4811 Wadsworth

4811 Wadsworth is one of my favorite Rod Piazza songs. In fact, it's on my Up In The Chrome-shed woodshed list. It's sub-titled Blues for George. I recently saw a George Smith record label (vinyl, that is) with that address on it. Maybe it was George's address, or the address of the recording studio, or his Label, I'm not sure.

Anyway, I'm up in the woodshed learning this song, but there are a couple of parts that don't sound right on my Super 64. Most of it lays out OK, but I can't nail the part that starts about 3:10. Just the way he's moving into the notes, and then that little shake...

Then, it hits me. I pull a G 'tonic out of the case, and - eureka! - everything falls into place.

Rod (I mean "Mr. Piazza"), you tricky so-and-so...

The real tricky part, though, is not that he changes harmonicas (I'm learning that a lot of the Big Boys do that), it's that his TONE remains so similar throughout the piece that it's very hard to tell he's done it. You try that. It's a whole different level of technique that I'm just beginning to work on.

If you listen to Smith, Piazza and Clarke, you'll notice that most of the time they're playing 'Tonic they still sound like they're playing Chromatic. This is not just 3rd position - they even sound that way if they're playing 2nd or even 1st. It seems to me that it's a combination of things; their approach and their tone.

Approach: Finding arpeggios & licks that can be played in the same sequence both on Chrom (in 3rd) and Tonic (in 2nd and 3rd) is one aspect. Avoiding notes on Tonic that give your licks too much of a Chicago or Delta sound (as opposed to the West Coast sound) is another. Always playing with a Swing feel (as opposed to a Stomp or Boogie-woogie). I think it's fair to say that Clarke and Smith both play a 'tonic much more on the high-end than a Chicago-style player would. This is some of what facilitates the Chrom-like approach, 'cause the note layout of the high holes is similar to a solo-tuned chrom.

Tone: Modifying the cupping technique you use with a 'Tonic so it sounds like the more open cup that a Chrom requires. My current approach and tone on 'Tonic is significantly different than my Chromatic approach.

OK, back to the Woodshed...

Solo

Well, I did it - played a bare-nekkid solo set. Don't panic, I don't mean sans clothes, I mean sans any accompaniment at all. I know, all the guitar players and singer - songwriters are saying 'so what - I do that all the time'.

OK. But with nuttin' but a Harmonica and your boyish (or girlish) charm?

It was just an intimate little neighborhood open mic - a friendly little thang, but somehow it was a little scary. I don't have a problem with stage fright any more (not since high school), but I had serious second thoughts before I got to the mic. I played Canadian Sunset, Sugar Mama, Blue Monk, and on chrom, Summertime. It was all very well-received. I felt very encouraged after I got through it.

I highly recommend the experience.

Choppers

(This post was modified Dec 10, 2006 to reflect experience.)

I've been building 'chopper' mics this week; modified hand-held 'bullet' mics for my friend John.

I found a little-used type of mic (Shure 450) that has a much-desired element. Rather than take out the element and transplant it into an older bullet shell (fast becoming an expensive commodity themselves), I've built a few that utilize the mic shell the element is in. It has quite a different look than the old mics. I'd describe the traditional Blues Bullet (a JT30) as looking a bit like a '36 Chevy headlight. The 'choppers' I'm building look more like a '67 Polara. Anyway, John says he loves them (I like them, too), so the unconventional look doesn't have a negative effect on performance. The JT-30 types are on the left in the picture above; the Shure 450s are on the right (in the middle is my favorite mic, based on an old Shure DN50).

The other mic I'm working on is based on a vintage JT30 shell my friend Alan hooked me up with, and, just for fun, a Headphone Speaker as a mic element.
UPDATE: I tried the speaker/mic - it had a cool "AM Radio" sound, but was prone to feedback. I have swapped in a regular Dynamic element, and am working on "taming the beast" to hopefully use it on stage.

Why go to all this trouble? 'Bullet' mics with hot elements and a trick paint-job can cost over $300.00. The elements can cost between $50.00 - $100.00 if you don't know where to find them yourself. The vintage mics these are made from regularly sell for upwards of $100.00 online. The components that the mics are made of don't have to be so expensive - my 'choppers' cost less than $40.00 in materials plus a little labor; the experimental mic will cost a bit less when I'm done (of course I don't know yet how it will sound).

Practice, practice, practice

My friend Jp over at I can't get started is posting some great practice advice on his blog. It's inspired this post.

Here's what I try to do to fit (squeeze) in time for practice in a schedule that includes work & family (wife, 2 kids, in-laws, etc.) in generous quantities:

Rehearsal - 1x per week, 3 hours, with the band.
Freeplay practice - usually 1x per week, often on Saturday afternoons. This is often a 2-3 hour session. I know - folks say don't force yourself to practice long hours, but it's a joy to have the opportunity to play that much, and I feel it helps me to build my stamina for 4 sets. I usually spend some time practicing train chugs & whoops, some time on Jazz melodies, some time working on new keys for improvisation, and some time on new songs for the band. This session also includes most of my vocal practice.
Mornings - about 3x per week, 15-30 minutes, usually band songs, or other tunes I'm working up.
Lunch time, 1-2x per week, 1/2 hour, usually diatonic licks.
Afternoons, 1-2x per week, 30-45 minutes, diatonic/chrom licks.
Evenings, 1-2x per week, new songs for band & "other" projects.
Sundays (not every week consistently), listen to songs, play new songs, make performance notes, work out horn lines, lead lines, specific parts for the band, etc.

I've found I can't usually practice at home in the evenings, unless I 'hide' somewhere - too many distractions and homework to help on.

Gear Digression - I carry a cheap 14-hole chrom and a diatonic everywhere, even to work. I usually won't carry either my short set or a full set unless I'm performing. I find that I can easily transpose on diatonic, so 1 is enough for practice. The Chrom I carry is compact and substantial-feeling, the MP is 'OK', although a little leaky. It's OK for practice, but not performance, and it cost next to nothing, so I don't mind leaving it in the car. I'm still working on being able to transpose by ear on chrom (harder for me than diatonic).

If you add it up, you'll see I only manage to squeeze in as much as 13 hours a week of practice (not counting performances) - and that's on a good week! Occasionally, a week might include less than 6 hours of practice. Compare that to Bird, who was playing 12+ hours per day when he was coming up.

A Zen Master said: "Practice does not make perfect; Perfect practice makes perfect".

By the way, I don't play harmonica anymore while driving in my car; I find it too distracting; it affects the quality both of my driving and of my practice.

And on that note, one last thought:
The biggest difference between pros and everybody else is their attention to detail. Fine, granular, microscopic attention to content, nuance and execution is what it takes to reach the high level of play of a true professional, no matter what the discipline.