The Wife and I went to York for a holiday while there we saw a band with a “harmonica player” who hadn’t got a clue, he was also playing on a rack ( the devils instrument of torture) we had to leave after two numbers, due the fact that all the guitar chords were strummed with no articulation between chords, one tonal singing ( it did however amuse my wife, she couldn’t believe someone paid for this) but horror of horrors the Harmonica was being played in completely wrong keys and he had a lot of harps too, I think he was just trying to learn on the job so to speak. Anyway we couldn’t bear to hear my beloved instrument tortured to the degree of inhumanity it was, so we left
3 Likes
So anyway, I had my first live gig in York this week…
7 Likes
Brilliant!!!
1 Like
Congrats Bro! That’s incredible, you should be proud! I hope you had fun. Keep Blowin’!
2 Likes
@Andy2 Andy are you sure it was bad playing? My wife is from Yorkshire . could it have been that the band was playing in Yorkshire dialect, totally incomprehensible without years of study and a Yorkshire/English dictionary 
I see from another post that you’ve gone for an East:Top Forerunner2 chromatic, what key did you go for? Jay1
2 Likes
Hi Jay, no we go to York a lot, we love and the people there too, my wife and I tend to fit in around there more so than we do at home, we’re very alternative people so we do get “looks” around here. Whenever we go to York people are ultra friendly and don’t even bat an eye brow. No the band were pretty awful, the bassist was off, the drummer looked fed up but the guitarist/singer/ harmonica player was very Amateur at best god knows how they got hired!? Yes! I bought the East Top 2.0 in a Key of A, the reason being I wanted to try it diatonically in a common blues key then as you said gradually add the slide. I’m getting there on the old C Chromonica I’ve got but it’s got a couple of dead reeds but I’ve been playing around those, once I get a fully working harp I’ll let you know about my progress.
1 Like
@Andy2 Hope I’m not teaching grandfather to suck eggs: Unfortunately most chromatic come with a chart for C so this may be useful:
Key of A Solo tuned chromatic,
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blow, Slide In | A# | D | F | A# | A# | D | F | A# | A# | D | F | A# |
| Blow, Slide Out | A | C# | E | A | A | C# | E | A | A | C# | E | A |
| Draw, Slide Out | B | D | F# | G# | B | D | F# | G# | B | D | F# | G# |
| Draw, Slide In | C | D# | G | A | C | D# | G | A | C | D# | G | B |
| .Jay1 |
2 Likes
Thanks Jay useful to know, the way I have been doing it is playing along with blues backing tracks on my old C harp and memorizing it. I’m not of an ear player, I have a terrible time with TAB but I can pretty much play most tunes if I hear em a couple of times. I’ve been doing this long before we had computers the net etc etc
2 Likes
Impressed when people can memorise music, I can hear a piece, get it into my head and play it then a different piece gets played and I’ve completely lost the first piece. Doesn’t happen with the day job, just with music it’s always been the same which is why I never do intros, almost guaranteed to be wrong. Jay1
LOL! I know. Some people don’t like Bob Dylan’s performances… LOL! (just kidding)
1 Like
Hi @Corky_Music, I’m one of them, the only Rack players I really like are Jimmy Reed, Doctor Ross, and Slim Harpo and a few other blues players as I said I believe the Rack is a device of the devil. Never really got the folky style playing. Much prefer the blues, rock, Bluegrass/country and a bit of Jazz
I guess I’m just way too old to have any sense. LOL! I actually love Dylan and love when he plays the rack. The rack is a different thing. A different sound a different way of playing. In my 80 years on the earth I eventually learned how beautiful playing music is and how important it is to encourage it on. So … are you ready for this? I love it all. :-). Thank you for playing music! - cousin corky
3 Likes
Love your stuff Corky always have you were a massive influence on me when I started out
1 Like
Wow Andy, You must be much much older than I thought. I hope I didn’t ruin your playing and that you got on the right track. . LOL! I just realized yesterday that the reason I kid all the time (all my life) is because we are being kidded all the time by the universe itself and I just want to get in the flow of how much of this life is about joy when it all comes down to it. And that’s what is special about playing music. If it isn’t about “joy” than what is it about? Certainly not struggle. - Cousin Corky
3 Likes
Hi @Corky_Music I’m 62, I’ve been playing for about 30 years and still learning. I saw you in a documentary movie about Chicago Blues, when I was invalided out of the forces due to wounds I received in action. I lost a lung and was offered a free instrument as Therapy after seeing you doing this thing called Billy Jean I was absolutely blown away I was getting into the Blues at this time. And yes it was because of that I chose harmonica. I’ve got a few of your albums on much valued vinyl it’s such a honor to be able to talk to you this way. Thank you so much for all you’ve given to the harp playing community
1 Like
Thanks so much Andy. I just want everyone to be happy. After all, we found the harmonica and we found music - OMG! We are also so fortunate that playing the instrument is an extreme help to all our over-all health - especially lung health. Not to mention the mental kind. And Luke is our guy! How fortunate! - Corky
2 Likes