‹ All episodes

Happy Hour Harmonica Podcast

Tony Eyers interview

September 01, 2021 Neil Warren Season 1 Episode 45

Chapters

Tony is Australian, and the harmonica scene there, including Jim Conway

First time when heard harmonicas was going to see Sonny Terry play in the 1970s

Was a competitive swimmer, which took up his time as a teenager

Tony started playing harmonica when he met Jim Flitting at Yale in the US

First started learning playing at a festival after someone explained how to play in different keys

Formed a blues band when returned to Australia, inspired by Al Smith playing with Hollywood Fats

Tony started out as a blues player and was influenced by the classic players

Also plays baroque recorder, inspired by classical guitarist Andres Segovia playing Bach

Has played in a baroque ensemble for 25 years

How recorder playing has influenced approach to harmonica

Doesn’t play any chromatic harmonica but plays the baroque pieces on recorder as duets with chromatic players

In the 1990s took a break from music while completing PhD

Picked up the harmonica again to learn fiddle tunes after going to a Bluegrass festival

Brendan Power provided inspiration that fiddle tunes can be played on harmonica

Tony developed the Major Cross tuning

How he uses the Major Cross tuning for tunes and comparison with Paddy Richter tuning

How Major Cross tuning was taken on by Seydel as part of their Session Steel range, with Tony’s name on it

Tony also plays some tremolo harmonica

Releases regular videos of the Tony Eyers trio (consisting of three Tony Eyers!), including a comedy element in the great tradition of harmonica bands

Ran a teaching website in China which led on to Tony becoming a judge at Asia Pacific Harmonica festival

Black Mountain Harmonica album

Another album is in the pipeline

Played in an Australian Bluegrass band called The Lawnmowers

Likes to get out onto the street busking with a trio that he is in

Plays some harmonica on a rack with guitar and button accordion

Some good racks to use with the harmonica

Tony’s harmonica teaching websites, starting in China, then English Harmonica Academy

Also has a Spanish, Portuguese and German language version of his teaching websites

Runs a playing recorder website teaching site too

Put a lot of effort into creating his harmonica teaching websites

10 minute question

Approach to learning tunes

Playing with fantastic overblow players at SPAH who can read baroque scores on diatonic

What harmonicas Tony plays

Favourite keys of diatonic to play tunes

Mic of choice is the Audix Fireball

RackIt harmonica holder and mic from Blows Me Away

Tony builds his own amps

AER amp used for clean sound

Mics used for recording

Info

Happy Hour Harmonica Podcast

Tony Eyers interview

Sep 01, 2021 Season 1 Episode 45

Neil Warren

Tony Eyers joins me on episode 45.
Tony is an Australian who first picked up the harmonica while studying at Yale in the US. Returning from America he started a successful blues band in Adelaide.
He also plays baroque recorder, and has been part of an ensemble for 25 years, which has helped shape his sound on harmonica.
In the mid-90s he became interested in playing fiddle music and developed the Major Cross tuning for the diatonic, now available through Seydel.
Tony has several successful harmonica teaching websites, including the Harmonica Academy.
And also has his own harmonica trio for which he has released numerous YouTube videos, where he maintains the great tradition of comedy in the harmonica ensemble.

Links:

Teaching website:
https://www.harmonicaacademy.com

Spanish version:
https://armonica.com.es

Harmonica Tunes website:
http://harmonicatunes.com/

Recorder teaching site:
https://learnrecorder.com

Major Cross Harp Tuning:
https://www.seydel1847.de/major-cross

Taiwan tour in 2010:
http://harmonicatunes.com/tony-eyers-taiwan-harmonica-tour/

Tony Eyers trio formation story:
http://harmonicatunes.com/tony-eyers-harmonica-trio/

Videos:
Jim Fitting:
https://youtu.be/sGpBxepQx7Q

Tony Eyers Trio - Jerusalem Ridge:
https://youtu.be/cEWJtrPAtLw

Tremolo playing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWr2qusnfu8

Tony Eyers Trio with button accordions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYhG5FnjRGA

Tony’s Fifties Busking trio:
http://thefifties.com.au/watch/

Tony explains Major Cross tuning:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Fn6nfMAbuA

Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com or on Facebook or Instagram at SEYDEL HARMONICAS
and Blows Me Away Productions: http://www.blowsmeaway.com/

Support the show

Share Episode

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Download

Support Podcast

Support

Subscribe

Spotify RSS Feed More

Listen on

Spotify Amazon Music Podcast Addict Podchaser Deezer Listen Notes +

Share Episode

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn

Happy Hour Harmonica Podcast +

Become a supporter of the show!

Starting at $3/month

Tony Eyers joins me on episode 45.
Tony is an Australian who first picked up the harmonica while studying at Yale in the US. Returning from America he started a successful blues band in Adelaide.
He also plays baroque recorder, and has been part of an ensemble for 25 years, which has helped shape his sound on harmonica.
In the mid-90s he became interested in playing fiddle music and developed the Major Cross tuning for the diatonic, now available through Seydel.
Tony has several successful harmonica teaching websites, including the Harmonica Academy.
And also has his own harmonica trio for which he has released numerous YouTube videos, where he maintains the great tradition of comedy in the harmonica ensemble.

Links:

Teaching website:
https://www.harmonicaacademy.com

Spanish version:
https://armonica.com.es

Harmonica Tunes website:
http://harmonicatunes.com/

Recorder teaching site:
https://learnrecorder.com

Major Cross Harp Tuning:
https://www.seydel1847.de/major-cross

Taiwan tour in 2010:
http://harmonicatunes.com/tony-eyers-taiwan-harmonica-tour/

Tony Eyers trio formation story:
http://harmonicatunes.com/tony-eyers-harmonica-trio/

Videos:
Jim Fitting:
https://youtu.be/sGpBxepQx7Q

Tony Eyers Trio - Jerusalem Ridge:
https://youtu.be/cEWJtrPAtLw

Tremolo playing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWr2qusnfu8

Tony Eyers Trio with button accordions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYhG5FnjRGA

Tony’s Fifties Busking trio:
http://thefifties.com.au/watch/

Tony explains Major Cross tuning:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Fn6nfMAbuA

Podcast website:
https://www.harmonicahappyhour.com

Donations:
If you want to make a voluntary donation to help support the running costs of the podcast then please use this link (or visit the podcast website link above):
https://paypal.me/harmonicahappyhour?locale.x=en_GB

Spotify Playlist:
Also check out the Spotify Playlist, which contains most of the songs discussed in the podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QC6RF2VTfs4iPuasJBqwT?si=M-j3IkiISeefhR7ybm9qIQ

Podcast sponsors:
This podcast is sponsored by SEYDEL harmonicas - visit the oldest harmonica factory in the world at www.seydel1847.com or on Facebook or Instagram at SEYDEL HARMONICAS
and Blows Me Away Productions: http://www.blowsmeaway.com/

Support the show

Tony is Australian, and the harmonica scene there, including Jim Conway

First time when heard harmonicas was going to see Sonny Terry play in the 1970s

Was a competitive swimmer, which took up his time as a teenager

Tony started playing harmonica when he met Jim Flitting at Yale in the US

First started learning playing at a festival after someone explained how to play in different keys

Formed a blues band when returned to Australia, inspired by Al Smith playing with Hollywood Fats

Tony started out as a blues player and was influenced by the classic players

Also plays baroque recorder, inspired by classical guitarist Andres Segovia playing Bach

Has played in a baroque ensemble for 25 years

How recorder playing has influenced approach to harmonica

Doesn’t play any chromatic harmonica but plays the baroque pieces on recorder as duets with chromatic players

In the 1990s took a break from music while completing PhD

Picked up the harmonica again to learn fiddle tunes after going to a Bluegrass festival

Brendan Power provided inspiration that fiddle tunes can be played on harmonica

Tony developed the Major Cross tuning

How he uses the Major Cross tuning for tunes and comparison with Paddy Richter tuning

How Major Cross tuning was taken on by Seydel as part of their Session Steel range, with Tony’s name on it

Tony also plays some tremolo harmonica

Releases regular videos of the Tony Eyers trio (consisting of three Tony Eyers!), including a comedy element in the great tradition of harmonica bands

Ran a teaching website in China which led on to Tony becoming a judge at Asia Pacific Harmonica festival

Black Mountain Harmonica album

Another album is in the pipeline

Played in an Australian Bluegrass band called The Lawnmowers

Likes to get out onto the street busking with a trio that he is in

Plays some harmonica on a rack with guitar and button accordion

Some good racks to use with the harmonica

Tony’s harmonica teaching websites, starting in China, then English Harmonica Academy

Also has a Spanish, Portuguese and German language version of his teaching websites

Runs a playing recorder website teaching site too

Put a lot of effort into creating his harmonica teaching websites

10 minute question

Approach to learning tunes

Playing with fantastic overblow players at SPAH who can read baroque scores on diatonic

Overblows

What harmonicas Tony plays

Favourite keys of diatonic to play tunes

Mic of choice is the Audix Fireball

RackIt harmonica holder and mic from Blows Me Away

Tony builds his own amps

AER amp used for clean sound

Mics used for recording

Future plans