Re: Standardizing Skill Levels

["ozharp" <harpgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Steve writes:

> I can't even believe a conversation like this even exists. The entire
> concept is flawed.

How?

> "standards of Playing"... why not just reduce the entire thing to a
> mathematical equation and get it over with... why bother with the art
> of the playing or the emotional quality.

Who has suggested that the art of playing and emotional quality aren't
necessary or important? To be quite honest I'd rather listen to a competent
player who has something to say than a technical genius with nothing musical
to say. I have a video of  a performance by Norton Buffalo from the 1970's
playing some incredibly technical material at lightening speed, and as
jaw-dropping as it is the novelty wears off after a few minutes and you
begin to wonder when he'll start playing some music that 'says
something'.(Of course anyone who has seen Norton play live or has any of his
recordings knows that he says a great deal with his music without having to
play 20 notes a second). I have a book on improvisation for jazz saxaphone
where the author writes that over the years he has come across many
technically brilliant sax players with 'nothing to say' musically, and
others with a lot to say but who just didn't have the technical abilityon
their instrument to say it.

> Technique is great and
> necessary for playing even half decently but feeling and musicality
> are what separate the better from the mediocre.  It's about having
> fun and feeling your way around the other instruments in a band and
> complementing the vocals... not everything HAS to be fit into a
> classification or compartment. Just leave things as they are now.

Nobody, least of all me, is suggesting that anyone playing the harmonica is
in any way obliged to play a certain way or achieve a certain level of
technical competence. But there are some players who would like to become
the best they can on the instrument regardless of the genre of music they
play, with the aim being that the better they know their instrument and
musical theory as it relates to their instrument and the style of music they
play, the greater the avenues of expression will be that are open to them.
Perhaps (just perhaps!) a formalized 'grading' system or method of
instruction like the majority of other instruments have may be of some
benefit to these players.

By all means have fun with the instrument or I don't see much point playing
it!

Just my 0.02c worth, YMMV

Cheers,

Paul