Re: Standardizing Skill Levels

["Steve Shaw" <moorcot@xxxxxxx>]

Paul writes:

<<..... Don't get me wrong, there is
absolutely no question in my mind that in the hands of a well educated, well
trained player the harmonica can truly stand shoulder to shoulder with ANY
other instrument. But there is a big difference between hearing a serious
but poorly musically educated mouth organ player performing a few of his
handful of favorite party tunes, and being in the presence of an educated
musician sight reading a technically difficult piece of music for the first
time that they've never heard before and playing it at flawlessly at full
speed with full expression.....>>

...and Douglas added:

<<....'Hard Knocks' school had meant that it had taken me decades to get to 
the standard of a young flautist!!!  Where I gained was in musical 
experience from actually playing with a multiplicity of musicians in 
professional circumstances.  However, there were huge holes in my tech 
expertise and general knowledge ( I learned the deep theory and history when 
I had to teach it as head of music in schools :))) and that was in order to 
keep ahead of my pupils)

There are VERY few harmonica players who can play with musical authority, no 
matter what the genre they are in.  When I hear the expertise of some of the 
players from the far east, it frightens me! (note, expertise in music, not 
technique only)........>>

I go along with both Paul and Douglas (even though I'm very close to being 
one of those poorly musically educated mouth organ players - definitely!)  
However (you knew that was coming!), we shouldn't let ourselves get too 
"black and white" about this.  I love classical music, but I wouldn't 
presume to write with any authority whatsoever about the necessary training 
of, say, an orchestral musician, though I know it has to be a sight more 
formal than that of a traditional musician playing in a folk music genre for 
example.  If something like traditional Irish music was played exclusively 
by highly formally-trained musicians, I think - nay, I KNOW - that it would 
lose its soul.  It isn't "inferior" music in any way though.  One of the 
fundamental points is that the written note on the page in Irish is merely a 
soulless approximation of what is to be played.  You wouldn't normally even 
stick to the actual notes, not for very long anyway.  The "secret" of the 
rhythm (that thing that gets people out of their seats), the little nuances, 
the decorations and variations, are all in the head/hands/mouths of the 
players.   The whole point of the music is that it grew/continues to grow 
organically, socially, informally, in people's kitchens and at the crossroad 
dances, and is played by musicians who have acquired their skills by having 
them handed down to them by their families and neighbours, and who have 
learned by listening and joining in at sessions.  There are opportunities 
for some more formal schooling too, and I guess that if you were to take 
advantage of that you would be getting the best of both worlds.  The best 
Irish musicians, it is probably accurate to say, have been steeped in the 
music since they were very small.  It's very hard to bolt yourself on to it 
(I should know, speaking as a non-Irish bolt-on myself).  A good few of the 
very best can't, or don't care to, read music.  The results may often sound 
rough and ready to the ear of those more accustomed to music that demands to 
be played with accuracy and scholarly interpretation, but let's not forget 
what the primary function of traditional music is - to fill the social needs 
of ordinary people:  singing, dancing, story-telling, celebrating, mourning 
and so on.  I think there's room on the planet for the tutored AND the 
home-grown, the scholarly and the rough and ready.  I listen to and love 
both, but definitely play the latter only.  I'm sure that what I've said 
could apply to blues/cajun/French-Canadian, Appalachian......

Steve



Want more than the blues?  Try Irish!
http://mysite.freeserve.com/trad_irish_harmonica

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