Harp Surgery

Perfecting that deep 2 draw bend – Low Rider (War)

The Good Doctor

Lee Oskar

All my friends know the low rider
Few students ever arrive at the Harp Surgery knowing exactly how many bends there are or where they’re all located. Some think they do, but on closer inspection find there are gaps in their knowledge or ability. Some can draw bend but not blow bend. Some are unable to bend at all. This is a skill area that almost always needs attention. I firmly believe players of any ability should spend time working on the accuracy of their direct bends. No matter how good you are, those 3 hole draw bends can never be taken for granted.

When you start bending, it always pays to remember the Harp Surgery’s golden rule – it’s ok to make mistakes. That’s why they put erasers on the end of pencils. Perfecting your bends will involve an amount of trial and error. You will learn from your mistakes. And remember this is one of the most significant points of any harp player’s development. Be patient and persevere. You’re breaking into the big time!

The low rider is a little higher
In another article, we spoke about monitoring the accuracy of bends – How do I know I’m bending in tune? My conclusion was that all the electronic paraphernalia in the world is no substitute for using your own ears. Furthermore, instead of learning each individual bend in isolation with an electronic tuning device to determine your accuracy, what better than to pick a fun tune and learn to play the bends in context. You’re a musician after all; if the bend ain’t right, the tune won’t work. Read more

Charlie Musselwhite (Part I) – Komedia, Brighton, 18th November 2008

The Good Doctor

What was all the fuss about?

According to the display of fading gig tickets on the Harp Surgery wall, it was July 1991 when I last saw Charlie Musselwhite live at the Town & Country 2 in Highbury, North London. Charlie’s backing band opened that night with a fabulous rendition of Little Milton’s ‘Hey, Hey, The Blues Is All Right’, while his silver harp case stood open on a table at the front of the stage – a statement of the maestro’s intent. The backing band had the house revved up and jumping. Once he took the stage however, Charlie’s performance proved uninspiring. Accepted, he had flown in from the USA only hours earlier, but amidst his clever display of positional playing and monotone vocals, I grew bored. The band soldiered on but I left early, thinking to myself, ‘what was all the fuss about?’

In the months that followed, I occasionally gave Charlie’s records a spin. More through a sense of duty than as a genuine fan. Each time I concluded this was a white guy who came from the right southern state, had entered the Chicago blues scene at the right time and mixed with the right blues luminaries, but who’s musical contribution was inconsistent, if not over-rated. It just didn’t bounce. The records went back in their sleeves and onto the pile. I still didn’t get him. Read more

Crossing The Bridge

The Good Doctor

In cross-harp (2nd position) it is easy to limit your playing to blues patterns between holes 1 and 6. Accepted, some songs require this, focusing on the wealth of ‘low end’ bends, moods and tones. But what do we do with the ‘top end’ of the harp? It’s banjo country and it’s scary – you just don’t want to go there! This is because the tuning sequence changes in holes 7 to 10 and cross-harp patterns have to change with it. Those favoured low end formulae are rendered useless as everything seems to reverse or shift. Remember how mysterious the low end was when you first picked up the harp? Time, determination, experiment and the sense of adventure all spurred you on to greater things. Breaking into the top end is no different. So it’s back to school…

Stick with it – there’s fun and satisfaction to be had. In due course, 3rd position will have you skipping across the divide like a spring lamb, oblivious to worldly perils. For now, the first steps in linking the bottom and top ends are what we call ‘crossing the bridge’ exercises. Try out these helpful 2nd position licks:

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SaRon Crenshaw – Terra Blues, New York, 16th Oct 2008

The Good Doctor

We arrived at Terra Blues for the nightly acoustic set at about 7.30pm, not really knowing what to expect. What we discovered were two rare treasures. The first was the venue itself. We were instantly bowled over by its style and warmth. This place is charming and sophisticated, with mood lighting, a vaulted ceiling and candlelit tables. And teasing us from the stage, like a spotlit still life, was an empty chair, a red Lucille Gibson guitar signed by BB King and a silver-faced Fender Twin Reverb amplifier.

A few minutes later our second great find of the evening took the stage. SaRon Crenshaw is incredible. He has presence and rapport to match the likes of Luther Allison and Eric Bibb. His voice is the equal of any Atlantic soul singer – its richness, depth and expression is astonishing. His guitar work is comprehensively top drawer. Read more

How Do I Know I’m Bending In Tune?

The Good Doctor

If I catch you bending, I’ll saw your legs right off..

It’s a fair question often posed by newcomers to the harp, regardless of any previous musical experience. Basically, we all want to know we’re doing something right the first time we try it. Folks often arrive at our workshops under the assumption they’ve nailed their bends, when they actually haven’t completed their journey.

The process starts by quantifying the task. There are twelve regular draw/blow bends on a 10 hole diatonic.  1D’, 2D’, 2D”, 3D’, 3D”, 3D”‘, 4D’, 6D’, 8B’, 9B’, 10B’ and 10B”.

Next we need to learn the skills necessary to achieve each bend. On first encounter each reed has its own distinct response. In time you will grow used to, and learn to accommodate, these idiosyncrasies. You can find comprehensive instructions for playing draw bends and blow bends in our Harp Skills section (top menu). Read more

The Blues Band with Paul Jones – Flatfoot Sam

The Good Doctor

Flat Foot Sam bought an automobile

It was Blues at The Fort, Portsmouth 2007 and the Good Doctor was in the backstage marquee with The Elevators. Three years earlier he was playing the same gig with The Blackjacks. ‘Who else is on the bill tonight?’ he asked. ‘Eddie Martin is after us,’ came the reply, ‘and The Blues Band are headlining.’ The Good Doctor smiled at the news; an excellent evening’s harpoonery lay ahead.

Then the Good Doctor’s thoughts rolled back to 1979 and radio reports of a new blues band that was taking the country by storm, featuring Paul Jones, former front man of Manfred Mann. It was a time when Punk Rock and New Wave were peaking on the UK music scene and live music gigs were where you still went to be cool. No MTV, no internet, no DVDs. The erupting live music scene had belched forth a number of red hot R&B bands. The Blues Band, 9 Below Zero, The Inmates and The Cheaters to name a few.

 

A year later, amidst great media interest, The Blues Band took the stage at the 1980 Knebworth Festival. The Good Doctor was in the crowd with the ‘naughty botty’ gang, ready for a musical feast which also featured Lindisfarne, Elkie Brooks, Santana and The Beach Boys. It was a fabulous day compered by Richard Digence and the bands were exceptional. After the festival, one song in particular stuck in the Doctor’s mental jukebox – Flatfoot Sam by The Blues Band. It was his favourite track on their Bootleg LP and just as good performed live.

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