Charleston Accompaniment
In I Want You With Me V1 the accompaniment pattern tends to use lower notes during the guitar solos and an octave variation when there's vocals. The difference is mostly on the IV and V chords. Was this purely musical choice or was there another reason? I'm asking because in Accompaniment Study 4 I'm freely using both Ex 1.1 and Ex 1.2 when there's a guitar solo in I Want You With Me but wondering if perhaps one octave range might be the better choice or if it's just whatever I feel like playing? Thanks!
I think I get the concept of generally playing accompaniment at a lower pitch, lower volume and less busy. But I'm a bit confused by Ex. 2.3, 2.4, and 3.1 in LOA 4. They're all easy enough to play but their use is what's confusing me. If I follow the general concept these examples seem to at least bend the rules. Are they presented in LOA 4 as rule benders, as they do spend some time over the vocals, that can from time to time work especially for the more experienced player?
Okay, I think I know what you're asking. In Bar 9 (V Chord) it goes 1 4 4+, which is root, root, flat-7th... all chord tones, and on the lower end of the harp. The Shakes on the IV Chord are leading to the resolution of the I Chord in Bar 11. The V-IV-I is generally known as a more active area in the 12 Bar Blues and is acceptable to play a tad louder and more active. I mentioned this in Acc Study 2, that the V Chord is generally more active, so that would be a good reference point. With this said... when in doubt, layout.
I think I'm probably most concerned that we're playing over the vocals. This is something I consciously try not to do but of course I know great players do it all the time. The skill required is usually beyond me. These examples break the rule of not playing over the vocals but do it in a very limited way so at low volume would probably not get me too many disapproving looks. I get that my question was a bit vague, and that's probably because I had more of a nagging feeling than a specific question. If I could reformulate it I'd ask did you give us more than one way to accompany even though at times the method is a bit busy and not always recommended?
Morning SmokeJS. It's always a wise idea to be cautious in regards to playing under vocals, so you're in the right mindset. Here are some general guidelines. Remember... no rule book exists, but here is what I have personally observed in my studies...
1) Playing Chord Tones is best
2) Repetition is better than activity
3) Sequencing from the V Chord (Bar 9) to the IV Chord (Bar 10) can be a good idea (thematic). The IV Chord is generally used as a transition back to the I Chord (Bar 11), so don't over-analyze Bar 10, you won't always be able to nail it down as being a "IV Chord."
4) The V-VI-I area is traditionally a more active area of accompaniment (and soloing), so as long as you're leaning towards more chord tones, you're generally safe.
5) Copy the licks I present to you in each example and study, they will give you a references points (and licks to play NOW)
6) Study what other harp players have done here, they will give you more reference points (and more licks to play)
7) Finally... do your thing. If the vocalist doesn't look back in disgust, then you're good ;-)
Good question. Both work, it was mostly about changing it up. Generally speaking you want to play low on the harmonica for accompaniment. Be extra-careful about playing under a soloist, it's easy to get in their way, so lean on the side of playing more quiet and repetitive.