Does anyone know any Harmonica Folk Song

Subject: Does anyone know any Harmonica Folk Song
From: folkfan73
Date: 19 Jun 04 - 08:52 PM

I got a harmonica for Christmas and I started to read the book that I got with it, along with the CD. I now learnt how to play the harmonica, but need practice playing the harmonica, as I will on w20 minutes a day that the book recommends. I learnt how to blow or suck on the holes, and figured out how to play 3 note chords.

My biggest challenge is the coordination of reading the music and knowing when to suck or blow on the hole that the book refers to in the song, and also knowing how long to suck or blow either one note or a 3 note chord.

Does anyone know any folk songs that I can play with the harmonica, even though the harmonica is commonly known as a blues instrument?

Subject: RE: Does anyone know any Harmonica Folk Song
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Jun 04 - 09:17 PM

http://www.irelandsmusic.com/mmc_music/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=114

"A Blow for Peace"
Great Celtic folk and Christian music featuring Harmonica.

Subject: RE: Does anyone know any Harmonica Folk Song
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 19 Jun 04 - 10:39 PM

You can also download a piece of software called HARPING - just use Google to find it. It has a number of popular songs included which you may enjoy playong. But best of all it allows to select MIDI files of your own choice.

If you have a folk song that you really like, just look it up here at Mudcat and download the MIDI file to your hard drive - and then play away to your hearts content.

Regards, John

PS You'll need a soundcard and speakers.

Subject: RE: Does anyone know any Harmonica Folk Song
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 20 Jun 04 - 02:10 AM

G'day folkfan73,

Harmonicas were quite commonly the first instrument for ordinary folk to play from childhood... from mid/late 19th century on. "Blues" is just a sideline, involving playing "cross-harp" (lots of draw notes dominaing) to get a Mixolydian mode (essentially the same as a "blues scale". Almost any old folk song in Western traditions plays happily on a simple 10-hole harmonica.

Modern / 20th / jazz / &c may require extra accidentals / semitones and might need a chromatic mouthorgan (think of Larry Adler, &c) but you can spend the rest of your life happily playing good folk music on a simple 10-hole harmonica.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Does anyone know any Harmonica Folk Song
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 20 Jun 04 - 02:59 AM

Hi Bob and ff73,

Maybe I was a bit cryptic about the Harping program. There are some great features about this utility:

- It's downloadable for free and doesn't seem to have any time restrictions. I don't feel guikty 'cos I don't use it as an ongoing product.

- You can import any MIDI file, including those with multi tracks.

- You can vary the speed of playback over a large range.

- As I recall, it allows you to select the key of the harmonica that you are playing.

- It gives you a choice to display either the suck/blow hole number or the actual musical note that's being played.

- It doesn't presume any previous musical experience.

- The download site contains really good tips on playing, instrument care and good reference tables.

The site is harpingmidi.com

Regards, John

PS Bob, do have photos from David Moloney's wedding at the National in 03?

Subject: RE: Does anyone know any Harmonica Folk Song
From: Ernest
Date: 20 Jun 04 - 04:51 AM

Just make a google search for "harmonica tabs" and you will find lots of stuff. Or get any notation you like (lots in the "didital tradition mirror" in the "links" section, at the end of subsection "general Folk") and make your own tablature by writing numbers and blow/suck symbols underneath.
I felt "Leaving of Liverpool", "Dannyboy" "Hard times come again no more" beautiful and easy
Yours
Ernest

Subject: RE: Does anyone know any Harmonica Folk Song
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 20 Jun 04 - 09:18 AM

G'day again John (in Brisbane),

Yes - I must have a look at the site ... I can always use tips on starting people ... though I don't have any (would be) harmonica players in my current Workshop crowd. I was making the point that almost any of the "good old songs" we love, both "folk" and "popular" will happily on a simple harmonica ... and not to pigeonhole it into some minor, regional, style (eg American blues).

I do have the wedding photos in my ZNational Folk Festival 2003 coverage ... I can't see your e-mail address in my current address book - if you PM me your address, I can send some e-mail sized images.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Does anyone know any Harmonica Folk Song
From:
Date: 20 Jun 04 - 12:05 PM

To make things easier:

Harping MIDI Web-Site
Harping Downloads

Subject: RE: Does anyone know any Harmonica Folk Song
From: Pete_Standing
Date: 21 Jun 04 - 04:59 AM

A friend lent me one to take on a canoe/camping expedition. The sucking/drawing principle making a different note is similar to the melodeon and anglo concertina. I found playing jigs, reels and morris tunes not too challenging even though I'm a string player. The instrument was very popular with sailors because of its size and inevitably got used for shanties (alongside concertinas, fiddles, bones and the like). So my conclusion is, the harmonica is ideal for folk song and tunes and one tuned for D/G would work well in sessions. Don't get pinned down by trying to find stuff that has been covered by harmonicas, just experiment and get happy!

Subject: RE: Does anyone know any Harmonica Folk Song
From: pavane
Date: 21 Jun 04 - 06:33 AM

My program HARMONY does tab for anglo concertina & melodeon, and can also be used for harmonica - you just have to make a suitable instrument definition file.

The main restriction of the 10 hole model is the missing note
(Below the tonic) which is left out in order to get a chord on the 'draw' as they call it. This makes it awkward for many tunes whose 'note row' runs from a 4th below the tonic, unless you are VERY good at bending the 7th down a tone.

Subject: RE: Does anyone know any Harmonica Folk Song
From:
Date: 21 Jun 04 - 02:05 PM

Among the other links they have there is

Blues Harmonica Lessons

Subject: RE: Does anyone know any Harmonica Folk Song
From: GUEST
Date: 16 May 06 - 08:07 AM

Would a 24 hole (diatonic/tremolo) harmonica not be better than a 10 hole one as there is a wider range of notes (I use inexpensive ones in the keys of C, D and A)? I would love to get one of these in the key of G (using the same tuning mechanism, which I think may be known as Eastern or Asian tuning) or other keys as well but these either seem to be very expensive or not available in the UK. Or else you contact shops etc which sell harmonicas but they never seem to get back to you, even via E-mail.

Subject: RE: Does anyone know any Harmonica Folk Song
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 16 May 06 - 09:36 PM

G'day GUEST (16 May 06 - 8.07 AM)),

If you are wanting to play the melody ... and not particularly bothered by the chords ... then a tuning scheme that gives you the relative minor note (say: A below the C of a C mouth organ) would serve well. In the case of Chinese-made ("Hero" / "Tower" / whatever) tremolo mouth organs (which, being fully "gridded", have 48 "holes") this is how they are tunes ... where there is a repeated G on the draw in a basic vamper (such as a "Blues Harp" or Hohner "Special 20") there is an A on the Chinese models ... to allow a straight run down to the dominant G.

This reflects the greater concern with melody (and less concern with 'Western' harmonies) in Chinese tradition. Unfortunately, the Chinese also seem to do a lot of playing in C ... or else that's where they start off for teaching children - and I can't remember seeing their "48-hole" models in any other key! (The Chinese models seem to be made in an "inherited" Hohner plant, left in China after WW II ... and Hohner also listed the same '48-hole' models - as their "Asian" tunings - in my first (1957 ...?) Hohner catalogue.

I guess that someone determined to have that low 'minor' note (at the expense of 'built-in chords' could have some clever tuner person tune the offending G up one tone to A on small 'vamper' models ... but most people don't know anyone qualified / game to do that! I do know a few ... around the outskirts of Sydney, (NSW, Australia) ... but I live with the existing tuning ... and use the chords ... and (usually) can play in the upper octave when the melody needs that low 'minor' note (but then, I also play button accordion (2-row G/C and D/G as well as 3-row A/D/G and D/G/C) and Anglo-German concertina (G/C and D/G)

Regards,

Bob