So my friend and I are going to play this acoustic version of “Here I Go again” by white snake performed by Bernie Marsden and Paul Jones on harmonica. I’ll link the vid at the bottom.
At approx the 1:40 time stamp of the video Paul plays a very simple, but very powerful riff that I feel is paramount to performing this. From what I understand he is playing a C harmonica in the second position. I have tried playing that riff and I can’t get the third note on my C harp! (Marine Band Special 20)
I can get it in the 1st position in a G harmonica though. Who wants to play 2 harps at the same time? Not me.
I tried gapping the reads on the 3rd hole of my special 20 because the draw bend was far from perfect. No dice. I can never get over blow on the 3rd not of this harmonica even after extensive tuning and gapping. I know that more than likely it’s the craftsman and not the tool. If anyone of you fine folks can help me figure out how to play that riff please let me know how to do it. Bernie Mardsen (Whitesnake) Here I Go Again [Acoustic]
at 1.40 all I can hear is +4 -3 +3
On my C harp no bends?
Not sure if the time stamp is correct. Can you include a recording of you playing it where you think it sounds wrong.
Hope someone more experienced can help you. Are you an experienced player?
Toog
So you can use a G harp in 1st position - probably easiest - or a C harp in 2nd position.
Can you bend in tune? Like can you make each bend a distinctive note?
Practice will help a lot here. I did not play, or even listen to blues before I learned harp. It took some time to get - I recommend the same to you. Key at it and you’ll get the hang of it.
As a tip - I personally find it easiest to work out a tune between holes 4 to 7. When you blow or draw here, you have all the notes of the major scale.
Being that the song is in G, try this on your G harp. Once you get it in the mid range, it is much easier to move it to the lower octave.
I know! I can’t place it it’s just missing something. I’m experienced but not an expert. I’ve been playing for 15 years and played paying gigs in a blues band in my late teens and early 20s. But that was more of a “I’m the only guys that knows how” situation. I’m by no means talented.
I hadn’t played much since getting married and working 2 jobs but decided to start playing 15 mins a day. I’m slowly getting my edge back and hope in a year I’ll be better than I ever have been.
I know it’s not hard. I can’t decide what is getting me. I play that riff perfectly on my G but it’s like I can’t find the note on my C. Annoying to say the least. Makes me feel like I’ve never played before. That’s a nice feeling after 15 years. We all need humbling I guess.
while I can’t attest to the notes/keys since I lack the skills for that, he plays the sequence twice and in the second part he plays the first note 2 times, so it’d be something like:
+4 -3 +3…
+4+4 -3 +3
Also he uses articulation (try experimenting saying sounds like tu tu / ku ku/ etc as you play the notes) and also he extends the notes so they “linger”
Also, I must point out that the dude looks like the “real-life” version of Kyle Guss from “Tenacious D and the pick of destiny” the resemblance is just uncanny
