Tuesday, September 19, 2017

What Did You Miss This Week? (Week 500 #544)

Accompaniment Techniques!!!

Joe shared an Accompaniment Approaches handout last night he'll be working from again next week. It lists and explains techniques including the two he demo'd last night, organ sustaining and train whistle sustaining.

Organ sustaining is a long, 2-bar sustain with gently feathered edges and you're playing the three chords of the song as the band moves through the progressions. Don't be shy about using two harps to accomplish this!

Next up was the train whistle sustain, which you hear Little Walter doing a lot. This is a sustain that is all about bluesy dissonance, not matching chords to changes. Think splits and dirty notes with chordal effects like shakes, tongue shakes, rapid vamping, throat tremelo etc.

Work on these accompaniment techniques and be a valued part of the band!

Class Notes

  • Welcome back!


German Harmonicas And The Blues

German Harmonicas And The Blues – A Concert & Book Reading With Grammy Award Winner Peter Madcat Ruth And Author Herbert Quelle

Get your tickets now for Madcat Ruth at Dankhaus, October 6.

- Grant Kessler, B1 Blues Crew