Harmonics over fiddle

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Thomas Webb
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Location: Prince Edward Island, Canada

Harmonics over fiddle

Post by Thomas Webb »

Hello,

Im working on harmonics and where to place them within a song. I know that I've heard lots of songs with a high winding Harmonic part on top of a fiddle or twin fiddle intro or break in a song. Would anybody have Any suggestions for classic country or western swing songs that would have good examples of this treatment? I just want to study a bunch of recordings and try to see how they build their lines.

Thanks very much.

Tom
Donny Hinson
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Post by Donny Hinson »

Last edited by Donny Hinson on 13 Mar 2016 4:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Wally Moyers
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Post by Wally Moyers »

My Dad taught me to do it mainly over Western Swing type songs.. Usually over intros, turnarounds, twin fiddle parts but not over the fiddle solos so much.. He always told me, when in doubt, don't...
Lyle Clary
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Post by Lyle Clary »

I wish somebody's Daddy would have told Bob Wills not to hollar over the instruments and singing in the band.
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Wally Moyers
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Post by Wally Moyers »

Lyle Clary wrote:I wish somebody's Daddy would have told Bob Wills not to hollar over the instruments and singing in the band.
I don't think anyone told Bob what to do..
Edward Rhea
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Post by Edward Rhea »

Almost anything Amber Digby/Dicky Overby recorded...prepare to become a fan!
Steve Hinson
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Post by Steve Hinson »

Lyle Clary wrote:I wish somebody's Daddy would have told Bob Wills not to hollar over the instruments and singing in the band.
I saw an Amazon review of a Bob Wills record and the person said"I really like the music but some guy keeps hollering during the songs"...
Jay Dee Maness
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Harmonics

Post by Jay Dee Maness »

What Wally said. Just don`t overdo-it.
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Bill Cunningham
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Post by Bill Cunningham »

I am on a plane at the moment and don't have bandwidth to listen to Donny's YouTube recommendations but on a lot of those old records they played the harmonics with your palm instead of the more modern or conventional knuckle/finger tip technique. And making them a 6th chord instead of a single note is a nice variation.
Bill Cunningham
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Skip Edwards
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Post by Skip Edwards »

I'm with Bill on the palm thing… a single note harmonic that slides up to another note.
Personally, I just figured that the reason you always hear the steel do the single note harmonic dealie during the fiddle solo is because otherwise it's just to hard to sound in tune with those guys...
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Wally Moyers
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Post by Wally Moyers »

The first way I was taught to chime was with my palm too.. Not as pretty of a sound but fatter.. I'm with you Skip on the tuning.. The hardest band I ever played with tuning wise was two fiddles, fretless bass, steel and drums.. Interesting to say the least.. Thank God one of the fiddle players was Johnny Gimble..
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