and he uses Lee Oscar harps, as they have seperately available reed
plates (cheaper than buying an entire new replacement harp) which permit him
to fine tune the reeds (which he seems to spend alot of time doing).
<Most old-time music seems to be in the keys of A and D with some G and C
thrown in.>
Perhaps - in North Carolina and Virginia - but if you would play straight
harp with modern fiddlers, who draw their repertoires from as diverse
regions as Kentucky, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, etc., you'd
better be prepared to play in A, D, G, C and F. Dave loves to play along on
rags, which are most often in C and F.
Interestingly, there is really not that much straight harp on 78s. The Floyd
County Ramblers, which had a harp player, played a number of tunes in D.
Ernest Stoneman, who played rack harp, played in any key in which he sang,
notably A, G, D and C. Humphrey Bate (Tennessee), whom I believe to be the
ne plus ultra of old time harp players, seemed to favor D, with perhaps a
little C thrown in. Down in Arkansas, you can hear a few tunes (Arkansas
Barefoot Boys) in D, I think. In Kentucky, Emry Arthur had a harmonica on
some cuts. More 78s: Cherokee Ramblers, Murphy Bros. Harp Band. Am I
forgetting anyone? OK - Gwen and Garley Foster - but nobody plays like
*that*, do they?
Bill Dillof
>
Tin Fiddle
regarding old time harmonica. His CD "On the Job Too Long" [Bill
Dillof, Dave Rice & the Cuyahogians] has great examples of old-time harp
done right on almost every cut. In fact, Bill I believe you do the
blowing on one cut - is that correct?
Mark
Kerry Blech
>
> Vernon,
>
> I've spoken with two of the better old-time harmonica players in the
> country, Mark Graham and David Rice. Both primarily use standard
> richter tuned diatonic harmonicas. Chromatic seems to lend itself more
> to Celtic styles such as the Murphy brothers and Brendan Power. I'm not
> sure about echo harps. Personally, I like Hohner Special 20's.
I am not sure if he is still alive, but John Lozier is/was a fantastic
harmonicist from Kentucky. He will be on a few tracks on an upcoming
CD anthology of (primarily) fiddle music from both sides of the Ohio
River (Ohio and Kentucky) on Rounder, produced by John Harrod. I've
seen a video of Lozier playing harp, note for note, with George Hawkins
on fiddle from a festival in Morehead, Kentucky. He played with Buddy
Thomas and others of the Northern Kentucky fiddle traditions. He
play(ed) a chromatic harp, usually in C when playing solo, but would
play with the fiddle in whatever key (and you remember that Hawkins
had a passel of good Bb tunes!).
If you want technical details on Lozier's playing, I'd suggest
talking to Dave Rice, who is very conversant and familiar with
Lozier's playing. I to to play a bit with Dave a week and a half
ago and we talked about Lozier at that time. He knows his stuff.
Best,
Kerry
Tammy Sawyer
I think you can still order their recordings from Elderly.
sundog
place of the fiddle..Sundog
Nancy Mamlin
recordings at this point, I think. Nancy
"Tammy Sawyer" <sawye...@usa.net> wrote in message
news:6de8cc81.02042...@posting.google.com...
Gloux
harmonica-playing friend of Marvin Gaster's, who passed away a few years ago.
-Greg
fejwoq
some of their stuff?
Bill Martin
Lyle Lofgren
wrote:
>Forget ye not UncleWilly&TheBrandysnifters! Don't they play harmonica on
>some of their stuff?
>
>Bill Martin
You bet. Thanks for remembering us.
Lyle