[Harp-L] playing harmonically and the importance of rhythm

["Jonathan R. Ross" <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Iceman writes:
*"To take diatonic to the next level, it should not be played
"harmonically", but like any other instrument in which you pick the
notes frst and then play them."*

Name one instrument where that happens.  I don't know any, and I have
known great musicians on a wide range of instruments.  How many pianists
actually choose to play in C# major without complaining?  Few that I've
met.  Same with organists.

Every instrument has it's strengths and weaknesses.  To me one of the
great failings of the recent ideology concerning playing the diatonic
harmonica "chromatically", IMO, is an adoption of a sort of macho
attitude as stated above.  It is, to me, a fairly unrealistic view of
the nature of musical instruments.  The goal is not to force the
instrument to do whatever you want, but rather to craft what you want by
using the instrument's strengths and sometimes even highlighting the
weaknesses to best convey the mood, song, melody, rhythm and the like.  

This is not a "cop-out" or anything like that.  Rather, it is a
realistic view of musical instruments.  Organs can do some things
wonderfully (infinite sustain, for instance) and other things not at all
(individual note dynamics--for the most part).  So, you have to play
them "organistically".  To try and play an organ "pianistically" will
invariably lead to a rather unsatisfying musical result.  Just listen to
the Fats Walter piano roll recordings transferred to theater organ.
They are interesting, but the pianistic nature of the playing hinders
the music because it does not suit the things organs do best.
Transcriptions work when the piece is changed to fit the
instrument--that is because what Miles plays on a trumpet isn't going to
work nearly as well when played note for note on a guitar, for instance.
The guitar does things a trumpet can't (chords, for instance) and
doesn't do things a trumpet does well (more nuanced intonation, for
instance).  The harmonica is no different.

Indeed, Iceman says much the same in the following paragraph:

*"You may also learn how to choose a position or morph and time the
ideas so 
that notes produced through OB/OD are minimized in their "weight" within
the 
melodic line."*

What could be more "harmonical" than choosing what key to play in to get
the ideal position?  

Chris writes:
*"C'mon man, we had this discussion a month or so ago. I proved
everybody wrong.

Rhythm matters most."*

Everything matters in accordance with the dictates of the particular
musical setting.  Play Schoenberg's piano pieces rhythmically with
random notes and see if it makes any sense.  It wouldn't because here
the relationship of the notes and the harmonic structure of the pieces
are much more important than the particular rhythms.  Similarly, play
the wrong notes to a "Jingle Bells" over a set chord structure and it
might be recognizable, but it won't be particularly listenable.  Also,
while the rhythm of Stravinsky's "Right of Spring" might be instantly
recognizable irregardless of the particular notes being played--if the
right notes aren't played the intensity of the piece falls apart and the
power is lost.

Reductio ad absurdum is a wonderful diagnostic tool, but it can lead to
reduction ad infinitum, which is by definition pointless.




 oo    JR "Bulldogge" Ross
()()   & Snuffy, too:)
`--'