RE: [Harp-L] Jam band harpmen

["Chris Michalek" <Chris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

You're gonna play the way you play and trying to mask your influences
and styles is fruitless.  Just be you.  Try to vary your sound. When
I play out I have a few different set ups.  I'll use my Sennheiser
441U for the more mellow acoustic sounding stuff. I also have a
finger type mic that I run through a bunch of effects and I have a
fender amp with with either a bullet or sm57.

Try to separate your influences.  If I'm playing a jazz tune then I
play jazz lines, if I'm playing blues then I sound like a blues
harmonica player.  Last night I did two Jimmy Reed style 1st
positions tunes - the song called for it so I did it.  If the next
song happened to be a french musette then I play like an accordian
player...

If you're playing blues then play your heart out. If you're playing
jazz, use your head but drive with your soul. Understand the secrets
of your influences and  the music you are playing.

If you're doing the jam band thing then you need to understand the
music.  To me, jam bands are about setting up a trance. Be rhytmic
and create motifs then play variations of that.  It doesn't have to
be complicated stuff.  Be predictable and not weird.  The beauty of
the jam band thing is its mezmerizing quality.  If you start playing
stuff that is inappropriate you'll break the spell on you audience
and lose their attention.




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>---- Original Message ----
>From: jonathan.f.hill@xxxxxxxxx
>To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Jam band harpmen
>Date: Thu, 4 Nov 2004 21:40:10 -0600
>
>>Anyone know any good harp players that play in jam bands besides
>Popper?
>>I've basically found myself smack dab in the middle of one and we're
>>getting some fantastic response around town. I'm struggling right
>now
>>because of our PA situation, though. We're gradually putting the
>>scratch together to buy one by opening for friends who DO have PA's
>>and that kind of thing. But because I've never had a monitor, I'm
>>constantly struggling to hear myself and can't play some of the
>>subtler things I've worked on at home. Spending all that time in the
>>woodshed  (my bedroom) has done me plenty of good, but I had no idea
>>how much good equipment can make a difference.
>>
>>So...now that this post has wandered way off the track, I'll go it
>one
>>further. I THINK what I want is a mellow tone. I like a big fat tone
>>just as much as the next guy, but in the context of our band (two
>>acoustic guitars, me and a djembe player), I think I want something
>>pretty mellow. I tend to find myself playing lines that are fairly
>>cello-like (using the harp as atmosphere rather than melody), or
>>percussively and sometimes little melodies or licks that I've made
>up.
>>A lot of my stuff is blues-inspired, but usually I'm trying to mask
>>that influence rather than amplify it. So I'm needing some advice.
>>What kind of mics and amps and effects would help a guy like me?
>>Usually, I play through a bullet and my Crate VC-20 for small venues
>>and for larger ones, I'll play through the PA. I'm blowing SP20's
>and,
>>rarely, my CX-12. I'm looking to upgrade/change any of these
>elements
>>so I can find a better fit, so any suggestions welcome. :-)
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Chris Michalek