RE: [Harp-L] OB, CX or XB?

["Chris Michalek" <Chris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>>
>>
>>>......Actually, it's the opinion of many that overblowers are
>masochists 
>>>who just need things to be >harder.  But that's all besides the
>point.  The 
>>>point is what the music sounds like.
>>
>>>Thanks, Richard Hunter

Well I already posted a recant of my thoughts on altered harps so no
need to discuss that further. OB'ing is not any harder then anything
else on the harp. IF you want to discuss difficult techniques about
blow bending on the bottom two octaves without a valved harp.  I have
yet to hear another player be able to bend a blow note more than a
quarter tone. And I have NEVER heard any player blow bend any note
below hole four.

The hard part about playing harmonica regardless of style or note
production is the music itself.  Musicality is were many harmonica
players fail.  Tone, note choice, techniques, theory are all thing
that can be easily learned yet most harmonica players do not bother. 
It seems if that can make a sound they area harmonica player.  I can
make plenty of sounds on my conga, heck I can even keep a solid
rhythm for about ten minutes but I would NEVER call myself a
percussionist.Just because you have an instruement that allows you to
make noise does not make one a musician nor a harmonica player.

How many of you actually know why you are playing what you are
playing when you are playing? If someone put a gun to your head could
you play a Dm arpeggio on a C harp right now?  How many could play a
3rd inversion F major arppegio without thinking? How about an Fm7b5
arppegio?  These are rudementary skills that most other
instrumentalist learn in the first few weeks of lessons. Theory does
not care how you get your notes or if you have an altered instrument.

All that aside, as long as you like what you're doing and your
audience loves you then nothing else matters.  I sure when Sandy
Welman plays SPAIN at a gig he get quite a bit of applause.  Some of
you may note like it but at least he's trying. He's pushing the
envelope and he's got the first recorded version of a harmonica
playing a Chick Corea tune.  He did it with no excuses and nobody can
take that away from him. 

Like it or not somebody in the future wanting to learn legitimate
jazz on the diatonic will come across that piece and be inspired by
it simply because it now seems possible to play SPAIN. I'd like to
hear a version of it played on an altered harp.  According to Richard
Hunter playing altered harps is easier and sounds better so it should
be no problem to hit all of the notes with a solid tone right?




Chris Michalek

"it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have
it."  - Mr Figglesby regarding musical prowess