Rock Harp
Dave, okay I know the name of this site is Bluesharmonica.com, and I'm enjoying learning blues harmonica technique, but I'm still finding myself drawn toward the scary younger sister of Blues - Rock.
The music structure is basically the same, but the phrasing is very different - and much more varied - than Blues. While most rock harp playing I've heard certainly has it's roots in Blues method, it's not quite the same.
I never really paid much attention to harp players in rock bands in the past, so I'm a little foggy on who they were. I'm wondering if you can point me in the right direction.
We've had several threads on Blues harp musicians to listen to. For someone who eventually wants to take his harp playing in another direction, which artists would you recommend he listen to? Outside of some J. Geils, Steven Tyler, Jason Ricci, and John Popper, who should I study and learn technique from?
Robert Plant play some cool harp on a few of their numbers. It's generally heavy stuff but the harp sounds great and is not too technical to pick up if you like it. Check out You Shook Me (Led Zepellin 2) and When The Levee Breaks (Led Zepellin 4), covers of Willie Dixon and Memphis Minnie respectively. Also, on Led Zepellin 4 is a cover of Sonny Boy Williamson II's Bring It On Home which starts as a slow 12 bar blues and develops into a typical Zep rock stomp. Plant's harp is straight ahead blues in style, as is much of the Zep sound really, just rocked up and heavied to the max!
A correction! Bring It On Home is on Led Zepellin 2, not 4.
Whilst I remember, there are a few more Zep tracks with Plant on harp- Nobody's Fault But Mine (Presence album, a Blind Willie Johnson cover), Custard Pie (Physical Graffiti album), Black Country Woman (Physical Graffiti album) and probably more that I can't remember right now.
Forgot just how good these tracks were, hope you like it!
How could I forget Huey?!? I remember hearing a story how he learned harmonica on his own while he hitchhiked across the country on his way to California. He said while he sat along the side of the road waiting to be picked up, he whiled the time away practicing. I wish I'd have thought of that back in the early '80s when I hitchhiked across Europe. It would have been a better use of my time than counting how many orange stones I could find in the pavement.
And Led Zepellin?
I'm going to have to dig up my vinyl. I don't remember harp on those albums (of course I was stoned out of my gourd most of the time I listened to them, so it doesn't surprise me).
Dave, I'm hoping to get a signed copy of that book someday...
Hello.
Bumping an old thread I know. I wanted to ask you David if your book has been published ? And my general question is will you teach rock phrasing and techniques ever?
I know that this is an old thread but I thought if was worth posting a clip of the late Jack Bruce of Cream playing train time. I remember buying the album "Wheels of Fire" when it was first released in 1968 and this is one of the tunes that got me interested in the sound of the harp. Enjoy.
Hello Meghdad. Yes, the book is in print. Here is one place you can get it...
http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/rock-harmonica-digital-sheet-music/1...
(via search for Rock Harmonica at sheetmusicplus.com)
Rock harmonica is blues harmonica on steroids. Everything you learn on this site will take care of you. Focus on really getting to know your blues scale, movement exercises, and music theory (rock uses different chord changes, so your theory knowledge is paramount)
Check out: John Mayall (Bluesbreakers), Paul Butterfield, Magic Dick (Jay Geils Band), Kim Wilson (Thunderbirds) Huey Lewis, Norton Buffalo (Steve Miller), and most recently Jason Ricci. Funny you should bring this up... it's the book I'm working on right now ;-)