Re: [Harp-L] Potato Potahtoe - long

[Pierre <slavio@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

George said:

There are limitations, as there are to all instruments, but many things that
Richard is viewing as limitations are merely issues that can and will
be overcome.

<snip>
Not nearly enough hard and sustained work, not nearly enough
> attention to intonation and articulation, not nearly enough people working 
> seriously for enough years to overcome the technical issues involved in 
> playing chromatically on the short harp.

Seems to me that if someone wants to play  no-excuses jazz, he would be best 
to follow Richard's advice unless he is willing to dedicate every waking 
moment of his life to his instrument. In fact every waking moment may not 
even be enough for some.

First there is the argument that only Howard can do it. You have to remember 
Howard was probably doing great jazz on the piano way before he could do it 
on the harp. This gave him a head start. The story I heard is that Howard 
spent 7 years in the woodshed to figure out how to play the harp 
chromatically. During this time he could play jazz on the piano and advance 
his art.

Also in favor of Richard's argument you have to consider how many excellent 
jazz players there are in their late teens and early 20s playing jazz in 
colleges and universities.

I saw a McGill university jazz band play in a bar one night last year and I 
was blown over, these guys were phenomenal, so young and such good 
improvisers. One thing in their favour is that they can concentrate 90% of 
their time on playing rather than intonation and other skills. During the 
evening a chromatic harp player joined the band for one tune, I was blown 
over, I thought only Toots could make a melody sound like that. I had always 
assumed Toots musicality was due to him having played more than 25 years.

(BTW I don't mean that these jazz students are all out jazz players, or that 
this guy was as good as Toots, still...)

How long does it take to learn to play just the major scale in 12 keys on a 
sax or a clarinet? how long on a diatonic? How long to just play Jingle 
Bells in all 12 keys and have all the notes sound like notes rather than 
colours and in tune? How long before you can play those scales at a modest 
120 beats without any waver? How long to just to play in tune? how long to 
bend OBs/ODs and get vibrato on them?

Getting back to what Richard said:

> Richard is viewing as limitations are merely issues that can and will be 
> overcome.

I don't understand how you can say that. There's no magic here each diatonic 
harp no excuse jazz player wannabee has to figure it all out by himself. 
Seems to me the issues are very real. If you want the expressiveness of the 
diatonic or to break new ground, the diatonic is the way to go. Otherwise to 
me the choice is simple.

Pierre.