brannon67 Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Really enjoy playing acoustic guitar and harmonica together. It took me 35 years of playing guitar to try it, and love it. Go figure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fumblefinger Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 I'm with ya! After all these years I've decided to tackle one of them there 'new' ones Neil Young's Heart of Gold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brannon67 Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 Ha, me also, Im learning that one, and Tom Petty's You Dont Know How It Feels, Springsteens Atlantic City, and Steve Earls Galway Girl. I doubt I will ever just wail on the harp, but I can learn a few parts to accompany my guitar playing and play the song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brannon67 Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 What brand or brands of harps do you use when you play? I use mostly Hohner Marine Band Crossovers, Special 20's and Lee Oskars, but mostly 20's and Crossovers in many keys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markus W. Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 I mostly use Hohner Blues Harps, Special 20's and for the B's I have a set Herring Retro Harps. I have some Lee Oskars but I dont like them in quality, playability and sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brannon67 Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 Yeah, The Lee's are ok, but I do prefer my 20's and Crossovers. I guess If I had to choose one harp, it would be the Crossover. I love that harp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 I mostly use Hohner Blues Harps, Special 20's and for the B's I have a set Herring Retro Harps. I have some Lee Oskars but I dont like them in quality, playability and sound. Â is that because they are especially good B harps ? can u explain that one ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brannon67 Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 Yes, the Crossovers are AWESOME! For anyone, for anything you play. Smooth, great playing and sounding harps in all keys. Ok, I dont work for Hohner, nor sell them, I just use them. No spam intended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 sorry brannon , i think you misunderstood , i was aiming the question more at markus who listed his harps but said that for B's he uses herring retro harps . was just wondering why herrings for B ? i have played marine band and hohner blues band harps a lot of years ago all since lost , but recently i bought one of those crappy little chinese made boxes of harps and a neck rack . have been fooling around and enjoying it , not sure about anyone unfortunate enough to hear me , its difficult to time breathing with stumming i find Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brannon67 Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 sorry brannon , i think you misunderstood , i was aiming the question more at markus who listed his harps but said that for B's he uses herring retro harps . was just wondering why herrings for B ? i have played marine band and hohner blues band harps a lot of years ago all since lost , but recently i bought one of those crappy little chinese made boxes of harps and a neck rack . have been fooling around and enjoying it , not sure about anyone unfortunate enough to hear me , its difficult to time breathing with stumming i find Oh Im sorry man, please forgive me for butting in. I was going to ask you about the cheap harp you have. Can you bend at all on it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 no need to apologise at all ! :-) you can bend on them ok , nowhere near as easy , but i just felt like addin a bit to some neil young stuff but rather than buying one harp and having to just practice songs in that particular key , i bought a whole box so i could amuse myself . they are a bit like playing an encore guitar . it can be done but it takes a lot more effort. no need to buy a j200 to learn chord shapes !! i'm a great believer in learning on sonething a bit crappy :-) like i said for getting used to blowing / strumming/picking / singing for a start... they will get me there i have always gigged with other people in little combos or a band but would love to be able to hold fort by myself , harmonicas would be useful thing. next stop , cymbals for my knees LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brannon67 Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 Well Im bending some now. Just learning how to. Still have a long ways to go. Its not that easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markus W. Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 is that because they are especially good B harps ? can u explain that one ? Sorry for the confusion. I mean i use the Herring Harps for all the Flats (Ab, Eb, Db) because i got them all in one nice box for a good price. And I like them a lot. Nice sound, good to play/ bend and they looks cool. Ok the smell and tase when new is hard, but after a while its gone...;-). The next harp i try is a Crossover...;-). I think, they're better as the Blues Harp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 My singer wants to learn the harp this year, would be great if he actually managed it as it would add a real nice texture to our sound. Â Plus Gibson + Harp ... like strawberries and cream ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 My singer wants to learn the harp this year, would be great if he actually managed it as it would add a real nice texture to our sound. Â Plus Gibson + Harp ... like strawberries and cream ! Â strawberries and cream , rock n roll man !! Â a harp would suit you two and the songs you play , or at least the ones you have posted on here which i assume is a representation . good stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpbiii Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 I've been playing harmonica since 10 (58 years) and guitar since maybe 15. In the long ago 60s, I played with the harmonicass around my neck, but as my harmonica style developed so that I work individual notes more extensively, I became less happy with what I could achieve with the harmonica around my neck. Years ago, my wife made me a contraption that sort of looked like an old style external brace for my teeth -- it worked fine for harmonica, but it was just too clumsy to be really effective.  Does anyone else have this problem?  I use Special 20s.  Here are a couple of examples of how I play now from a bluegrass jam show.  link  link  Gibson acoustic content: although the lead guitar that is being played on a '37 D-18, there is also a '35 Jumbo and a '43 J-45 on stage.  Let's pick,  -Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scratch47 Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Yeah, The Lee's are ok, but I do prefer my 20's and Crossovers. I guess If I had to choose one harp, it would be the Crossover. I love that harp. Â Been using Lee Oskars for the most part and a variety of Hohner harps. I have an 'E' Golden melody that I really like. Haven't tried the Crossovers, but I will after reading this thread... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hogeye Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Been using Lee Oskars for the most part and a variety of Hohner harps. I have an 'E' Golden melody that I really like. Haven't tried the Crossovers, but I will after reading this thread... I like the Golden Melody as well. It has the nice rounded corners and my moustache doesn't get caught. I have a chrometta 12 but have yet to master the sharps and flats thing. I played both Marine Band and Blues harp with a country rock band for several years. I wasn't any good but I could play keyboards and rhythm guitar as well as a little sax so I kept busy during a set. I travel a lot and spend many hours behind the wheel. I find It helps to stay awake if I play while driving. I even learned to bend with the harmonica in the neck rack. Â I like to play show tunes and play the melody on the harp and play the chords on the guitar. I find it best if I don't get to busy with the harmonica. I will say this. My J-45 really sings with a Blues harp. Very plesant combo. They have a very nice balance. I played classical guitar with a lady that played great flute and that combination was the best I ever heard. Just something magical about the tone of them together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brannon67 Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 I mainly use the harp to accent a song,cover or original, not as my main instrument. I doubt I could ever use the harp as my main instrument. Im not that good. Mayby in a few years I will say I can use it as a main instrument, mayby, I dont know, I doubt it, but not now.Im lucky to play it as good as I do now, using it the way I do. Ha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brannon67 Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 Yes, now that you mention it, my J45 really sings with my harp also. Love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissouriPicker Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Harps are a blast. If you haven't tried one yet, give it a shot. You'll love it. Don't let playing the single notes slow you down. Do it a few days and you'll be kicking-butt with it. Once you know where the chords are (and that is real easy), you find the single notes when you want them. The harmonica is the ultimate enhancement to a folksinger's music. People will tell you that they don't know how you can play both the guitar and harmonica at the same time. They'll think you're some kind of musical wizard or something. They won't realize that it's so easy that even I do it.... Go for it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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