Charlie Musselwhite on Position Playing - Interview Snippet for BluesHarmonica.com

[@daviddoyle4516]

Charlie is the nicest guy in the world and i was privledged to meet and speak with him many times on his frequent gigs in Los Angeles in the 70's with many different line ups in his bands. He was always friendly .cordial and patient answering all our questions about harp playing. A real gentleman and living scholar about blues harmonica.

[@nickfermi5994]

Yes, thanks so much Dave for setting this up, recording and sharing. Was wonderful hearing Charlie speak. Such a warm, generous and humorous man. As someone said in an earlier comment, you've captured some real treasure here. Thanks so much again Dave and Charlie.

[@anthonykeeling3499]

This blues man always impressed me from a very positive attitude

[@davezinn6810]

Charlie Musselwhite is the MAN!!! I have been a fan of his for years! He puts on a GREAT SHOW too. Don't pass up the opportunity to see him.

[@johnsinger9156]

Always felt a little intimidated by his recordings. Nice to see what a sweet and sharing man he is. A beautiful soul.

[@daviddoyle4516]

Nicest guy in the harmonica world,,,,always takes time to talk to EVERYONE WHO ADDRESSES HIM,,,I have seen that personally over the last 40 years,,,

[@bretthowser6777]

I saw Charlie play in London in 2010 and that’s why I took up the harp. And now I get to study with David as my teacher. So this video summarizes my journey.

[@crapharp66]

what a great man ! keep doing what you do Charlie

[@keyjam9]

I met him twice at 2 different gigs 20 years apart. Easy to talk to. I said the second time that I loved his 3rd position stuff. He said "you aught to try 4 th position" . I thought what the hell is that? Although I didn't admit it. Great and gracious man.

[@michaelfirman2746]

What a nice guy.

[@roncaraway5109]

When I started playing at 17, I am now 54, and still learning everyday, I met an older black fellow named John, playing on the side of the street in Austin. I asked him since he was playing for tips, if I could hire him to teach me how to play and be my teacher for hire. He told me ;son, if you want to learn, you need to listen, if you want tricks and I can help you, it won't cost you a dime. I put a dollar in his tip jar and came by from time to time when I could.

[@daviddoyle4516]

You were blessed Ron,,,yeah buddy,,,,

[@harrymills2770]

I started playing harp one long, cold and lonely winter up in Gunnison, Colorado. I'd go out to the wood shed - no lie - put on Eric Clapton, Unplugged, and just started working out things that sounded decent against it. My instruction amounted to a guy telling me about 2nd and 3rd position, and the idea of bending on the 2-draw to get that signature blues-harp flat 7th in 2nd position. Nothing more than that. Just wood-shedding to Clapton after that. By the spring, somebody overheard me. By the summer, I was on stage singing all the leads and soloing on the harp. It was cool and also a bit awkward, because as the front man, I was expected to lead and I sounded like I knew what I was doing, everybody assumed I was up to it and up for it! LOL! Prior to that, I'd sung in church and signed up for jazz choir in college for a semester or two. But I didn't know ANY theory, beyond what I learned in high school as a trumpet player playing sheet music. I could read time and key signatures and knew the fingerings (and embouchure) on the trumpet, but I never learned how to improvise, until I picked up the harp and just played everything by ear. Then all of a sudden I could improvise on the trumpet, too, but I don't practice it enough to keep up my chops. That was when I was about 42. Now I'm 58. I can cop almost anything I hear, but if it isn't a lick that I came up with, myself, I really struggle to "find" or "feel" that lick a day after I first figured it out. I'm just always trying to play trumpet licks in my brain. So I do a LOT of things others find really difficult, and I really struggle to play a lot of pretty standard stuff, because my brain just isn't wired that way. I can bend the harp to my will, but my will is woefully uninformed! LOL! Prob'ly the first 5 years, I didn't really know you could play minor blues in 2nd position by bending the 3-hole. So I got really good at doing SOME stuff in 3rd position, just for that minor 3rd blue note, even though I never heard and never hear anybody else ever playing those licks. I just don't THINK like a harp player, so I'm always doing stuff it ain't built for, and often struggle to take full advantage of what it IS built for. Haven't been on stage for a few years, now, and this one little convo has me wanting to pick up the harp, again, and do some A with a C harp and with an E harp, just to see.

[@anthonykeeling3499]

Yes humans do their best whenever they share theio

[@tnysteph]

Love Charlie's outlook on sharing licks.

[@ivansaric33]

Good on you Charlie. You signed a promotional flyer for me at Collegians RSL in NSW (Australia) in mid 80s. You are sure right "you never stop learning" Hope to meet you again one day:)

[@markwathen7600]

Charlie musselwhite you made a legend of yourself

[@MegaTregg]

Yeah that really expanded my concept of playing! Thanks!

[@g0moz]

what nice guy Charlie is ..

[@Tsutsomu]

Thank you very much STeph.

[@stonehand49]

first heard him 1969....only gets better.

[@smilingdog2219]

Good share

[@EIYH58]

We always learn everyday.....!

[@jesusestrada7314]

I guess I always thought playing/positioning was something all greats separating them apart from the rest. ,,,,but what do I know "i'm just a fan of the Blues" I can appreciate Mr. Musselwhite saying he is still learning, all great teachers are students for life. Spent 40 plus years in Education just grooving on learning every thing in bilingual.

[@anthonykeeling3499]

A true blues man

[@unclealice]

Charlie is cool

[@z1522]

After 4:00, good explanation about what playing music, especially blues, involves, versus Levy-style mastery of note reproduction; his works best for classical and jazz, arguably far more difficult technically, but oddly lacking in the resonant blues nuances, while Charlie and the men he learned from used their instruments to create the music they wanted to make. The music comes first. Like John Lee Hooker or Lightnin' Hopkins, on guitar, both actually pretty limited as players, even compared to the youngsters who emulated and imitated them, the obvious difference is in what they played, and how they played it, not how many flashy runs and embellishments per second they could throw away. Put another way, traditional rooted music like the blues finds instruments as extensions of the voice, rather than tools of precision. Levy may play Paganini, but the blues plays (through) you. On teaching, the best teachers are happy when any student surpasses them. The petty, insecure ones work insidiously, give back-handed compliments, and otherwise seed doubts, that stunt growth and retard their apprentices ability to develop.

[@harrymills2770]

Good points. One of my issues with the harp is that "bending it to my will" is "instrument abuse." The BEST players take full advantage of the peculiarities of the instrument. I always tried to brute-force the notes I wanted. I got really good at copping just about any lick, BUT the "old masters," by taking full advantage, without forcing it, achieve(d) much better TONE, by sticking to what the harp's built for. I think guys like Levy sacrifice a lot of the TONE to "bend the instrument to their will." And YES. Absolutely. The more talented your teacher, the more they want you to be good and surpass them. The less talented your teacher, the more they try to hold you down, while pretending to help you. This is not just true in music. Howlin' Wolf never did ANYthing fancy on a harp. But it was all very TASTY.

[@markwathen975]

All together

[@daviddoyle4516]

Charlie is the patron saint of Harmonica,,,,,,

[@markwathen975]

💖🎵💫🎶❤️🎶💫🎵💖

[@cosmoshfa88savant66]

TUFF,,,,,,,???

[@budm.1450]

Haven't a clue what you said. Not a clue!!

[@boydross]

What the hell is that makeup he’s wearing