Re: [Harp-L] Help with starting a band?



Since the band I'm in doesn't use drums, I may be biased... We don't get many dancers in the places we play, which are mostly geared to acoustic "listening" music. We don't use amplifiers, plug directly into the PA using acoustic bass, guitar and harp. However, we do have a strong acoustic guitarist (it's his band). He doesn't just strum, or pick-strum. He actually plays the guitar pretty well. I "chuck" on harp some of the time on some songs that we feel need a strong rhythm.
Mike, you may have a little struggle in the beginning, considering that you had such a killer drum-bass combination in your old band. It depends, I think, on what kind of venues you are aiming for. If you will be playing for a younger, college-age crowd, drums might be necessary. If many of your clubs are not geared toward dancing, I think you're farther ahead without drums. I also play bass, so I am again biased, but anybody without bass sounds thin to me.
Good luck.
Steve Webb, the other southern Minnesota guy

---- David Payne <dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: 
>   . Biscuitboy wrote:
>   We didn't really miss the bass player very much but I think that 
> playing without drums would have been a drag. People like to dance no matter 
> what kind of music it is and it's pretty hard to get 'em up without a drummer.
> 
>    
>   If it got back to my guys that I suggested drums with acoustic music, I'd be run out of town, lol. Seriously, though, he makes a good point, you gotta have percussion to give people a beat they can feel. Where I come from, that's what the mandolin does, you play it like a snare drum. 
>    
>   Dave
>   _____________
>   Dave Payne Sr. 
>   Elk River Harmonicas
>   www.elkriverharmonicas.com 
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