Re: [Harp-L] Volume lament

["Dennis Cooper" <harmaniac@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Greetings,

The Iceman scribed: "They love to hear themselves" in reference to lead 
guitar players.

Since I've played a fairly wide range of musical instruments in settings 
from orchestral to Dub, I have been privileged to hear that exact same 
comment about almost any instrument capable of taking a solo. I've made a 
game of keeping very unscientific results over the years and here are the 
winners as voted by other musicians I know in the "I can't shut up" 
category: (In no particular order, it's about a three way tie.)

Fiddle
Harmonica
Saxophone

Now on to the lead player story... I worked for a pro-Bassist/vocalist with 
real musical class down in the Palm Springs area in the eighties. When a 
band member got a bit out of control, he would arrange a signal with the 
non-offending parties during the next break and on his queue, in the middle 
of a song, the rest of the band would just stop playing.

During my tenure with the band it happened to 2 drummers, 2 lead guitarists, 
and four keyboard players. (My own personal vote for over-played instrument 
of the century in the blues and rock category. Just tie that left hand 
behind your back and stay off those bass lines!)

It usually only took one time in a live show to get the point driven home. 
If it happened three times, a new member of the band would magically appear 
and replace the previous.

As my dear mother used to explain: "You were given two ears and one mouth. 
Try and use the ears twice as much." Same thing applies to instruments...

Best Regards,

The Harmaniac? Dennis M. Cooper
http://www.crossharp.com
http://www.cdbaby.com/harmaniac