RE: Projecting

["Laughton, Bob" <LaughtonB@xxxxxxxxx>]

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Cinnamon Reive wrote:
=20
> I attend an Old Time Fiddlers Convention in Galax, VA every=20
> August and play in ensembles that always includes fiddle,=20
> banjo, mandolin and guitar. Except for guitar, all of these=20
> instruments are much louder than the harmonica. I'd like to=20
> hear some tips from y'all about projecting the harp in such=20
> situations.

I've played in a lot of old-timey jams with fiddles, etc. Aside from any =
harp-techie-type tips to increase the decibel level of the harp, I found =
myself doing a couple things that let me know that the harmonica was, in =
fact, being heard.

1. Play standing up, assuming that the others are seated - if it's a =
parking lot jam, I dunno, maybe bring a box to stand on? Anything that =
is sharing the acoustic trajectory with banjos is automatically =
cancelled out :-)

2. Play the melody in the top octave of the harp, or use a higher =
pitched harp, like a high G. To my ears, the high octave seems to stand =
out in a way that complements, rather than competes, with the =
industrial-strength sound generators.

> I have to say though that the most challenging harp I've=20
> ever done is learning fiddle tunes.

I agree, it is a challenge. Doing note bends at fiddle speed is =
challenging. I found Brendan Power's "How to Play Irish Music on the =
Blues Harp" to be most helpful when I was beginning.

> They're not hard melodies to learn but playing
> them at speed with accuracy is extremely challenging.=20

And they *are* melodies! They need to be learned, absorbed, =
internalized. You can't think about what note or phrase is coming up =
next or - whoosh! - it's gone! I find that practicing in "slow motion", =
the way I would want the melody to sound to my ears if it were recorded =
at speed and slowed down, is helpful. Don't try speeding up the easy =
parts until you can also play the hard parts at the same speed.

Practice the tune until it "plays itself" without having to think "oh, =
no, here comes that part where I have to jump two holes and alternate =
blow/draw". When you have the whole tune down so that you can play it =
through at a reasonable tempo and read the newspaper at the same time, =
well, then it's 'yours'!

Bob Laughton