RE: Tone

["jross38" <jross38@xxxxxxxxx>]

>. There are new players out there reading this
>thread thinking that a lot of people say ~Tone~ is
>just ~how you sound~; and that no one has objectively
>better tone than anyone else. This is just false

Yes, the above is just false.  Some people have subjectively better tone
than others, but most certainly not objectively better tone.  The phrase
"de gustibus non est disputandem" is quite old, and quite correct.  I
happen to like Sonny Terry's tone quite a lot.  Is it the same as Big
Walter's tone?  No.  Are both good tone?  To me, yes.  To someone else?
Maybe not.  That's because everyone has different tastes.  What I look
for in harp tone might not be what someone else looks for.  Thus, what
for me is great tone may not be the same as anyone else.  

This isn't the same as playing in tune or technical mastery--it's far
more complicated and inherently subjective.  There may be a general
consensus about what makes good tone or who has good tone, but that's
just a general agreement on the subjective, not some objective measure
of reality.  Indeed, this thread shows that there is no general
consensus.  I've always felt Rice Miller (SBWII) had very good tone.
Others disagree.  Am I right and they wrong?  Yes and no.  We are both
right for ourselves and wrong for the other person.  That's the nature
of subjective taste issues.




 ()()   JR "Bulldogge" Ross
()  ()  & Snuffy, too:)
`---'