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Shuffle King

Original Blues Harmonica Instrumental Songwriting Contest!
Sponsored by Hohner Harmonicas, MegaTone Amps, Eminence Speakers and Fritz Hasenpusch Custom Mics

Congradulations to our winners: 1st Place “Shell’s Rhumba” by Jon Eaton, 2nd Place “Swingin’ In” by Anthony Cresci and 3rd Place “Slop Sauce” by Koen Jacobs. You can listen to the entries below. Special thanks to our judges Rick Estrin and Mark Hummel. If you would like to see the video announcement of the winners visit YouTube Winners Announcement


Past Song Writing Competitions

Lick Subway

Posted Fri, 07/01/2011 - 19:41 by marcos
marcos's picture

This is my first instrumental. It is played to the backing track from "Lick Train" by David Barrett. "A" harp (Special 20) in 2nd position. JT30 shell with a CM element, Kalamazoo Model 2 Amp.

Lots of fun to do!

Back To The Blues

Posted Fri, 07/01/2011 - 12:09 by harpman13
harpman13's picture

Ca va aller

Posted Fri, 07/01/2011 - 00:11 by mcpat76
mcpat76's picture

My submission is a swing called Ca va aller (it's gonna be all right) played in D in 3nd and 2nd position. I generated a jam track using Band-in-a-Box. This software was not always easy to manage. The tune is organized like this:
Head/ Break/ Head/ Solo x 4/ Bridge/ Head/ Break/ Solo x 3/ Bridge/ Head x2/ Ending
As everybody else I spent a lot of time working on my tune. I chose a swing at 180 bpm. It's been challenging to play at this speed. Aside from the speed, switching harmonica was also a concern.Unfortunately there are still some mistakes. continue reading...

Slop Sauce

Posted Thu, 06/30/2011 - 01:55 by K_O_E_N_J
K_O_E_N_J's picture

Here's my harmonica instrumental called "Slop Sauce"

1 year and 5 months ago I heard Gary Smith for the first time. the same day I bought a harmonica and from that point there where just a few days I didn't play the harp.
I listened to the instrumentals from gary over and over before I came up with the head.
I wanted to get "Layback" sounding head with a bit of a "sloppy" feeling.
then I tried to build up the instrumental from low to high and at the 4th chorus from high to low, with a climax after a rhythm pattern. continue reading...

Chill 'em Shuffle

Posted Wed, 06/29/2011 - 20:48 by ErwinIost
ErwinIost's picture

Greetings from Chile!!
i tried to keep on classic shuffle for this song. Jano Letelier on guitar, who is a really good guitarplayer and singer, he is also an amazing songwriter. This song is in key of F and i played in second position using a BetaHarp in Bb, customized by Ben Bouman.

The name of the song is a trick of words, it sounds like Chilean. I hope you get Chill out with this song!!!!!

Jukin' Steady

Posted Wed, 06/29/2011 - 20:08 by walterjuke
walterjuke's picture

Well, here goes. The backing track is the 'Big Shuffle in E' from the Ultimate Blues Jam. The original jam track went on for almost 4 minutes. Nobody would want to listen to me for that long, so I spliced out a few choruses and made a new jam track. The harp track was recorded in one continuous take however, no overdubs or anything.

Steve continue reading...

Swingin' In

Posted Wed, 06/29/2011 - 07:08 by iantonionni
iantonionni's picture

Had to try an get an effort in!

Little Girl's Shuffle

Posted Tue, 06/28/2011 - 20:40 by Sunnyside Bob
Sunnyside Bob's picture

Enjoy!

Gator Stomp

Posted Tue, 06/28/2011 - 15:36 by panamaharp
panamaharp's picture

Gator Stomp is an instrumental I recorded with my old band Used Blues. Hohner Special 20 harp, key of “A” in third position. “Trimmed and Burnin’ Spoonful “amplifier (5 watts, 1- 10” speaker) and a bullet microphone with a Shure CR element.

Swingin' Into Position

Posted Tue, 06/28/2011 - 15:29 by robfraser
robfraser's picture

My entry is influenced by a fair mix of artists as I'm listening to loads of stuff at the moment. Quotes from all over really- eg Kim W, RJ Mischo, some V-IV-Is from Dave and who knows where else..?! Most notably though, LW's Juke riff in chorus 4 (yeah yeah, cliched I know but it fitted well with the breaks in that chorus...). I'm sure the head was my own idea but somebody let me know if I'm mistaken and it's just an unintentional subconscious pilfer! continue reading...

Shakey's Shuffle a Tribute to Big Walter

Posted Mon, 06/27/2011 - 13:33 by Jon M Harl
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Hey gang this is my tribute to Big Walter Horton, my favorite player. This original composition was an interesting journey. From about 2 dozen BW shuffles I selected my favorite licks and verses and assembled them into a song continue reading...

Bullet Blues

Posted Sun, 06/26/2011 - 01:12 by patricia mifsud
patricia mifsud's picture

I called my submission Bullet Blues because I got an early birthday present, my first mic, a green bullet just in time to record and upload my entry. So recording this was a bit of a learning experience too-getting used the the mic as at jams etc before I had only used vocal mics. Its a Bb harp & using David's jam track for the Split. I have loved working through the improvising & song writing lessons & still have a long way to going going through them all. Great to hear all the wonderful entries-congratulations everyone!! Patty

Going For It

Posted Fri, 06/24/2011 - 15:01 by hank stefaniak
hank stefaniak's picture

Like everyone else, I found it fascinating to realize how much time it took to 'think' through the different considerations. I won't talk about the time to write out the notation ;-( . Great exercise though and I feel it was more than worthwhile in terms of internalizing how to set up instrumentals both for listening interest and for playing at jams.

This a Joe Filisko backing track in F and I'm on a Bb Seydel customized by Jon Harl. Mic is an EV10 and is straight into my MAC with some tweaking in Garage Band. continue reading...

Electro voice

Posted Fri, 06/24/2011 - 06:42 by Wheel
Wheel's picture

Hello everybody! It's really interesting try to record something own, not Little Walter, Sonny Boy or any other great harpman, but your own. But I tried to be based on tradition in my playing.
I've called this tune "electrovoice"because my favourite mic is electrovice re10. :)
Backing track was made by my friend Sergei, thanks a lot for him.
Greetings from Ukraine to all of you :)

ICE HOUSE SHUFFLE

Posted Thu, 06/23/2011 - 17:35 by bob freeze
bob freeze's picture

This is a song played as a request for a shuffle from Dicky James. I (Bob Freeze) wrote the song and this recording is with the band Dicky James and the Blue Flames.