Harmonica?

Last Saturday (our 1st spring like day), I took the guitar out to the porch to play (it's a 3 season porch and it was well over 70 degrees). Lynn joined me and at some point brought out the 4-string tenor banjo which she'd tuned to g and we played through I Gotta Bulldog, which is a new old-time song I've been working on. The original has guitar, fiddle and banjo, so I thought I'd do a little experimenting of my own: I got out my G harmonica and placed it in the harmonica rack. Truth be told, we didn't sound too hot, but it got me to thinking about whether I should invest some time in harmonica. The harmonica was my first folk instrument and I was got reasonably
good at it. However, I never did really integrate it with my guitar playing, although I've have two harmonica racks and currently have decent harmonicas in 5 keys. I of course associate this with Bob Dylan (who emulated Woodie Guthrie), but I never opted to emulate that style.

As I've started to listen to more 78 recordings (on CD), I hear quite a few old-time songs with harmonica. Often they are used to play fiddle tunes, with or without a fiddle present. If Lynn continues her quest of playing banjo (we still need to get a 5-string), I might work up some tunes on harmonica. This would theoretically allow us to do actual string band music with guitar, banjo and harmonica.

We're going to the Bluff Country Gathering this year in Lanesboro, Mn. Here's the blurb about one of the instructors:




Dave Rice With the old 78 rpm recordings of DeFord Bailey, Dr. Humphrey Bate and others as models, Dave has helped revive the lost art of old-time harmonica, once an integral part of the string band sound. He currently performs solo and with the Hoover Uprights, an award winning stringband. Dave has over ten years experience teaching harmonica. Please bring a C harp to class !




I'm planning to attend his workshops so we'll see how it pans out. Of course the real issue is finding time to get another instrument up to a good performing level. I have enough trouble keeping my guitar and mandolin chops up!

Stay tuned!