Oh, Baby, I Got the Piedmont Blues

I've added another slice of exotica to my instrumental palette: the good old harmonica. I recently wrote a song that was begging for one, so I bought a Hohner Special 20 in the key of D, along with a cheap seven-piece Piedmont Blues set so I could experiment with different keys. For the curious, the set's keys are G, A, Bb, C, D, E and F. The Special 20 is a professional-grade instrument with a warm, reedy, classic sound and is truly a joy to play. The Piedmont Blues? Well, they're okay for goofing around or casual jam sessions, maybe, but I wouldn't record with them. When you blow you get too much air (some notes are especially wheezy) and the tuning is questionable in spots. That said, I'll use them for my live shows once I learn how to play guitar and harmonica together. If these things get battered and bruised, I can afford to replace them. By the way, you do gain a handsome case with the Piedmont set and from what I can gather, some enthusiasts buy the set for the case alone.

It's funny. I last tried a harmonica several years ago and was convinced I couldn't play it because I didn't know how to get single notes. All I could do was blurt out one monster chord on the exhale (blow) and another on the inhale (draw). The fact that I can't whistle at all led me to believe that I'd forever be harmonica-challenged. But with a little practice and a few online tips here I am, blowing and drawing one note at a time. I'm still very much a beginner who can't bend notes, but that's okay. I learned rather quickly that there are purveyors of blues harmonica—who are more than likely to call it a "harp"—and folk harmonica. Guess which camp I fall into? I lack the technique to play da blooze and fortunately, I also have zero interest in doing so. The vibe I'm after is more Bob Dylan-John Lennon-Neil Young, which was doable after a day of messing about.

In other news, I've begun to tackle the rather daunting fiddle part in my quasi-bluegrass number, "Year of No Tomorrow." Make that two parts, as I'm doing what a real player would call double stops (playing on two strings simultaneously) on separate tracks. Truth be told I still can't play the thing, at least not in a linear, real-time way. But I'm a world-beater if I go one or two notes at a time ... which is about all I'm able to do. Adding to my difficulty is the key of the song (Bb). No open strings here, kids. You can't really capo a violin—yes, I tried—and tuning it up a half-step you'd risk breaking a string or messing up the bridge. I didn't try slowing the whole song down a semitone and recording the part in A, as I was concerned I'd compromise the sonic integrity of the song and/or the fiddles once I sped it back up.

Ironically, I've just completed the high fiddle and it's pretty good, not at all scratchy. In fact, it's sounding a little too sweet for this setting and I might have to add some grit using EQ and other such trickery. But that's okay; if it were too scratchy, no processing known to humanity could make it sound sweeter. And in any event it sounds much better than the cheesy keyboard patch it's replacing.

Oh, and I'm still digging the Coltrane quote. You'll know what I mean when the song comes out—for now, just picture me sawing away at the opening bars of A Love Supreme in the midst of a knee-slappin' bluegrass tune. (Yes, really. Among other things this song features not one but two tracks of me slapping my knees. With reverb! Can't get more down-home than that, y'all.)

Papa Vern Screech

And his not-so-funky fiddle. (With apologies to the esteemed Papa John Creach, fiddler extraordinaire with Jefferson Airplane/Starship. We are not worthy!)

Truth be told, I'm doing reasonably well for someone who's had about an hour of practice, but it's still sounding rather screechy. To move things along, I've invested in a few beginner's aids—a shoulder rest, high-quality rosin and fingerboard tape so I can at least screech in tune. The tape is to novice violinists what training wheels are to the budding cyclist. Eventually, when my fingers know where they're going, it can come off.

In the meantime, I could use a refresher on Lesson 1: How to Hold the Violin & Bow. Yes, like most online lessons, this is geared to young pups with conservatory ambitions. But I've come to learn that fiddlers and violinists alike find proper technique indispensable. Holding the thing correctly is a good start, yes?

The good news: I'm blessed with a keen ear, so I'm (painfully) aware when my intonation is out or my bow technique poor. The bad news: progress will likely be slow because I have little time to practice. My goal for now is major scales starting on the open strings (G, D and A)—fluidly, with correct intonation and, I hope, an ever-improving tone.

Having only played instruments that are fingered, plucked or picked, I must say the bow strikes me as pretty freaky. I'm unsure how tight it should be, the optimal pressure on the strings, the speed at which to bow and most crucially, the correct angles for each string. But all is not lost; these vexations and more are, I'm sure, covered on YouTube.

All that said, I sound better than I did when I first picked it up at the music store, and this after but one hour. Cool.

Fiddler on the Goof

You'll recall my quasi-bluegrass tune, "Year of No Tomorrow," in which I quoted the opening bars of Coltrane's A Love Supreme on my virtual keyboard fiddle. Upon further reflection I loved the part, but the tonal qualities of the patch were wanting. In short, it sounded like a cheesy keyboard fiddle. I tried EQ'ing and remixing, but no avail. So, guess who's bought himself a fiddle for his birthday? Yup. Mine is the blue one:

It's a Stentor student violin, it cost me under $200, and no, I don't know how to play it. Yet. But I'm confident I will eventually. You see, many birthdays ago, circa Grade 8, I played violin in school, and I recall that after the initial screechy period I was able to produce some quite musical sounds. As for how I'll learn, I won't be entirely on my own because these days, all the violin lessons a beginner could want are available online for free (hooray for YouTube; pity the out-of-work violin teachers).

Sure, I could have hauled in a professional to play the part, but I'd rather do it myself. It's a bit of a goof, a lark, a fun challenge. My neighbours will hate me, but hey, a practice mute should mollify them. And I don't envision my fiddle as a one-shot deal: I have my eyes on a dulcimer next, and armed with a dulcimer and  fiddle I'm seeing some lovely British folk music in my future.