Re: (Kein Thema)

["Jonathan E. Brickman" <jbrickman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Hi Dov ,  eric wrote 

> The biggest fault of inexperienced harp players is that they play
> way too much. They step all over the singer and all over the guitar
> solo. So just sit back, until it's your turn to solo. Don't try to
> do the fills or comp the guitar solo. Just find the groove listening
> to the bass and drums. When it's your turn to solo, play your guts
> out for 24 bars and then stop. Leave 'em wanting more.

If you're playing ten-holer, twelve-holer, or chromatic, heartily
agreed. I find those three to be very solo-friendly, but
ensemble-unfriendly. But if you're playing ensemble-friendly tremolo
in the key(s) being played, you can very effectively fill part gaps.
In the local Thursday-night jam (too busy tonight, alas), I have
played with much general satisfaction to fill the part-gaps left by
lack of backup singers, lack of violins, even lack of saxophone, for
particular songs which I knew well. I am not quite good enough yet to
work perfectly with the other instruments in the 60's-70's-early80's
rock multipart 'leads', but it will come, and they are encouraging me
to try.

Quite often I find myself sitting aside, and playing low-volume with
one ear held shut. This helps me learn, and is sometimes crucial to
find my keys.

> Guitarists are a funny bunch of characters and have their own rules
> and rituals. At times they can be vicious. But if you play blues or
> rock you got to learn to deal with them. The electric guitar is an
> amazing, wonderful instrument and the music that guitarist create
> can be downright dazzling, but many guitarist are a walking catalog
> of neuroses, quirks and abnormalities. Just be friendly with them,
> buy 'em a beer once in a while, and never, ever step on one of their
> solos.   

Definitely. I get along quite well with electric guitarists, but it is
an art in itself.


- -- 
Jonathan E. Brickman
http://joshuacorps.org/fw
Latest issue:  December '03