RE: [Harp-L] Out of tune with the guitarist...

[Steve Shaw <moorcot@xxxxxxx>]

My regular habitat is pub sessions playing traditional Irish/Scottish/English tunes. These days the others all seem to have tuners mounted on their various axes, not like the bad old times when a few of 'em were apt to ask the harmonica man to "give 'em a note." Not ideal when it means they're tuning to your A442+ or whatever, negating your "advantage," but even worse when you consider that not all your harps were in equal temperament. I once witnessed the harrowing sight of a fiddle player "tuning" to a very wet-tuned melodeon...
 
> Subject: [Harp-L] Out of tune with the guitarist...
> 
> I went to a jam today, It was mostly good! A red hot blues  
> band...Excellent. First class.
> BUT....
> 20+ cents out of tune with me... They were well sharp...
> Just wanted to say, a harp player can do nothing when that happens... 99%  
> of the audience didn't notice, lots of folks praised me..."Wow that was  
> excellent"...  BUT It did my head in!  My point.. IF you can, take an  
> electronic tuner with you when (as a harp player) you go to a jam.. If you know  the 
> musicians... Encourage them to check their tune BEFORE you get on stage, 
> and  THEN find that you are out of tune with them...
> It is not always possible...
> Such is life!
> Jam sessions are a pain, but these days seem to be the only way of finding  
> other good musicians to work with.
> John "Whiteboy" Walden
> Just now in Scotland.
>