Harmonica blues....

Hmm.

My good pal (and band mate) Alvin told me he only discovered harmonics recently. If you are a guitar player (especially with at least one year's playing experience), you'd know that along your fretboard, if you lightly touch your strings with your fretting fore finger at the seventh, ninth or twelfth frets, and subsequently hit the strings and release your finger immediately, you will get some harmonics.

What are harmonics? I just mentioned above. They are very useful, especially with controlled feedback.

Well, basically, harmonics are just some form of notes which can be played on the guitar (or simply any stringed instrument) usually at the seventh, ninth and twelfth fret and beyond. Apparently Alvin discovered this trick from me.

I had composed my song 'Search Away, Spring In Christchurch', which consists of two parts (as the name shows), a segment of normal strum and sing, and the latter segment an instrumental. the instrumental is further broken down into two parts, one with strumming and pick/strum parts where I pick out individual notes and simultaneously strum (as the song is in Open E tuning) without much clutter, the second with lots of strummed harmonics (a la Jimmy Page and 'Bron Y Aur Stomp' ). See, I take from my influences.

So Alvin discovered harmonics from me... big deal. I sometimes make fun of those who donch know what harmonics are. I tell them that harmonics are created when you touch the strings with a harmonica and you'd get that interesting sound (complete bull-crap, I know, but it's fun to see their reaction!).

Guess what? I just got a harmonica today.

A harmonica isn't what it's all banged up to be. Apparently, it coveres lots of octaves with the C, E, G and D notes, but it cannot play in sharps or flats. Sigh. I wanted to try some weird sounds with it, but that is dashed as the harmonica is supposed to sound either very cheerful, or sad (barely). Mine is in the key of G, so I'll be trying to find songs to play along with it.

I'll also see whether I can really create harmonics with it (heeheehee).

Cheers,

Crawldaddy