Harmonica - Bluesette - Toots Thielemans

[bantenzSkid]

what key is your harmonica?

[alliax]

@bantenzSkid hi, it's a chromatic in C, so the key doesn't matter, it's not like diatonic harmonica.

[blopper68]

Excellent,have you ever worked out the sesame st theme tune which Toots played?

Its greaty but quite difficult.

[alliax]

@blopper68 hello, no i haven't.

[burtonboyx]

i have the sheet music for this song, and i can send it to you if you still want it.

[alliax]

@burtonboyx sure thank you, you can send it to 12freemusic at gmail

[LarryTranberg]

I play diatonic and have had chromatics. Looks like you're playing a Chrometta? Sounds really good. Most of that could be that you are just a great player, though. Do you like the Chrometta? Recommendations for someone heading into Chromaticland?

[alliax]

@LarryTranberg hello, yes it's a chrometta, I like them, in fact it comes from its price at the time where I was a student and since I broke many harmonica because I didn't take care of them, they were always in my pocket or my bag, so replacing it with a new one was cheaper with chrometta than other chromatics at the time and in the shops where I bought them.

[frankieheartsful]

Great cover.

[pimeeeh]

Legendary sound.. Very nice!

[cosmonaut004]

Very impressive, I must say!

[MrKizio]

How much money give you adidas? This is joke:}

Very good job!!!!

[alliax]

@MrKizio I gave adidas money :-) I've tried to email some companies for them to send me a hat with their name on it, but hasn't worked so far..

[heartstar111]

Nice. Like the metal cover plates versus the CX-12 sound.

[mantov70]

really excellent work ,on my opinion.very cool to listen.

[conyelp]

Good job on here, I like the melody of this song, it's sad but also nice to listen to. You do a good job on the harmonica too.

[surrealIdeal]

I said (in Dutch) that this performance is really good (très bien) and I asked if you someone had the notes (the numbers of the harmonica if possible) cause I play the chromatic too... Merci beaucoup :)

[alliax]

Thank you, I played this a long time ago, haven't practised it since, I'd like to play it again with better sound but need to find the notes and the backing track again. I don't have tabs (numbers of the harmonica) only notes but I don't remember where!

[surrealIdeal]

wow das echt goe; weet iemand de noten (ik speel ook chromatisch)?

[alliax]

Sorry I don't understand your question. English or french please.

[LocosParadios]

he Adidas, waarom heb jij je broek over je hoofd?!

[alliax]

Omdat ik niet over mijn broek op mijn benen! ;-)

[surrealIdeal]

magnifiek.

as a fellow- hamonicaplayer and belgian I appreciate Thielemans is covered on youtube (that well!)

[lucianocraveiro]

Bravo

5*****

[statis]

I like the hat. =)

[oriolus1981]

Well alas you play it in C, and it's much more difficult to play in Bb! Try it, the soloing gets really tough...

[landztranz]

Another great performance, Alliax!

Do u know what harmonica Toots uses on Bluesette (and other jazz songs)? And why do u use a 14-hole and not a 16-hole? And have u ever tried a harp with round holes? Maybe that's even easier to play if u pucker (same shape as the mouth)...

[alliax]

Hi, no I don't know which harmonica Toots uses but I now have a CX-12 JAZZ with round holes. I'd like to try again to play Bluesette with this one, I need to train with the new one!

[DiaLogicals]

The Hohner Chromatics Toot's Thielemans Hard bopper for jazzy tunes and songs.

[alliax]

I need to find back the background tune and the music sheet.

[flaxys112]

Hello folks... : ) I'm about to buy my first harmonica and i wonder wich key this song .... and other toots songs is played in... please reply fast :D

[alliax]

I suggest you buy a CHROMATIC harmonica, that way you won't have a problem with keys. Don't buy a DIATONIC harmonica. Buy a CHROMATIC HARMONICA IN C.

[TonySarandrea215]

i have a G chromatic. would this conflict with playing this song

[alliax]

Surely not. Chromatics can play all notes.

[TonySarandrea215]

im jealous...i have the guitar tabs for this too, what key is the harp?

[alliax]

Hi, it's chromatic harmonica, it means the key doesn't matter because one can play all notes with a chromatic. There are only chromatics in keys of C (most common) and G. Mine is C. I don't remember what is this particular music's key though.

[johnsel2006]

respect!!!!

[saxyeggo123]

simply beautiful, and anyone who says harmonica isn't a real instrument should listen to toots. i sooo want to learn how to play this in my sax (solo), we did it in our jazz band but i only played counter melodies and such. keep up the good job alliax.

[elvoetje]

Where can i find the tabs for this?

[alliax]

maybe on google? Remove the ( and ) in this url: jazzguitar(.)be(/)images(/)sol­os(/)toots_thielemans_bluesett­e(.)gif

[stepcollegno666]

FOR EVERYONE PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT ON MY IMPROVVISATION VIDEO ON stepcollegno666 if you can just to say what you think. thank you. (great alliax)

[thomasloyens]

With some shorts on your head?

[stepcollegno666]

oh yeah that a good question!: someone can tell me if a simply human been can do the FLYING OF DA BUMBLEBEE with the harmonica?? i listened just few things about a kind of.... Will burger....yeah but i don't think so... but it's one of my best whishes that some harmonicist can do that.

p.s. toots the best also in duo with anyone.

[alliax]

Check out user chromaticdave he has a video of himself playing "Flight of the bumblebee" on his chromatic harmonica. The number of the video is YlTzNOpl3xg

[stepcollegno666]

in the past every body said to me "the harmonica isn't an istrument...you aren't a musician... harp sucks exetera" and also toots sais in his biography that his parents said "please learn a serious instrument"... this is fuckin' terrible..evrybody think is a toy!

[alliax]

Yes, I'm also thinking along the same lines. Playing guitar or saxophone is much more popular. But harmonica is ok for carrying and for me that's enough, I'm not a musician and don't intend on making a job of that or not even playing with others instruments, so that's fine yet.

[VanHoorelbeke]

Hey Man, you play at a high level--you can make a living! Iam jazz pianist also accordion player, which gets no respect. Go tube Art Van Damme "gone with the wind" Art swings his ass off on Accordion- I play single reed harmonicas,chromatic is harder, I have a 270, I struggle with it,no its not a toy! Keep it swingin man- very nice version of a classic song.

[stepcollegno666]

ok thank you i will try... good job. (excuse me for the ugly english, i'm from turin you know...)

[alliax]

Don't worry about your english, I'm from france so my accent is really terrible when I speak. But I don't care, as long as we can communicate that's ok! :-)

[stepcollegno666]

great! by a new italian harmonicist that see toots thielemans free in italy and than love playing this little but perfect instrument.... do you think it's important to learn notes?

[alliax]

It's a good thing to do for your brain, it's brain training, and it's useful because that's the universal language of music. You don't need to know it very well, just enough to know which hole to blow/draw on your harmonica when you see a dot on a music sheet. It's better than harmonica tabs because at the same time you can see how long you're supposed to play the note.

[itheviewer4444]

Hi Alliax, I am a beginer to chromatic harmonica,so far I prefer pucker, as it seems quicker to move from hole to hole, i have tried tongue block but find it cumbersom , pucker seams much cleaner, quicker and better on the highest notes, i believe Toots and Stevie wonder use pucker, if tongue block or lip block was better why dont they use it? I have 2 beginner books. mel bay, recommends tongue block, hal leonard recommends curled tongue!

regards

John

[alliax]

I believe tongue blocking is better when you want to have that sound that plays bass and melody at the same time, or osunds like the same notes one octave apart, or to play some chords. The only reason I don't know how to do tongue blocking is lazyness.

[itheviewer4444]

Hi Alliax, which type of mouth position do you use please , tongue block pucker etc?

love your playing!!

regards

John

[alliax]

Hi John, pucker because of lack of training with tongue blocking. Cheers,

[Scandalli88]

hi, can you tell me where i can find some backings of toots??? good job!!!

[oreb05]

alliaz my best congrats,! outstanding performance my best cumplimments / regds / Ernesto Mexico

[ivorbigunzz]

Superb!

[alliax]

Thanks!

[emilwonder]

muy bueno

[itaktakmo239]

inspiring

[petertorro]

very good .

I wanne learn chromatic mondharp too.

Can jou give me some advise.Where (sec)do you use the knob.And is it normaly that when you blow normal you have to suck when you push the knob in so that it sounds jazzy

[alliax]

You need to buy a book method + CD to learn the chromatic harmonica, so in the method they'll explain what the knob is for.

[HammondB200]

you don't need a book just use google it's enough.

[alliax]

Yes, but a method + CD was good for me because I could take it whenever I went to practise, not had to be stuck to a computer. At least the book, ok you can print out a good site too, such as the " Harp On! Chromatic Harmonica Reference "

[nickcage63]

my mom says you have your underwear on your head because your ears have shit in them

[alliax]

She might probably know better than I do, don't people say to always listen to your mom?

[foowah7]

Well done, man.

[ShadowRaver]

Hey i just got my starter harmonica today i loved your performance how long have u been playing?

[alliax]

It's been about 7 years.

[harmonicajohn]

Why the underwear on the head?

Nice playing.

hj

[alliax]

No particular reason. Thanks.

[alliax]

Hey, thanks. No reason for underwear on the head. Nothing philosophical either don't worry.

[aaaaaoldman]

what harmonica are you using please?

[alliax]

Hi, you should read my profile page, click on my username. I'm using a Hohner, model Chrometta 14 holes in C.

[Comuna]

Thanks...i have to pick my Chro and practice.

[Camporum]

Verry nice played...

Maby it's a idea to record your harp movies in the shower,(don't laugh ;) ) i practise there allot, that's best spot in the house with the best Acoustics.

[Vellereille]

Impressive.

[zenobiaallan]

this is my favourite ......brilliant

[Buck59x]

Beautiful song beautifully played! The track suit does resemble a beret.

[natalbeach]

this is really good and nice!I am a personal friend of some top harmonica players of the world.which him good success with his nice musik.

jimmy from the canary island of tenerife

[esperantum]

awesome! keep it up

[alliax]

Thanks!

[chacmool71]

nice play. Why a track suit on the head though?

[alliax]

Thanks, I don't have a particular reason to offer you.

[hwycine]

Very good! I'm a jazz vocalist and wonder: is your rythmn track a karaoke CD or a music-minus-one CD, or something else? I'm impressed with your playing and wonder if you will have a CD available of you palying these standards and maybe your own tunes too? -Hunter

[alliax]

Hello, the backing track is a midi file, I don't have a CD, first because I didn't think of it and secondly because I think if I have one and try to sell it one day or another I will have problems with copyright holders.

[roborama]

Continuation for 66rich66:

And as for transition from diatonic to chromatic I don't know because my main harmonica is a chromatic, I didn't want to start with diatonic because it was not very clear how to play any note you want.

[66rich66]

Words of wisdom ??? Like exercises ( scales ?)for chromatic. Easy songs for starting out on chromatic.. stuff to ease transition from diatonic to chromatic .

[Warchiefs88]

THATS IT! i'm gonna get myself a harmonica for Xmas

[alliax]

It's a very handy music instrument, you can always have it with you. The chromatic is more tricky: you need to always have a bag with you and put it always in the same spot. OR if you live somewhere cold, a large pocket of a coat is ok

[66rich66]

would you care to give any advise to a fledgling chromatic player.. i have played harmonica ( diatonic - chicago blues blah blah ) for 40 years... got the mel bay - barrett book and c.d.) just looking for a few works of wisdom ... thanks rich in canada

[alliax]

Hello, I don't understand, what kind of advice would you like? Which is my harmonica? I think it's easy to play and it's a Hohner Chrometta 14 holes in C which I would heartily recommend to any harmonica player.

[Inscrutable1]

Nice!

[alliax]

Cheers,

[daveyg06]

Very cool man  well done on this cool Toots number .

[smoothbluesr]

Nice chrome work!

[alliax]

Thank you! In fact I could do better on the first part, because it was one of the first time that I played the bridge, maybe I should try again and play it more smoothly.