[Harp-L] Question re: blue notes and micro-tonality



Jon:
Certainly, blue notes are ranges of pitches. Whether, when and how much or little the blue note in question is flatted, if and when the bend is released and in what direction the bend goes and to what extent is so essential to the aesthetic of blues and a so much a part of each player's individual style. But there are serious blues players (guitarists as well as harmonica players) who place importance upon playing the blue (quarter tone flat) third. Musicians who use it claim that this note really "sings." Rick Estrin talked about it in a television interview, and mentioned that he got it from Little Walter recordings, Clearly, it is a non- Western (African or African-American) tonality.
I have played with an older black keyboard player who was originally from the deep south (U.S.) who would the play third of a major chord by first hitting the minor third and then very very quickly sliding off that key to the major third, which seems to approximate a blue third.
There is a post somewhere in the harp-L archives where the author said something to the effect that you can tell an amateur blues harmonica player if he plays the third a quarter tone flat on the I chord but does not play the same note a full half step flat when the same note is played as a 7 on the IV chord. I'm not saying I necessarily agree with this, but it gave me the idea that some people on this list may know a great deal more about this whole blue note thing than I do.
I've played enough blues to understand what Steve Baker was talking about in the post he was kind enough to share and i certainly agree with everything he said. I'm not always careful about playing a precise blue third BUT I consider it generally important not to bend the draw 3 too far down on the I chord when playing blues material in second position. That's not really a theoretical point--it just sounds better.
But, yes the blue notes are certainly ranges of pitches. I'm curious if there was a tradition of playing these pitches in a certain manner in relation to particular other aspects of what was going on in the tune. I'm just curious about the origins and if there is some theoretical or stylistic aspect to this that is not shrouded in the mists of history. I'm not into playing "just like the record" but we can all a lot from listening to what great performers have recorded.
JP





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