Update on the B-Radical

Posted by Brad Harrison on Harp-L


Hello friends,
As we ramp up for production we are always looking for great talant! We at Harrison Harmonicas, Inc. would like to proudly announce the addition of Dave Payne to our team! We are very excited to have added Dave's talents and wealth of knowledge. Please help us to welcome Dave to Harrison Harmonicas, Inc.

As Michael Peloqin has relocated from CA., Dave and his family will be relocating as well, from WV. I would also like to publicly thank them both of their dedication and for uprooting their lives for Harrison Harmonicas and our wonderful instrument! It is a true testimonial of their love for the harmonica! Thank you both!

Dave will be working directly with me in the factory as we begin production of the B-radical. --Dave, get ready for some 15 hour work days!

As a reminder Michael is our Customer Service Managing Partner. As a bonus to HH, Michael and Jason Ricci will be teaming up to offer Masterclasses in the near future. These classes are going to be amazing. Michael and Jason are not just World Class players, they are both great teachers too! It is exciting to listen to them talk passionately about what and how they are planing to offer something different. I am looking forward to theses classes, and will be attending them myself for sure.

While I am here:

We have been assembling the first lot of B-radical harmonicas in the key of Bb. They will be shipped out early next week! I am extremely proud of the B-radical! I personally can't wait for our clients to get the chance to finally receive and play them. Thank you all for your tremendous support and patience with regards to our production delays. Get ready, they are coming!!!


Warmly,
   Brad Harrison
   Founder/President
   Harrison Harmonicas-"The only harmonica manufactured in the USA!"
   http://www.harrisonharmonicas.com/
   312-590-0527 Direct

Ronnie Shellist Workshp in Houston

Ronnie Shellsit will be hosting a workshop in Houston on February 27th, 2010.



It will cover the following topics:

Mixing techniques within your playing: In this portion of the workshop we'll go through a handful of specific riffs that have great examples of how you can mix various techniques to create a more well rounded solo.

Playing one position with different styles: In this section we will take 1st, 2nd and 3rd position and work on each one with various different grooves/styles of blues. This is especially important and interesting when it comes to 2nd & 3rd position. We are going to focus on approaches to playing those different styles for each position with examples of ideas/riffs for each of them.

Setting Amps for harmonica/getting good amplified tone: We'll go through the exact process that I would take to set up various amplifiers. This would be a perfect place/time to bring your amp out(if you have one) and I can help you produce the best tone for your mic/amp combo. Even if you don't have an amp you can learn how to set up amps that you use at jams or wherever. It's important knowledge for any harp player.
--

Ronnie Shellist
http://www.harmonica123.com/
http://www.ronnieshellist.com/

Now available for purchase, the best blues backing tracks in the world "The Ultimate Blues Jam Vol 1, Vol 2, and Harmonica Edition"
    Purchase and download all 3 CDs on sale right here: http://www.payloadz.com/go/sip?id=1178226

Newsletter Name Change

Friends, the newsletter is getting a complete new look, and with it, a new name. If you have any good idea, please e-mail me at HarmonicaNews@Gmail.com.

A.

What the what!?

Fun!

The Howard Levy Harmonica School

GRAMMY® AWARD WINNING HARMONICA VIRTUOSO HOWARD LEVY LAUNCHES THE FIRST ONLINE PERSONAL VIDEO EXCHANGE HARMONICA SCHOOL

Grammy® Award winner Howard Levy in conjunction with ArtistWorks Inc. (AWI), is excited to launch The Howard Levy Harmonica School (HLHS) ? the first ever online personal video exchange school that will teach students around the world to play harmonica, including the various genres of jazz, blues, folk, classical and world music. Partnered with online video technology experts AWI, Levy integrates years of experience as a player and educator with their innovative video exchange teaching technology. Students around the world can now study one on one with harmonica virtuoso Howard Levy. Up until now video education has been a very one-dimensional learning experience. With AWI's groundbreaking video platform, learning has now become a multi-dimensional experience that is more efficient, collaborative and fun. AWI's personal video exchange technology is revolutionizing the musical learning experience.

Howard Levy is the world's most advanced diatonic harmonica player and out of him flows radiant music. His entire life has been musical - since his early compositions and improvisations at age nine. He doesn't play just harp, he plays instruments from all the families and applies his masterful technique to each. His harmonica style is influenced by multiple cultures, as well as playing other musical instruments. Levy is widely known as a founding member of the Flecktones and has also performed and recorded with Kenny Loggins, Dolly Parton, Bobby McFerrin, Paul Simon, John Prine, and many others.

HLHS offers the most extensive, educational harmonica program available online. Levy's comprehensive interactive video curriculum is a self-paced program categorized by skill level (beginner harmonica to advanced), as well as by styles (jazz, blues, world music, classical and folk). Student members to the HLHS watch and study the harmonica video lessons at their appropriate skill level or style preference. Using a basic webcam, students record themselves practicing and submit their video online using the site's video exchange system. Once the student's video is uploaded, Levy reviews every video and responds directly to students with a personalized critique, either by video or written evaluation. The exchange between master harmonica teacher and student are subsequently published on the site for all students in the community to learn from.

The Howard Levy Harmonica School is built on the proprietary technology platform and video exchange system of ArtistWorks, Inc. Originally implemented at the Jimmy Bruno Guitar Institute, the AWI format allows virtuoso musicians to teach the world by presenting their full method or curriculum on video to subscribers of their sites. The artist offers instruction and guidance through personalized video exchange lessons online. The students and the artists use simple webcams to manage the video flow using the Video Management System created by ArtistWorks. This inventive use of video exchange for the instruction of musical instruments has been implemented at Qbert Skratch University, the Andreas Oberg Guitar Universe, Peery Piano Online, Tony Trischka School of Banjo and now, the Howard Levy Harmonica School. All online lessons are available for a $60.00 subscription fee for a three-month period.

http://www.howardharmonica.com/

http://www.artistworks.com/

Harmonica Reeds in Stroboscopy

Posted on YouTube by HarmonicaTool:



Harmonica reeds in stroboscopy: See how the reeds of a harmonica vibrate.


Basically there is a 'blow reed' that vibrates while blowing and a 'draw reed' vibrating whilst you draw. Advanced playing techniques -called 'bending' and 'overblowing' allow reeds to switch functions. When the harmonica player is 'bending the tone' both reed do vibrate at the same time. It is used to produce a lower voice and has some special sound characteristics that made the harmonica so usefull for the blues (it does not sound good here because I overdid it for demonstration purposes). In overblowing the harmonica player switches the reeds functions. She/he makes the draw reed vibrate whilst blowing. This produces a higher sound (here again, not beautifull to the ear but impressive to see).



Thanks to Prof. Dr. Neuschaefer-Rube from the Universitätsklinikum Aachen (RWTH Aachen University) for letting me use the stroboscope which is usually used to examine patient's vocal folds vibration.

Grapes of Wrath

Peter "Madcat" Ruth posted this on harp-l some time ago:

Here is a passage from the book THE GRAPES OF WRATH by John Steinbeck.

"A harmonica is easy to carry. Take it out of your hip pocket, knock it against your palm to shake out the dirt and pocket fuzz and bits of tobacco. Now it's ready. You can do anything with a harmonica: thin reedy single tone, or chords, or melody with rhythm chords. You can mold the music with curved hands, making it wail and cry like bagpipes, making it full and round like an organ, making it as sharp and bitter as the reed pipes of the hills. And you can play and put it back in your pocket. It's always with you, always in your pocket. And as you play, you learn new tricks, new ways to mold the tone with your hands, to pinch the tone with your lips, and no one teaches you. You feel around - sometimes alone in the shade at noon, sometimes in the tent after supper... Your foot taps gently on the ground. Your eyebrows rise and fall in rhythm. And if you lose it or break it, why, it's no great loss. You can buy another for a quarter.”

More Jam Tracks

---Ronnie Shellist has been promoting these a great deal. These are by Peter Schmidt. They sound great! Here is a review from Blues Harp Amps...http://bluesharpamps.blogspot.com/2009/12/review-ultimate-jam-tracks.html.

You can purchase these backing tracks (these are DOWNLOADS not physical cds) by clicking on the links below:

Ultimate Jam Tracks Package (vol. 1, vol. 2, harmonica edition): $25.99

Jam Tracks Vol 1: $9.99

Jam Tracks Vol 2: $9.99

Jam Tracks Harmonica Edition: $9.99

Samples of Ronnie playing to some of the tracks can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNchj3ETw1A

Jam Track by Jimi Lee

From Jimi Lee:

Hey Y’all,

---

Well I finally did it! I finished creating one of the most useful tools for Harmonica. For years I have felt there was a void in Backing Tracks for Blues Harp. Most of the tracks I’d heard were too busy like the maker intended them to be interesting to listen to, rather than sort of empty and in great need of a Harmonica or a lead instrument. Some of the better Tracks I’d heard had really good grooves but still had too many instruments and the piano or guitar were doing something I didn’t want to do with that particular groove. I wanted to grab just what the Bass and Drums were doing and get rid of all the rest and have the guitar lay down something basic and groove oriented. So that’s what I did. And then I took it a step further. I decided to use all different beats and record every cool common groove I had heard through years in all the cities and bars. I tried to include every important groove. Then I figured many players would be jamming along in their car so I put songs in the same key next to each other. So you can jam for half a CD without changing the harp. I did this on both discs.

----

These Harmonica backing Tracks come in a 2 CD Set and are designed to cover every Blues Groove a musician should know and learn. It is a great learning tool for all members of the band, drummers and bass players a like would benefit greatly by learning these particular grooves. They were created for harmonica but are perfect for playing lead blues licks and melodies with any instrument, whether it be harmonica, sax, piano, guitar or anything else playing blues music. They would be excellent for making recordings with and listening to one’s self. (*See below*©) It is important not to break up the set in order to get a complete picture of the Blues. The Titles were carefully chosen, and will help immensely to communicate with drummers and the rhythm section, at jam sessions or gigs, in order for them to understand what you are looking for in a particular groove or song. For example it will help a great deal to know what the difference is between a Jazz Swing and a Texas Shuffle, a Tramp Groove and a Backwards Linda Lou (slang terms used by blues players) and of course names for a bunch of other types of “feel” or groove. I can’t say enough about this project. This is a lifetime of living in different cities and working with countless different musicians and hearing the slang used to communicate feel and ideas without written music. These CD’s are like getting a degree “from the boulevard of the blues”. It will help make anyone “street smart” with the blues.

----

For a 2 CD set entitled “Every Groove a Bluesman Needs to Know”, just reply to this email and I will send a $39.99 PayPal request, shipping is included, US & Canada, ($5 more for out of country). There are 31 Tracks in all with all kinds of different Beats, Tempos and Grooves. Harmonica Keys A, C & D (2nd Position) will cover most of the Trax, but for the complete set one would need Keys A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F & G to play every Track in cross harp. I hope many to come will enjoy these carefully picked, fun and enthusiastic, Blues Grooves!

-----

Here’s what a few professional harmonica players I sent mp3 samples say. Brendan Powers says, “I'm a Believer! They sound great, natural and swinging :) I'd like to order. Those tracks make me want to pick up my harps and play :)”. Christelle Berthon says, “if the rest of the CD’s is the same as this track this product will be a success I'm sure. It goes beyond any other harmonica backing track I've ever heard”. Adam Gussow says, “I love those two jam tracks you sent me. Great stuff! The rhythms really percolate. Spiky and alive”.

-----

Please let me know if you notice any connection and experience you have after jamming through a whole CD?

I think something magical may happen, this was very important to me. I want it to feel kind of live and real.

You will notice the Trax are not touched up and perfect but left very loose, as they were. You might feel as if you are interacting with the players, this was my goal, along with real grooving and good ‘feel’.

Any reactions you have will be appreciated. Try it in your car too. I put several in a row in the same key. I hope this makes it convenient for the car jam.

Sincerely,

Jimi Lee

JimiLee@jimileeband.com

-----

(* ©These tracks are mixed and ready to record with. Just record your track, pan it to the left (*adjust balance) 46%, set your volume and you will have a great mix. (* 46% pan explained): If you play to these trax and record a harp track with GrooveTrax as your backing band, it will sound good to pan the harp track to the left 40-50%. The guitar is 46% to the right. Panning is the same as “balance” on a stereo. I ask that if you are going to make a CD for sale using these tracks, please pay the 3 musicians what’s called in the Union “another use”. This would be $300 each, a one time fee for all the tracks, (a great deal) or if you only want to use a few tracks $50 per track per musician, $150 ea. *)

Harps in Celtic Music

Posted by Shaun-Patrick O. Young:

Happy New Year!!!

I've started a new look to my website [ http://www.kelticdead.com ] to better support the use of the diatonic harmonicas for playing Celtic music.

Traditionally, any musical gathering [ called a "ceili" (Kay-lee)] to play music in the traditions of the Celtic cultures {Irish-Scots-Welch-Breton-Americana} is called a "sessiun" (session). These informal settings are usually led by someone who keeps to a theme for the music, and as result, there can be many different themes [pastoral, contradance{jigs and reels}, aires, and many others]. Pubs {not a bar, but a community place for families to meet, eat, and share good times} are typical meeting places for these sessiuns.

A new "pub" has opened up in the Collin County area (in Allen, Texas) that is going to continue this time-honored tradition for what a pub is all about. The Trinity Hall Irish Pub in Dallas has been supporting Irish "contradance" music for a number of years, and they want to extend these sessiuns into their new pub location.

I'm going to support these types of gatherings more with my KelticDead Music website by showing that many of these "traditional" tunes can be played using the diatonica harmonicas. I've learned that I can do this using many wonderful resources already found within the internet. As time goes on, I'm going to add to the list of tunes that I've listed, and also provide "ABC" text of the arrangements that I've created specifically for using diatonic harmonicas, as well as either PDF or Gif images of the sheetmusic arrangements.

Traditional Celtic music is for everyone to enjoy, and the standard, "out-of-the-box," diatonic harmonicas [C, D, A, and G] are capable of playing almost all of the Celtic tunes ever written [with only the occasional adaptation]. I've made it my mission to show how this is possible. It's a lot of fun for me, and I hope it helps others get into the same fun using harmonicas.

If you want to know more about these traditional "Irish Music Sessions" send me an email. With ABC notation and the internet, it's easy to share music and tips in playing traditional music with harmonicas.

Best regards,

Shaun-Patrick O. Young, KelticDead Music.

http://www.kelticdead.com

Hashbrown Robbed!

Attention all DFW musicians: Brian Calway, AKA Hashbrown, has had his gear stolen from his van. This is a message from him.

Friends,

I was the victim of theft of musical equipment taken from my van parked in my driveway(sometime after 1am this morning 12/30). Here is a list of equipment taken, any leads or help finding any or all equipment will be rewarded.

· 1 FENDER 1965 BLACKFACE DELUXE REISSUE(SN AC082182)

· 1 DESIGNED TO FIT COVER FOR REISSUE DELUXE

· 1 FENDER NOS TWEED LIMITED BLUES JUNIOR(SN D16831)

· 1 DESIGNED TO FIT COVER FOR BLUES JUNIOR

· 1 FENDER HOTROD DEVILLE AMP(SN B265801)

· 1 TUKI COVER FOR HOTROD DEVILLE

· 1 MACKIE 808M PA HEAD

· 1 MARS ROLLING PA CASE FOR MACKIE 808M

· 1 CARVIN MINI PA AMP AG100 D(SN OD14535)

· 1 SKB 1200 12 SPACE MICROPHONE CASE

· 3 SHURE SM 58 MICROPHONES W/CABLES

· PA CABLES

· 1 1982 TOKAI STRATOCASTER

· 1 LEATHER DOUBLE GUITAR GIGBAG(BROWN)

· 1 FENDER 'MISSISSIPPI SAXOPHONE' TWEED HARMONICA CASE

· 6 HOHNER SPECIAL 20 HARMINCAS KEY OF A

· 1 HOHNER MARINE BAND HARMONICA, KEY OF G CUSTOMIZED BY WORKING MAN HARPS

· 1 HOHNER SPECIAL 20 HARMONICA, KEY OF Ab

· 1 HOHNER SPECIAL 20 HARMONICA, KEY OF Bb

· 3 HOHNER SPECIAL 20 HARMONICAS, KEY OF C

· 1 HOHNER SPECIAL 20 HARMONICA, KEY OF Db

· 2 HOHNER SPECIAL 20 HARMONICAS, KEY OF D

· 1 HOHNER SPECIAL 20 HARMONICA KEY OF Eb

· 1 HOHNER MARINE BAND HARMONICA, KEY OF E

· 1 HOHNER MARINE BAND HARMONICA, KEY OF F

· 2 HOHNER SPECIAL 20 HARMONICAS, KEY OF LOW F

· 1 HOHNER SPECIAL 20 HARMONICA, KEY OF LOW D

· 1 HOHNER SPECIAL 20 HARMONICA, KEY OF LOW C

· 1 HOHNER SPECIAL 20 HARMONICA, KEY OF LOW E

· 2 HOHNER MARINE BAND 465 HARMONICAS, KEY OF C

· 1 HOHNER SUPER 64 CHROMATIC HARMONICA

· 1 HERING CHROMATIC HARMONICA

· 1 HOHNER 'SCHOOL BOY' HARMONICA, KEY OF C

· 1 ASTATIC JT-30 MICROPHONE(151) CUSTOMIZED BY MR. MICROPHONE(CHROME)

· 1 ROAD CASE BRIEFCASE(BLACK)

· FOLLOWING ITEMS INSIDE:

· 10 SETS GHS MED GAUGE BOOMER STRINGS

· 50 VARIOUS GHS BOOMER STRINGS

REWARD OFFERED

THANKS,

BRIAN 214-673-0309