Blues harp, based on "Crossroads" background music

[pablopixies]

wonderful!!!

[ToddGates]

@pablopixies

> wonderful!!!

Thanks!

[stinkhippie]

nice wig



[ToddGates]

@stinkhippie

I regret wearing it ... but mid-life crises can do weird things to people.

[AudioSonic02]

That guy looks like a guy from Guns N' Roses!.... He Is Cool!

[TheHtter]

TAB please :( by the way what kind harmonic ?? DIATONIC ?? OR CHROMATIC ?? and what key ?

[ToddGates]

@TheHtter

> TAB please

Unfortunately I don't have any for this (or for any of my videos).

> what kind harmonic ?? DIATONIC ?? OR CHROMATIC ?? and what key ?

It's a diatonic Hohner Special 20 in the key of "D" (I'm playing cross-harp, so the song itself is in the key of "A").

[padawan007]

crossroads was a good movie , love your playing awsome good job

[ToddGates]

@padawan007

> love your playing awsome good job

Thanks!

[IMattchewB]

Good playing. I love that little jig in Crossroads, with the 4 or 5 second suspended part n all. That's freakin' awesome.

[ToddGates]

@IMattchewB

> Good playing.

Thanks!

[aicnemed]

Sounds great man! What key is that harp?

[ToddGates]

@aicnemed

> Sounds great man!

Thanks!

> What key is that harp?

It's a "D" harp (I'm playing cross-harp, so the song itself is in the key of "A").

[Cairns70]

"Blues Harmonica Player " is the worldwide stage for Blues harp players to share their videos and ideas. We need guys like you who can play, upload your videos, help manage our forums, and be part of a movement that will go worldwide which will be backed by some of the best blues players we can find. Join us on Facebook.

[treeskaterable]

dude could you play the part where they were performing out side of a bar and collecting money in their hats... think the songs called cotton needs picking.... this was awesome what harp are you using?

[ToddGates]

@treeskaterable

> could you play the part where they were performing out side of a bar and collecting money in their hats..

I'll have to watch the movie again and listen for that part.

> this was awesome

Thanks!

> what harp are you using?

Hohner Special 20

[llamallama4567]

WOW! I kept dancing after the song was done!

[ToddGates]

@llamallama4567

> WOW! I kept dancing after the song was done!

Good to hear--thank you!

[Upritebass]

WHOA! This ain't rap! (thank God!)

I wanna hear more. :-)

[ToddGates]

@Upritebass

> I wanna hear more. :-)

I've got 28 more! (Though most of my videos are piano, not blues harp.)

[Upritebass]

@ToddGates Nice! I just listened to more of your music! Do you remember that church scene with James Brown in the Blues Brothers movie? Yeah, you got me dancing bro! Keep this up, it's good for the soul. Hallelujah! :-)

[toastedmonkeys]

Love it - bet you'd cover a bit of creedance with some style

[ToddGates]

@toastedmonkeys

> Love it - bet you'd cover a bit of creedance with some style

Thanks! (Although I can't think of any CCR that would work on solo harp--I think their sound demands a whole band.)

[2008braden]

this is AMAZING great harp jam!!!

[ToddGates]

@2008braden

> this is AMAZING great harp jam!!!

TOO kind - but thank you!

[Bootaaniicaa]

Some real blues!

[ToddAllenGates]

@Bootaaniicaa

> Some real blues!

Thanks!

[harpinKeith]

Todd, i enjoy your videos, your a good player...but what's up with the wig man?? I can only guess that your just clownin' around, but i think it's doing more harm than good....It makes it hard for someone to take you as a serious player when you add the clown factor in...you don't need a costume bro, your harp playing is entertaining enough...Whelp, that was my 2-cents worth...keep up the vids!

[ToddAllenGates]

> what's up with the wig man?

What's truly amazing is that after 2 1/2 years, you're the FIRST one to call me on this!

I only wore the wig on my very first day of video-making (in July 2007)--for some reason (temporary insanity?) I thought it would be fun to try to re-capture my stage persona from my 1980s days (see /watch?v=qaJj36C-hJk).

I've thought about taking down these July 2007 videos--but they're my most popular ones! So for better or worse I'm leaving these mistakes intact.

[harpinKeith]

Naah..don't take the videos down...i watched your video response yesterday about your "80's hair band" "Raw Angel" that you used to play in..that was excellent video, i found it very entertaining! Thanks for sharing that personal chapter in your life, You have a nice family too...keep blowin' that harp bro!!

[ToddAllenGates]

> that was an excellent video, i found it very entertaining!

Thank you!

> keep blowin' that harp bro!!

Piano is still my main instrument -- I play both piano & harp in the video I uploaded a couple days ago ("Will the Circle Be Unbroken" - watch?v=g2Ek6iU7lWU).

[indiegentleman]

in which tone is the Harp please?

[ToddGates]

> in which tone is the Harp please?

It's a "D" harp (I'm playing cross-harp, so the song itself is in the key of "A").

[CBartin]

get a jacket or something,, you look like a chick

[ganjalfx]

sweet  :) i got the guitar nailed i wanna be able to do that shit :) genius :)

[ToddAllenGates]

> genius :)

TOO kind--thank you!

[angelicorne]

mon père aimerait savoir si ton hohner spécial 20 est chromatique , si les trous sont rond ou carré, et combien de trous?

[ToddAllenGates]

Il n'est pas chromatique -- il est diatonique. Il a dix carre trous. (Je ne parle pas francais tres bien!)

[angelicorne]

my dad like your music, he would like to know whith what harmonica you play ? he try to play, but he has diffuculty to play, I forget to tell you that we are french

[ToddAllenGates]

> my dad like your music ... what harmonica you play? ... we are french.

Merci! Je joue le "Hohner Special 20" harmonica.

[angelicorne]

i like your musiic and hat is very cool, your play really well

[ToddGates]

> you play really well

Thanks Angelicorne!

[CCGMASTER]

awesome playing and awesome hat.

[ToddAllenGates]

> awesome playing and awesome hat

Thanks, and yes, the hat is key!

[hannah000banana]

WHOA! dude your an awesome player!!!

[ToddAllenGates]

> WHOA! dude you're an awesome player!!!

Thanks hannahbanana!

[2009framat]

Nice playing! Do you like to hear my tribute to Jimmy Reed. I did an animated video only 16 seconds longer than your clip. If you click on my name you can watch the video (and drop a comment if you like to)

Greetings from Berlin, Germany

[ToddAllenGates]

> Nice playing!

Thanks!

> Do you like to hear my tribute to Jimmy Reed

Just checked it out---very nicely done!

[2009framat]

Thank you for your kind words. Could you post the comment on my site so that I have your name on my comment site and to get easier in touch with you? Thank you

Greetings from Berlin, Germany

[ToddGates]

> Could you post the comment on my site

Done - and greetings from New York City!

[jhghob]

good shit there mate!!

excellent

[ToddGates]

> good shit there mate!!

Thank you!!

[TheHarpbender]

That version is the dogs danglies man !

I am thinking of learning, and want a suzuki promaster harp or suzuki hammond harp, can you play your sort of youtube songs on a 'c' harp ?

As this is the recommended starter key for blues..

Keep it up, i love the tone of your style of play !!

[ToddGates]

> That version is the dogs danglies man!

Thanks!

> Can you play your sort of youtube songs on a 'c' harp ?

Absolutely!

[mendozaccc]

bravo man

[ToddAllenGates]

> bravo man

Thanks, mendozaccc---and greetings from New York City!

[lenny121]

awesome !

[ToddAllenGates]

> awesome !

Thanks Lenny!

[toomyg155]

5 stars wow thats good plus you must have a good set of lungs to do it too ;)

Tom

[ToddAllenGates]

> you must have a good set of lungs to do it too ;)

My breathing is actually not all that efficient - that's why these recordings are so short!

[LetArtsLive]

wow that was great !!!

[ToddAllenGates]

> wow that was great !!!

Thanks Dan!

[corvion6]

damn man you're so great wow that realy blows me away... I just love you're playing

[ToddAllenGates]

> I just love your playing

Thanks Corvion!

[hihosilverlining]

Great......maybe you should have looped it???? talkin to a woman who stood 30 odd years ago in the rain listenin to a man who played blues and runs!! xxx

gd luck!!!

[LOLIEPOPLUV96]

this is really cool. Do you have the tabs for the crossroad part by chance??....

[ToddAllenGates]

> this is really cool.

Thanks!

> Do you have the tabs for the crossroad part by chance??...

Unfortunately, no, it's just a combination of things I figured out by ear & came up with on my own.

[poofypot]

HAHAHA!!!! flippin awesome guy, would love to jam out with ya sometime lol! come to illinois!!!!

[ToddAllenGates]

> flippin awesome guy,

Thanks!

> would love to jam out with ya sometime lol! come to illinois!!!

It's a long way from Brooklyn (NY), but if I'm ever in the area I'll let you know!

[poofypot]

same here....if im ever near, but we'll see and thankx for the reply, i really appreciate it and i do hope that you come to illinois, if ever, maybe though, ive witnessed crazier things, and i hope to see more of your incredible videos! p.s. this isnt the first one i have seen either, but i love them all, very entertaining and insightful, like your style keep it up! thankx again ToddAllenGates

[ToddAllenGates]

> this isn't the first one i have seen either, but i love them all, very entertaining and insightful

TOO kind--but thanks!

> i hope to see more of your incredible videos!

I have a few more in mind for this channel coming up--but most of what little free time I have for YouTube is spent on my two author channels: ToddAllenGates (for discussions on religion) and ToddAllenGates2 (discussions on work, money, happiness, and the definition of "success").

[SpikeGhost88]

fock, man! Great job. x)

[belleray2]

Thanks,Enjoying your postings and appreciate the time and practice involved to become so fluent,credit to you.

[ToddAllenGates2]

> Enjoying your postings

Thanks!

- Todd

[matiasroy]

MUY BUENAA

[mkeywork]

man that is talent

please tell me the model of that harmonica

[ToddAllenGates]

> man that is talent

Thanks!

>please tell me the model of that harmonica

It's a Hohner Special 20, which is the model I use most of the time. But when it comes to softer music using a lower-pitched harmonica (A, Ab, and G), I feel I can get a warmer sound using the Marine Band (which I use in my YouTube video of Sonny Boy Williamson's "The River Rhine").

[issamigs01]

great

[13Guitarsmasher13]

cool man!!

[lozlmao]

Really nice playing man. The riff in the middle reminded me of "stone fox chase", well roughly anyways. Really nice sound on that tunnel :)

[ToddGates]

Thanks! Most of the middle riffs were taken from background music by Sonny Terry in the movie "Crossroads"---I just kept on rewinding the VHS tape until I got something kind of close (Sonny's version is actually much more complex). As for the tunnel, it's in Brooklyn NY's Prospect Park (at 6:00 a.m., before the crowds arrive).