Welcome to part two of our Baroque Blues Harp trilogy. The headline might look rather daunting, but don’t be put off. This is a piece we have all heard at one time or another and, once you’ve heard it again, I am sure it will bring a reassured smile to your face. Written in 1786, it is the final movement from the last of Mozart’s four horn concertos. The concertos were composed for his close friend Joseph Leutgeb a master horn player of the period. This finale is written in 6/8 time as a chasse or hunting tune. Consequently there is frequent use of triads in the melody to give a hunting horn flavour and triplet phrasing for a galop effect.
I declare it’s a pity, and God knows it’s a crying shame
Credit to a recent contribution on Harp-L for bringing this small, but important detail to our attention. It’s a recording of the wonderful Sonny Boy Williamson II, starting Nine Below Zero with his harp the wrong way round and on camera. As you might expect from such a pro, he casually shrugs the moment off without ceremony and gets straight on with the job. And hats off to the man. That same thing could represent an insurmountable embarrassment to lesser mortals.
It’s nine below zero, and the fool done put me down
But hey, we’ve all done it! Don’t believe anyone who says they haven’t. When I did it – twice in the same gig – one harp was also completely the wrong key when I turned it round. I will never forget the look of disdain from my bass player and the raised eyebrow from my guitarist. No doubt the drummer was wincing behind my back too. But the simple fact is you can’t make the same mistake on a guitar or drum kit – you’d notice very quickly if your axe was upside down or you’d forgotten to pick up your sticks.
Not quite as simple for the poor harp player. Especially when he has a couple of dozen harps to choose from (all of which look the same), he’s on a quick turn around between two numbers, there’s been a key change and he’s in desperate need of a physiological break. Cut the harpoon man some slack for heaven’s sake!
I give her all my money, all of my lovin’ and everything
So how can we introduce some damage limitation here? We all have our own systems, but here are a few pointers. Number one – when it happens (not if), don’t let it get to you. As you can see from Sonny Boy, you ain’t the first and you sure as hell won’t be the last. And trust me when I say that once you have done it, you’re natural propensity to repeat will be very much diminished. That’s science speak for once bitten. Meanwhile:
Assuming you’re a right hander, check the numbers are topside before you blow
Reapply the sticker from the harp case to the top cover plate
Dab some office white-out correction fluid to the top plate for visual reference
Organise your harps neatly in a case and re-stow them after each song
If it happens, it happens. We’ve all done it. There’s nothing you can do to rewind and erase the moment, so don’t try to cover it up like a Bobby Charlton comb-over. And don’t go getting all embarrassed either. Smile, turn the harp round and carry on. Tell the crowd you learned it from the great blues masters! At least you picked up the correct key. Didn’t you?
Otis, the Harp Surgery postman, stopped in this morning for a nice cup of tea and a sit down. He delivered a lovely letter from Mr Clive Langhorn who was the Harp Surgery’s very first student many years ago. Clive is now a great blues harp specialist who performs around the South of England. He writes..
I have recently fitted the thicker reed plates (normal .9mm / thicker 1.09mm) to a MS Blues Harp, and it sounds good. Can you tell me why anyone wouldn’t use them, and if different keys may be affected differently using the thicker plates. Best regards,
Clive
It’s wonderful to hear from you Clive. I trust you are still entertaining the masses with your masterful command of the blues. Your question is most welcome and I hope you won’t mind me publishing my analysis, both for your benefit and for the benefit of our reader. (more…)
If you’re visiting the Harp Surgery, chances are better than good that you’ve made that crucial transition from being a harmonica owner to a harmonica player.
You might have come to realise – however late in the game – that those reeds are supposed to be bent, and now you have to figure out how. Or maybe you’ve been bending for a while and can hit a Bb on or a C# on a C harp with perfect ease – but you still can’t make that sucker sing like a bluesbird. Or perhaps you’d like to explore new positions, trying to unlock the first-position treasures of Big Walter Horton or build up an arsenal of third-position riffs. Hell, maybe you just want to learn a fox chase.
Well, hello friends. My name’s Murray Elwood, and I’m one of you. Guys like the Good Doctor can say they’ve been there and done that; like you, I’m still there and I’m still trying to get it done. (more…)
If I leave my love behind, nobody’s fault but mine
And so to the wonderful world of heavy metal harmonica. Use of the humble harp in big time rock’n’roll should not really be a surprise. It’s no secret the likes of Led Zeppelin, Cream, Aerosmith, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and their peers drew inspiration directly from the great blues masters. So a splash of harp is quite fitting.
On this note Otis, the Harp Surgery’s postman, delivered this lovely letter this morning. It brought a big smile to the Good Doctor’s dear old pre-breakfast visage (him being a life long dirty Leeds fan).
I was wondering if you can answer my question?? What key harp is Robert Plant playing on the Led Zeppelin track ‘Nobody’s Fault but Mine’???? I’ve been learning the harmonica for a few months now and I find your website very inspiring!
Having visited the lights of Las Vegas on a few occasions, the Good Doctor had resigned himself to two sad facts of life. Firstly, gambling never pays unless you’re standing behind the table. Secondly, the jewel of the Nevada desert is not an oasis of live blues. Other than a couple of power harp sessions with excellent rockers Evenflow, his quest for genuine live music of any kind here had been like searching for salt in a sand dune.
Until this occasion people, when the Good Doctor was reminded of a third fact of life. When you go chasing mirages, what you’re looking for is often right at your feet. The Sand Dollar Blues Loungewas there all the time. The Good Doctor’s blues radar just hadn’t picked it up. Mondays at the Sand Dollar is open mic blues jam night. It doesn’t start till 10pm (that’s 6am back home), which is a hard gig even for the locals. But Las Vegas never sleeps, so no excuses. (more…)
Otis, the Harp Surgery postman, stopped in this morning for a 
If you’re visiting the Harp Surgery, chances are better than good that you’ve made that crucial transition from being a harmonica owner to a harmonica player.
And so to the wonderful world of heavy metal harmonica. Use of the humble harp in big time rock’n’roll should not really be a surprise. It’s no secret the likes of 
Athletes in a cave