Re: [Harp-L] Re: The 'Flexible Gospel'...now Melodic lines vs. Tone

[Mojo Red <harplicks@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hey, awesome discussion here, folks. I love this
board!

Okay, I really ~loved~ Rob P's post regarding the
value of knowing/using ALL embrochures! I'm no
bad-ass player, but my technique is definately in
both pucker/TB camps, and I have no intention of
changing. :-)

But I wanted to respond to some things Larry
brought up in his recent post:

--- IcemanLE@xxxxxxx wrote:
> Fat tone has emotional punch. With the right
> gripmicampattitude, one note will move an 
> audience to its feet. 

This is especially true in blues IMO. Was it Muddy
who once said... "It's ALL about tone."

> However, if you personally want to go to a
> different level, leaning more toward the 
> challenging intellectual excitement and away 
> from the basic emotional response, musical line 
> is the way to go. 

To date have seen three basic phases in my
harmonica path (so far). 
1) Learning to play the damned thing. 
2) Going for deep tone. 
3) Gaining more lyricism (musical lines).

These phases, though initiated at seperate times
(at least consciously) have been equally difficult
for me to "master" if that's the right word.
Equally frustrating, equally difficult (in their
own ways) and equally satisfying once I was able to
please myself (and drunk or sober audiences). 

Okay, I am now entering a 4th phase of my learning
curve... Consciously inching ~each~ along
~together~, trying not to emphasize one too much
over the other... expanding a little technique
here, a little more monsterish tone there,
encorporating a smoother musical line everywhere. 

I love to improve my technique
I love to improve my tone
I love to improve my musicality...

But the ~real~ payoff is when they all come
together in that perfect non-intellectual moment,
that emotionally powerful, musically inspirational
moment when the mastery is effortless, when it
comes out as easy and natural and unpretentious as
breathing.

For me, there is no "vs." when it comes to tone and
melody... or, at least there shouldn't be. 

Okay, I'm greedy. I want it all. I want big FAT,
deep, Stoopid TONE (amped ~and~ accoustic), and I
want to be as original as I can. I want to cut a
musical line that's my own. Is that too much to
ask? 

Call me cooky, call me whacky, call me a wishful
thinker... but that's what I want outta this lil'
harpmonica. They ain't mutually exclusive, just
like TB and pucker techniques. 

Okay, I fell better now. :-)

Harpin' in Colorado,
--Ken M.

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