Re: [Harp-L] A Harp Live (countermeasures)

["Bob Maglinte" <bbqbob917@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tim Dougherty" <timd@xxxxxxx>
To: <Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, October 04, 2004 9:29 AM
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] A Harp Live (countermeasures)


> That gives me an idea!  Re-tube the guitar player's amp when he's not 
> paying attention.  Offer to carry it into the gig for him, and have a 
> pocketful of low-power preamp tubes ready.  The volume won't be there, but 
> he'll think he's in tone heaven.
>
> I'm a guitar player too.  And I agree with everything you all are saying. 
> Unfortunately, we (guitar players) all have to the learn the lesson of 
> dynamics at some point.  It's what separates the pros from the jammers. 
> My suggestion is this:  After having several deep and meaningful dynamics 
> discussions with the offending slinger (beer may help), put on a song or 
> two where the guitar player uses good dynamics.  Any older Allman Brothers 
> should do - they go from nice and quiet to insanely loud on a regular 
> basis.  Point it out and make a big deal out of it.  Over time, slip in a 
> few derogatory comments about loud players and the "wall of noise" in 
> casual conversation and get him to agree with you.  Become a therapist 
> specializing in loud guitar players.  You're doing your part for mankind.
>
> Good luck,
>
> Tim
> www.HarpMicGaskets.com

Hi,
Too often the guitarists that are playing too loud are often the very same 
people who are totally clueless about dynamics and often have little or no 
rhythm playing skills to go along with that, and so volume is their way of 
trying to hide that. In a rock band, drummers can also be a culprit even 
worse than a guitar player because they also have a great deal to do with 
band dynamics. Electric bass players have often been worse than guitar 
players, not just for volume, but for constant overplaying and screwing up 
the groove trying to play lead bass. One thing to remember with many white 
music bands is that too often the one musician thought of as being the best 
musician in the band is usually the guitar player, and harp players are 
thought of as totally opposite, and so the rest of the band will usually 
follow the guitar player, screw ups and all, and this has been a fact for 
years, and often times solos take far greater importance than the groove 
does in many of those bands, and some of it stems from a kind of an 
adolescent musical macho image, unfortunately. Tim's comments, tho, are 
right on the money from a pro's standpoint. Learning how to use dynamics 
means that everyone else in the band has to always pay close attention to 
what's happening 24/7. Part of the harp disrespect aspect comes from the way 
many harp players go about things, as many of them aren't exactly musically 
together themselves, including the aspects of dynamics, and when to play and 
when NOT to play, so as far as I'm concerned, harp players ain't getting off 
scot-free in my book either.

Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
MP3's: http://music.mp3lizard.com/barbequebob/