Hi gang. I’m new and a guitar player wanting to expand into harmonica. I could use some help. I have this song that I need to learn the harmonica for. The song is in G minor. Could someone listen to the song in the link and shed some light on what kind of harp I would need? Is it diatonic or chromatic and what key of harp is being used? The harmonica starts at 0.44 in the video. I much appreciate any advice the seasoned players can offer. Thank you for any help! (26) ÉMILE PROULX-CLOUTIER - Race de monde - YouTube
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@Bob_Brault Bob, just had a listen, difficult to separate the sounds but I suspect it’s a diatonic harmonica in which case as I’m a chromatic player I’m not the best person to answer but if nothing better comes up you could try using a C harp 2nd position with a half step bend on draw 3 to get the minor note. A chromatic could do it using the Gm Pentatonic scale (G Bb C D F G), depends on if you have diatonic or chromatic harmonicas. Some of the diatonic gurus will hopefully chip in. Jay 1
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I’ll give it a listen when I’ve got time. Really busy atm. Scrooge had a point about Christmas. My wife and I don’t share Christmas in the traditional Christian sense but Yule is still very important to us. And an absolute nightmare.
Well, this is proof that Rap is terrible in any language. The harp is diatonic and pretty standard stuff, although it does sound he’s tongue blocking bending on the usual bends, I’ll give it a thorough listen when the missus isn’t around because she said it was giving her a headache
Thanks for the input…yea, rap in any language is not my cup of tea. My apologies to your wife…I understand completely! I need to play the harp for a choir covering this “song”. Since I am a novice, this will help immensely. Thanks.
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Thanks for your answer. I have both a C diatonic and a C chromatic. I would prefer to use the diatonic…so I’ll start working that. Thanks again.
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What I have noticed on the recording is the harp goes flat in places, I don’t know if this is deliberate ( perhaps using another harp, in a higher or even lower key) or that it’s played on a harp that has seen better days, it’s a device I’ve heard used by Tom Waits and other avant garde players. But if you want to play it straight I’d recommend attempting the train first and the following it up with a shuffle, then for this song in particular identifying the pattern and just breaking it up adding in a bent wah on third, hole but literally because the song if off kilter you can literally get away with playing wherever just listening to where the harp come in and goes out. I would just have fun with it.
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@Andy2 @Bob_Brault Like you Andy I think it’s a diatonic and noticed the flat, could it be an F harp in 3rd slant position Dorian or even a Bb in 4th position? I just played over it using Gm Pentatonic on a C chrom the scale is G +3 /Bb <-3/ C +4/ D -5/ F -6/ G+7 with < meaning slide in and it works ok. Why don’t all You Tube players tell what instrument and key they are playing some do, others don’t? Sympathise with your wife Andy, my playpens (den; office; music room etc.) are away from the house but can’t say I’d want to play it too many times. Jay1
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Or it could be a knackered harp on its way out lol! There’s definitely a few flat notes, as I say can’t really tell if it’s deliberate or not? A lot of artists such as I mentioned Tom Waits and Nick Cave use these devices a lot and in the right place they can be effective. I don’t think I could actually deliberately play flat, no more than I could deliberately fall off a bike. I’m not that sort of player I would struggle to do that it would sound too forced and unnatural if I attempted it. So I wouldn’t even attempt to tell someone how to do it. Blues is pretty much my yard and tend to stay there unless I’m doing something for fun at home.
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Well we’ve given @Bob_Brault Bob something to work on, I’m scheduled for a case I’ve already done the research on so all’s good in my world Jay1
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Thanks everyone. All good points. I hear 2 harps at the same time at different points in this tune. Possibly 1 is diatonic and the other chromatic? Anyways, I’ll just screw around with it. I’m already annoyed from listening to it over and over.
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Hey @Bob_Brault I’d recommend grabbing a G Natural Minor harmonica like this:
It’s gonna be A LOT easier to play on this tune. Just focus on draw notes between how -1 and -5 and you’ll be able to do some cool stuff.
Hope that helps!
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Thanks Luke,
This seems to be the solution. With a C harp, I just can’t get the same sounds. I am trying to find one in stock…a city of 4 million people and not one Natural G Minor harmonica in stock at any of the local stores. And online, delivery is going to be too late . Oh well,
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The sound as well all depends on how it miked up too and what set up he’s using. And even then as most harp players will tell you, you can have all the gear of Mr so and so, but your never gonna sound like that’s because we are all different different shaped tongues, different sized mouths, some have teeth some don’t, some have big hands some have little it’s no different to Singing in that respect. I’d love to play like my heroes but I know I’ll never sound like em, I might get close but never the same. So I pinch the bits I like that I can play and amalgamate them into my style. And this create something new and hopefully different
Oh, I totally get what you’re saying. How we perform on our instrument is very personal. Thanks for the input!
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Hey @Bob_Brault if there’s no option to overnight it, you can just call Rockin’ Ron - I’m sure he can overnight one to ya!