General Music Chat

Being a Beatles fan, your head is already filled with many great examples of subtle melodies to full orchestrations. Eleanor Rigby can be played on just an acoustic but man it's beautiful just the way George M composed it. None of the lads even played on the song.
I digress...

Do you have a keyboard that allows you to simulate orchestrated instruments? Good place to start... If you're not already hearing it in your head you need to experiment.
Personally I like to start with a little cello and some staccato.

I agree with you Jahva. In orchestrated versions of anyone doing Classical gas, even as a full instrumental, it is very evident of Paper's post. It becomes very hard to hear the lead guitarist, or to discern the orchestra. The Beatles were known for pulling off orchestrations that people didn't know they were being orchestrated. That's a mix, and a wrap!

PD,
I have a song called Moonlight. I originally used an accordion for some color. But I found it over-bearing and replaced it with a harmonica. It wound up much simpler than the accordion lines but it fit much better imo. It's far from perfecto but the feel is still there to me.
I also used strings on the last verse just for a little build. It definitely can be tricky to find the right shade. I'm sure you'll figure it out even if it just means $$$ for that hired gun!

IMO Harmonicas are excellent for solo subject matter, more specifically : "exclusive subjectivity" of the story teller (Vocalist) . For example, if you remember that Super Tramp song "Long way home", it opens up with that distant harmonica...and right away you got the feel that this was about one man's journey . Harmonicas further exemplify this in Blues stories... Its always happy or sad, but its always the adventure of that story teller (and not the adventure of the whole band). Anyway, I thought about my dilemma and the answer was right under my nose ... My Christmas Song(No shameless plug intended) . The song opens with 4 notes of Box bell, and somewhere in the middle it casts 4 more notes in stride of the song... Whyen you hear this, it leaves the impression that the song is about Christmas, etc. And its ever so subtle by mere fact that the whole effect was done in 4 notes, in two different places of the song.

Scott

Trans Siberian Orchestra? I hadn't heard of them so i checked it out. Yeah- very nice. Thanks for the tip.

Talbot

Something in my experience about the harmonica I would like to exemplify is that with that reference to Long way home. That harmonica player had the experience of someone that rode a bus home a long way. Every bump along the way is felt in his choice of notes at a pace of 55MPH. Put a Cd of Breakfast in America the next time your on the highway, perhaps to Grandmother's Place, if she's still alive. Rest in peace, Gramma' Isabelle.

I have Three harmonicas. One of them is about an inch long. Any guesses what song I play with that one?

I have Three harmonicas. One of them is about an inch long. Any guesses what song I play with that one?

On Top Of Old Smokey?

My Heart Bleeds For You!