Re: [Harp-L] Country tuning name change

[joe leone <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sep 3, 2010, at 5:03 PM, bbqbob917@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> Hi,
> Country tuning is a blast on jazz (Gene Ammons' "Red Top" fits in  
> perfectly), ballads, doowop and country. In fact, when I did some  
> gigs with this R&B/early R&R band, they had a doowop medley of The  
> Dell's "Oh What A Night," and the Moonglows' "Sincerely," and  
> country tuning was a blast, as what I could do is play some pretty  
> cool chords and double stops and play more harmonized parts like  
> the the other backing singers and you really can't do those double  
> stops that well with OB's..
>
> Before they started making CT as a regular production line, when it  
> was something you had to do the retuning yourself, this was always  
> known as the Major 7th tuning so now changing the name is kind of  
> ironic.
>
> Sincerely,
> Barbeque Bob Maglinte
> Boston, MA
> http://www.barbequebob.com
> CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte

Listen to the BBQ Robere. He's a long time pro and walks the walk.
>
Having played with a party/wedding band (the Cafe s), a lot of what  
we did was for dancing. School dances, adult dances. Most of the  
ballads from the 50s and early 60s could NOW be done with a diatonic.  
THAT's why I did it. Stuff like Shep & the Limelights. the Flamingos.  
Why even Sam & Dave, Gary Bonds. Palisades Park, This Can't be True  
Girl. You name it, most of it could be done whereas heretofore it  
either couldn't or you would have to switch too many harps for ONE  
note here and there. Sometimes that ONE note that you couldn't get is  
THE critical note of the tune. Without which the tune looses it's  
character.

American pop & country music tends to play the F as a sharp (using C  
as a basis here). In blues it is often played as a natural. Which  
actually sounds flat (or blue). AND with my tuning you can grab a  
mouthful of SUCK notes almost anywhere on the harp and get a chord or  
a reasonable facsimile of one. OR a harp shimmer effect. Since I am  
used to comping harmony BEHIND my own lead part (essentially playing  
2 parts), the tuning is perfect....for me. I don't riff. I like to do  
lead melodies and this tuning IS melodious. Try Crocodile Rock,  
including the back-up flourishes. See what I mean. Don't believe me.  
See for yourself.

smo-joe