I down loaded his greatest hits songs and he can play anything well. He uses a diatonic and I have decided a good Crossover sounds as good any any harp. I have a Game Changer but the notes are not the quality a Crossover plays. I wish I could get I Am So Lonely I Could Cry by Hank Williams Sr. C M plays it and it fits the harp very well. Just got Tennessee Waltz rhythm down and did so after hearing C M play it. I think the title of the album Is Country Classics.
I’ve got the Good Time Charlie album, I like it. I also have Buddy Greene’s Happy Man album, another good one. Buddy is amazing as is Charlie. Love listening to both of them. I really like CM’s version of Shenandoah, beautiful melody on the harp. That is the one I am working on currently.
Were you at the Kerrville Folk Fest when Buddy Greene was there as an instructor. I was as I about to my first year playing a harp. First day I was the first player to hit a *3 *3 *3/ in G. I had no idea what he was asking me to do. I felt about forty eyes watching to see what the guy with two harps in a small cardboard box could do. I had a G and hit my first bend a week before. I tried and everyone was kind to the newest player in town. I got my first harp lesson from him. He is a good ole boy from Georgia. Very nice and pleasant. He told me about the tunes in Carnegie Hall. he really was called out and to watch the crowd not expecting it. Made him a small Texas out of flint and gave it to him for his patience.
One of the reasons I really like the harp because no-one cares about skill level, how you made a living or what you drive. It was fun even though it hit 102 the last day. April!
P S
Any suggestions on I Am So Lonesome I could Cry Hank Sr.? The way Charlie McCoy plays it is great.
No, sadly I have never made it to the Kerrville festival. Great story about Buddy Greene. I would approach the I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry song just like the others. A small piece at a time, seems to be the best way. That is what I do. My problem is finding and taking time to practice. I have to juggle it with work. But, I do have two harmonicas sitting on my desk and I grab one when I have a break to fiddle with. I got my first bend on a G harp about a year ago, and have not been able to do it again. I need to take some time and just focus on that technique for a while.
I wish I had the tabs. knowing the song and lyrics is a big help for me. Any idea where I could find them?
A piece at a time yes. I get tunes right by learning the note layout and then focus on rhythm. This is one of the toughest parts for me. I was always playing too fast I learned Moon River after hearing it. A great fit for the harp and if it is to be played well I had to slow down and this type of song is what has helped me break a bad habit.
I am retired now and play as long as I want. I only wish my harp playing started when I was young. I live in the TX hill country and no harp players are around to my knowledge. I hope practicing things I do not know or able to play twice as long will result in my playing in a few years as if I started in my 30s. I really do not care as it is fun. Right now I am trying to learn the Orange Blossom Special but this one is proving to be a real challenge. I can play the single note portion but not fast enough. This is going to be the tune that tells me if I can ever really learn to play a harp.
That one won’t tell you if you can play the harp. That one will tell you if you are a speed expert at playing the harp. I listen to that one but haven’t tried to play it yet. I work on a lot of slow ballads to help slow me down, I also do some simple classical pieces. Just starting out for the third or so time, hoping to keep with it. I am also restoring some (68) older harmonicas (diatonic and chromatic) so I am getting good at tuning and making them look like new and play like new.
@scott4 Here is a beginner’s tab for the song.I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry
Here is another version with bends.
I’m pretty sure it’s Mr. Plant… I’ve seen him roar on a few harp solos… But, now I’m not sure. I have searched the internet and can’t find him actually playing that particular song…
After looking for a solo of him playing, I’ve found him playing the song with many guest soloists, but none with him on the harp, so I came up with a theory.
Maybe it’s really @WIllWilde who played the solo because he rips it here:
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I love that song and Will rocks it like no other ![]()
I like this version!
One of his best covers.
I’m sure you’re joking? I suspect he’d not have even been born when it was recorded? LOL! ![]()
PS. But if Robert Plant wished to rerecord then Will would be the guy to call for sure. ![]()
Yeah, just kidding, I’m sure you’re right on the age!
Fact is that the beginning of that song with the harmonica on the original track is incredible, and Will does an amazing interpretation of the song!!
Long live Rock and Roll!
@HarpinBobbyMcB Yes, the original is Mr. Plant himself, as well as “Bring It On Home”. Great playing!
Cool backwards reverb effect Jimmy Page engineered on the When the Levee Breaks solo!
Here’s a Terry McMillan performance I’ve always liked. This is him playing harmonica with Bobby Bare covering JJ Cale’s “Call Me the Breeze”. I always loved how bluesy Terry’s playing style was because, at least in my case, I could really hear what emotion the harmonica was feeling from how he played those licks. When he played the blues, I could hear the raw sadness within those licks as if the harp is crying. I’ve always said that Terry might not have been a technical acrobat or a traditional blues guy, but he was the best at playing whatever he wanted with a huge amount of soul.