Re: [Harp-L] playing in a band setting/jamming

[Pierre <slavio@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I found this thread very interesting, I've jammed acoustically with various 
friends but never in a band format, feeling I'm not fluent enough. But 
lately I have been trying to set up a band feeling it's time to get out of 
the wood shed to see what I can do.

Anyways, I met a bass player a few weeks ago and suggested we try and form a 
band, he was ok with it and so I told him I would pick a tune. Anyways he 
ended up sending me a tune which I found on the Internet. At first the tune 
looked like a pretty hard tune to start with except that the harp part is ok 
as its mostly a comping part except for a short solo. As it turns out his 
son plays piano and sings and my son plays guitar so were trying to set 
something up.

Listening and thinking about the tune he suggested, I realized that contrary 
to my earlier beliefs, the tune we select need not have a big harmonica 
part, in  fact there need not be any solo at all, which is just fine with 
me. Now I'm thinking that the best thing to do when looking for starter 
tunes is to look for tunes where harmonica players play a side role rather 
than a lead roll. Let the best band member(s) lead...

If you're interested, here is a link to a clip of the 'toune' he sent me as 
an example. The tune is a funny/slangy/colloquial Québecois french Rock 
tune. Not at all like the french you learned in school.

http://www.phaneuf.ca/plume/rocknroll.mp3

Pierre.