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17 <p>I have gathered miscellanous comments, news etc. concerning Dylan and
18 the harmonica, mainly from r.m.d.</p>
22 <h2><a name="What kind of harp does Dylan" id="What kind of harp does Dylan"></a>What kind of harp does Dylan
23 use?</h2>
38 > > > > SOme one mentioned that Bob played Marine Band. This might very well be true, but I found out recently that the only difference between MB and a "Blues" harp is that the blues harp is slightly easier to "bend" on, to overblow the reads to alter the pitch. On the other hand MBs are slightly more powerful in tone quality. SO if you aren't sure about it, it could be that he is playing Blues harps.</em><em> </em></p>
42 <p><em>But I have no real info regarding Bob, I just always thought
43 that blues harps were tuned to a different scale.</em> </p>
45 <p>No. Scale is the same. Only the name makes beginners think the Blues
46 harp is *The* Blues Harp, (which doesn't necessarily make it a "beginners
49 <p>To clarify (i hope): the Hohner Marine Band harmonica is the standard
50 harmonica played by folk, country, and blues musicians from the time of
51 its invention to the present day. A couple of decades ago, when a lot of
52 newbies wanted to earn to play harmonica in the blues style (crossing keys
53 and bending notes) they found that this was a difficult task and took lots
54 of breath control. So Hohner made a version of the Marine Band with, i
55 believe, slightly thinner metal on the reeds, thus requiring less air to
56 bend the notes (overblow the reeds). They called this new brand the "Blues
57 Harp." As noted above, the Blues Harp does not have the powerful,
58 clear sound of the Marine Band, so it has never been as popular with professional
59 musicians. Bob Dylan, as far as i know, started out with the Marine Band
60 and always has used that brand. </p>
65 too...)</p>
67 <p></p>
68 <hr />
69 <p></p>
75 <p>Just in case you didn't know what to do with your paycheck this week,
76 I found this in the Antiques and Arts Weekly:</p>
80 played in the coffee houses from Minnesota to New York City, from1959 to
81 1961, and at his first public appearance at Gerde's Folk City in Greenwich
82 Village.)</p>
85 performances at Gerde's together with a Hohner Marine Band harmonica in
90 <hr />
97 <p>I found this posted by Patricia Jungwirth on rec.music.dylan. She gave
98 me permission to cross post.</p>
103 <p>To answer Rick's request, the following information has been gleaned
104 from Amy Appleby's book :</p>
109 Don't Think Twice E Maj A 2nd pos
110 Baby I'm in the Mood For You G Maj G 1st pos
112 Just Like A Woman E Maj E 1st pos
113 I Want You F Maj F 1st pos
114 I Shall Be Released A Maj D 2nd pos
115 I'll Be Your Baby Tonight F Maj Bb 2nd pos
116 All Along the Watchtower* C#min E 4th pos
117 Simple Twist of Fate E Maj A 2nd pos
118 Dark Eyes G Maj G 1st pos
119 What Was It You Wanted* C#min E 4th pos
120 </pre>
127 Dylan on the original album release. To play these songs, he uses a total
128 of six harps: A, Bb, D, E, F and G. However since the arrangement of notes
129 is the same for all ten-hole diatonic harmonicas, you may use a harmonica
130 in a key other than that indicated in the legend of a specific song. Just
131 be aware that you will have to figure out what key you are playing in and
132 transpose the melody line and chords if you want to accompany yourself
135 <p>Each song is accompanied by a quote from Dylan, notes on guitar tunings
136 and illuminating comments on harmonica parts, guitar and vocal oddities
137 - very interesting. Here's the accompanying quote and notes to 'Baby I'm
138 In The Mood For You'.</p>
141 everybody sucks in. The proper way to play is like Little Walter or Sonny
142 Boy Williamson would play - which would be to cross it - and I found myself
143 blowing out more because nobody was doing that in that area. And that's
144 what defined that harmonica and guitar sound which I hadn't heard until
148 was officially released in 1985 on the Biograph album. This song provides
149 an extended showcase for Dylan's considerable harp talent. There's an exciting
150 high-energy solo after each of the four verses - and a short ending solo
151 to cap it off. (Note that the solo after the third verse is four bars shorter
152 than the others).</p>
154 <p>Dylan plays Baby I'm In The Mood For You in the key of G Major using
155 a G harmonica (first position). These solos are built around blow notes
156 - and display Dylan's virtuosic straight-harp style. In the last four bars
157 of the first harp solo, Dylan introduces a chugging rhythm - a technique
158 commonly used by old-time blues players to imitate the sound of a train.
159 Follow the markings that indicate syncopated slurred tonguing and throat
160 popping to get a feel for this chugging technique, which is used extensively
161 in the three solos that follow. You may want to practice these rhythms
162 slowly at first, but keep in mind that the train rhythms won't sound quite
163 right until you bring them up to speed. In a couple of spots, Dylan punctuates
164 his solos with a vocalized whoop - a device reminiscent of the great blues
167 <p>More of Dylan's comments on harps, braces and styles can be heard on
168 the 'Folksinger's Choice' interview from 1962, where Dylan says he used
169 to play the little Hohner harps which you hold inside your mouth - but
170 he had to give them up because he had 'bad teeth' and they magnetized the
171 fillings!</p>
175 <p>Title: The Harp Styles of Bob Dylan: A survey of Dylan's unique approach
176 to harmonica playing through transcriptions of twelve complete songs in
177 standard notation and harmonica tablature. Includes historical and performance
178 notes on each song, plus a complete discography.</p>
188 <hr />
192 1997 12:48:24 -0500 Newsgroups rec.music.dylan Message-ID <s41545ef.017@mail.rkd.snds.com></p>
194 <p>Justin Mando (jmando@velocity.net) wrote: : I have a question. Why hasn't
195 Bob been playing his harmonica lately?</p>
199 <p>Just before he quit play the harp on a regular basis, reports of a back
200 brace were circulating. Then he started playing the harp without even holding,
201 let alone playing, the guitar. Now he is back to guitar with little or
202 no harp.</p>
204 <p>Could it be that playing the guitar and harmonica is awkward and would
214 21:06:15 EDT Newsgroups rec.music.dylan Message-ID <19970908.083352.4391.1.steve_lescure@juno.com>
221 it and stopped playing it. I would love to hear him play it in >concert.
224 still doesn't feel that great after the illness, so I would guess no harmonica because it's to diffcult right
225 now. Playing guitar is much easier physically than blowing a harp, especially
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