Dave Gage
Encyclopedia
Dave Gage is an American
harmonica
player and instructor, recording artist, author, and webmaster, known for harmonica web sites and more than twenty-five years of session work in recording studio
s throughout Southern California
.
Gage plays both diatonic and chromatic "harps," as the harmonica is informally known. He is a veteran of several bands, most recently the eponymous "Gage," and an acknowledged master of the "tongue switching" technique that modifies standard harmonica tongue blocking to create a rock-guitar effect similar to the tapping
made famous by guitarist Eddie Van Halen
Eddie Van Halen
. As the reviewers from Planet Harmonica stated, "Dave Gage puts forward a modern Rock/Heavy Metal approach rather than a bluesy one, although his style doesn't depart as radically from blues as say, John Popper
's."
Looking for a way to round out content on a website devoted to an early iteration of his band, Gage began posting harmonica tips to the web in 1997. Those tips proved popular with visitors, and Gage soon realized the utility of consolidating his web-based
harmonica instruction into its own site. The result, Harmonicalessons.com, has since become the largest and most-visited web site of its kind in the world.
Gage has taught harmonica to students of all levels at McCabe’s Guitar Shop, in Santa Monica, California
since 1980. His television credits include bumper and theme music
for shows such as Davis Rules (ABC, 1991-1992) and Adventures in Wonderland (Disney Channel, 1993-1995), as well as numerous TV and radio commercial
s. His film
credits include harmonica playing, along with Tommy Morgan, for Without a Paddle.
Gage plays many different styles of music
and studied jazz improvisation with vibraphonist Charlie Shoemake, but he is most closely associated with rock. His live performances around Los Angeles, according to his own website, typically draw rave reviews. He has recorded or played with members of such bands as Devo
, Black Sabbath
, and The Police
. Outside the recording studio and various gigs, he also worked as a product consultant for the Hohner
and Lee Oskar
harmonica companies.
The Gage discography includes Well You Can’t Now, Can You? (1991, rated 9 out of 10 by Music Connection magazine) and Love You Just the Same (2000, on his own AYM label).
With others:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
player and instructor, recording artist, author, and webmaster, known for harmonica web sites and more than twenty-five years of session work in recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
s throughout Southern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Gage plays both diatonic and chromatic "harps," as the harmonica is informally known. He is a veteran of several bands, most recently the eponymous "Gage," and an acknowledged master of the "tongue switching" technique that modifies standard harmonica tongue blocking to create a rock-guitar effect similar to the tapping
Tapping
Tapping is a guitar playing technique, where a string is fretted and set into vibration as part of a single motion of being pushed onto the fretboard, as opposed to the standard technique being fretted with one hand and picked with the other...
made famous by guitarist Eddie Van Halen
Eddie Van Halen
Edward Lodewijk "Eddie" Van Halen is a Dutch-American guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter and producer, best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
Eddie Van Halen
Eddie Van Halen
Edward Lodewijk "Eddie" Van Halen is a Dutch-American guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter and producer, best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
. As the reviewers from Planet Harmonica stated, "Dave Gage puts forward a modern Rock/Heavy Metal approach rather than a bluesy one, although his style doesn't depart as radically from blues as say, John Popper
John Popper
John Popper is an American musician and songwriter.He is most famous for his role as frontman of rock band Blues Traveler performing harmonica, guitar and vocals...
's."
Looking for a way to round out content on a website devoted to an early iteration of his band, Gage began posting harmonica tips to the web in 1997. Those tips proved popular with visitors, and Gage soon realized the utility of consolidating his web-based
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
harmonica instruction into its own site. The result, Harmonicalessons.com, has since become the largest and most-visited web site of its kind in the world.
Gage has taught harmonica to students of all levels at McCabe’s Guitar Shop, in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
since 1980. His television credits include bumper and theme music
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
for shows such as Davis Rules (ABC, 1991-1992) and Adventures in Wonderland (Disney Channel, 1993-1995), as well as numerous TV and radio commercial
Radio commercial
Commercial radio stations make most of their revenue selling “airtime” to advertisers. Of total media expenditures, radio accounts for 6.9%. Radio advertisements or “spots” are available when a business or service provides valuable consideration, usually cash, in exchange for the station airing...
s. His film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
credits include harmonica playing, along with Tommy Morgan, for Without a Paddle.
Gage plays many different styles of music
Music genre
A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music...
and studied jazz improvisation with vibraphonist Charlie Shoemake, but he is most closely associated with rock. His live performances around Los Angeles, according to his own website, typically draw rave reviews. He has recorded or played with members of such bands as Devo
Devo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
, Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
, and The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
. Outside the recording studio and various gigs, he also worked as a product consultant for the Hohner
Hohner
Hohner Musikinstrumente GmbH & Co. KG is a company specialising in the manufacture of musical instruments. Founded in 1857 by Matthias Hohner , Hohner is identified especially with harmonicas and accordions. The Hohner company has invented and produced many different styles, and most of the...
and Lee Oskar
Lee Oskar
Lee Oskar is a Danish harmonica player, notable for his contributions to the sound of the rock-funk fusion group War, which he formed with Eric Burdon, his solo work, and as a harmonica manufacturer...
harmonica companies.
The Gage discography includes Well You Can’t Now, Can You? (1991, rated 9 out of 10 by Music Connection magazine) and Love You Just the Same (2000, on his own AYM label).
Discography
Fronting his own band:- Well You Can't, Now Can You (AYM Records, 1991)
- Love You Just the Same (AYM Records, 2000)
With others:
- Ward One: Along the Way (Debut solo album from Black SabbathBlack SabbathBlack Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
drummer, Bill Ward: Chameleon Records, 1985) - Cookin' Cowboys (Sonoton, 1994)
- Scary Sound Effects (Rhino Records, 1995)
- einstein was a bullfighter (Doc Tahri, Cash Only Records, 1996)
- American Heartland (Akai sample disc, Sonic Reality, 1998)
- American Folk Revival (Sonoton, 2005)
- Kick (by Pilotfish Productions for California Dept of Conservation, 2007) - Gage provided the music for this Emmy AwardEmmy AwardAn Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
-winning PSAPublic service announcementA public service announcement or public service ad is a type of advertisement featured on television, radio, print or other media...
External links
- http://www.harmonicalessons.com
- http://www.mccabes.com
- http://www.harmonicalinks.com/malerock.html
- http://musicconnection.com/
- http://harp-l.org/mailman/htdig/harp-l/2003-July/msg00697.html
- http://www.planetharmonica.com/Ressources/artistEN.htm#Dave%20Gage
- http://www.sacbee.com/127/story/1222767.html