[Harp-L] "As The Sweat Begins To Roll"

[Reach Mann <imreach@xxxxxxxxx>]

. . . so we had one forty minute set to play some back
porch Delta blues at a harp festival and we wanted to
get it right. Hadn't played with these guys in a year
and a half. A few rehearsals and some co-ordinating
the set list and we were ready. The day before the gig
I handed my set list to our guitar player and asked
him if all the keys were right. It was handed back
with an OK.
Now, a few days before (guitar player is a doctor) I
had noticed that his handwriting made an E look like
an F because in his haste he left off the line on the
bottom of the E so I corrected it. OK, so there we
were playing the gig, had twelve songs, and here's the
hitch. At the beginning of the gig my set list got
switched and when we got to the tenth song, did you
guess it, it was the one in E that said F. Here's
where the sweat cometh fromith.
Grabbed a B# and knew it was wrong after the first
note.
"Damn", says I to myself as I quickly double check the
set list. It says "F" !! "Well it has to be right
because I double checked it, so what's wrong" ? It
didn't come to me.  Oh man, in overdrive, the video,
audio and digital recordings are running, the crowd is
packed and into it, I love this song and had worked up
some good stuff, do I lean over and ask what key, eyes
flash, no, he's too into it and I don't want to throw
him off his grove, damn !!!
I should know what key this is, no time to think.
OK, make it work is the decision ! All this in two
beats. But the wrong decision, "As The Sweat Begins To
Roll." The right thing would have been to just
remember the key. Bamm, gave it a quick thought and it
didn't immediately come to me so I decided to find
something that worked in Bb. After all the talk about
positions I was pretty sure something was there so
I'll just back off the mic till I find something and
then just play easy as I stumble through to the
end."heck, if I'm lucky I might even find something
that works and still be able to wail." No luck Bubba !
You looose BUCKWHEAT !
 Well it sounded almost there some of the time, which
equals sucks ! So I have two questions. (1) Where did
the word clam evolve from ? and, (2) what the hell
position is a Bb harp when the tune is in E ? 
                                  And the beat goes on
                                  Have Fun
                                  I play harp (as I 
                                  reach into my pocket
                                  and flash one)
                                    Reach

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