Check out the polish fusion band SBB, Jozef Skrzek, their leader plays mouth-organ on most of their albums.

It's rather normal playing, Jozef Skrzek is mainly known for his skills for keyboards (and he is also a good vocalist !) and the mouth-organ is very occasional.

Ah, I've heard of John Popper and Mark Feltham (he played on some Rory Gallagher albums I think).

I agree about the blues cliché thing.  I love the blues and I can play blues riffs, but I want to use the instrument for different styles.  I normally try and play along to everything (not necessarily successfully mind), whether it be prog, blues of ballads.

I can play along to a bit of VdGG's 'The Aerosol Grey Machine'.

I also agree that there is room for more harp in prog, not over blown mind, but the odd experiments would be cool... If only I had CuBase, I could make my own harmonica based tunes.

Geck0I also agree that there is room for more harp in prog, not over blown mind, but the odd experiments would be cool... [/QUOTE wrote: do you specifically mean the "overblow" technique? i can bend a few notes to add some distorted bluesy flavour but i'm n

do you specifically mean the "overblow" technique? i
can bend a few notes to add some distorted bluesy
flavour but i'm nowhere near as far as that. any
suggestions how to start? we'd probably have to
move to a harp forum for this...

just thought of a few more: there is a harmonica on
peter gabriel's "kiss that frog" and it is PG playing it
(saw it live). there is a short harp riff in the beginning
of "paper blood" by ELP (played by greg lake) – keith
emerson played some harmonica on the recent THE
NICE tours. nothing to write home about, though.
plus there is a pretty impressive solo during the
middle part of "jungle ride" by fish. steve hackett is
known to be a very keen harp player, although most
people seem to prefer that he wasn't ok, that's a
wrap!

Ah yes, I made a glaring error..., of course I meant the Mandolin player from Lindisfarne played Harmonica on Fool's Mate by Peter Hammill and not with VdGG.

Thanks for the tips guys.

Erm, I can bend notes, but it's not all about that, I find blow notes can be used effectively too.  I've taught myself mind (initially had a book, but left it behind ages ago), so I maybe do it completely wrong.  I play on the top half of the harp, so I get a single note, but of course, using a variety is good too.  Plus I can make a clicking noise with my tongue, that has an interesting affect too.

I think some cool sounds could be used in prog, if one was to put their mind to it

Are there any harmonica players in this forum that supply tips on playing?  I know it's a tad off topic...

Erm, I'm not sure, as I've said, I've taught myself...

I have the same issues with getting out of breath.  I've been told to learn circular breathing (if you can play a didgeridoo, then you can do this) but I'm not sure how to.

And yes, I can do the rolling R effect, but I don't use it all that often, because it makes the jaw ache.

Could you explain what you mean by overblows and downbends?  I'm just a bit braindead this morning.

I just wish I was as good as Duster Bennett was.  I can play the beginning of Christo Redemptor by Charlie Musslewhite (if anyone knows that), but get a bit lost later on when the harp comes back in and I can play Chain Gang by Paul Jones (of the Blues Band) and the Old Gray Whistle Test theme (the band who did that has escaped me).

One more thing: I can kind of play blow notes in a different way..., it's hard to explain, but I'm not breathing in and out like one would when normally playing, it's like playing whilst breathing through the nose I think.  I'm kind of using my top lip and not doing the whistling type mouth position.


Edited by Geck0

Hehe, yes, hang on, I'll try and get it to work, I've not used it in ages.

Right people, back to prog... I'm still open to ideas about harps (not the string instrument) in prog though.

some ELP song has harmonica in it... i dont remember which one but it was on the late ELP album... and it is on the Original Bootleg Series From The Manticore Vaults pt3.

 

Captain Beefheart is an amazing harmonica player, although he mostly used the instrument on his more blues based albums. Try Safe as Milk or Strictly Personal. He can also be heard on a blistering live version of The Torture Never Stops on You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore vol 4.

Peter Hope-Evans was one half of eccentric British duo Medicine Head, who weren't exactly prog but who were around during the glory years 1969-76. He has also worked with Pete Townshend, and occasionally acts as Mark Feltham's stand-in with Robbie McIntosh's band. He has his own bizarre website, which includes some strange sound samples - click on the blurry shapes www.peterhope-evans.co.uk .

Can used harmonica on Outside My Door (Monster Movie) and Edgar Froese plays a blast of harp on one of the tracks on Stratosfear. One of Kraftwerk's early albums featured a track called Harmonika, but it was just a scale blown on a diatonic recorded at half speed.

 

 

It's not about the harmonica, it's not even about prog.
I just have to say it again...

THE COWBELL IS UNDERRATED!