RE: [Harp-L] Learn to play in 2 days???

["charlie zevon" <chaszev@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

OK, the gig basically went OK.  The band and vocals were great and people 
seemed to enjoy it.  I was able to pull off the part but had a couple 
issues:

1) Needed more of the harp in the monitor. Thought it was fine in sound 
check but when we played for the service it was way too low.

2) I was concentrating so much on the notes and timing during the first 
service I missed the slides? (Signature harp thing, don't know what it's 
called: you're on a note, quickly slide up then down to the next note?).  
Got it right the 2nd time through.

All in all it was fun.  I know that 1 riff doesn't make me a harp player, 
but I want to keep working on it.  Also got some tickets for an upcoming 
Blues Traveler concert and will catch Charlie Musselwhite next time he comes 
to town.

Thanks again,
Charlie

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List members,

Thanks to all who replied to my question.  First, let me apologize if anyone 
was offended by my post.  I totally agree that the idea of learning an 
instrument in 2 days is silly. I should have mentioned that I had played for 
a few months many years ago, and seem to remember the basics. But thereâ??s 
a huge difference between the ability to make sounds and the ability to make 
music, it would certainly take years to become a player. Anyway in my post I 
actually meant to be self-mocking, like â??Iâ??ve gone and done a stupid 
thing, please help.â??  So any sarcastic answers to a sarcastic question are 
deserved (I especially liked the offer of Florida swamp land.)

Fortunately this is a relatively simple line, much of my sound will be 
covered up by the band, and we play for a forgiving crowd. And while I could 
play the line on synthesizer Iâ??d rather take a stab at the real thing.  
Hopefully breath and soul will compensate somewhat for lack of talent.

Thanks for tips about the bottom E.  Tried blowing through the lips only, 
with tongue out of the way using more eeee sound and this all helps.  Also, 
the posting in Portuguese (from Gary L) suggested doing a 3 blow instead of 
a 2 draw for bottom E.  This definitely cured the flatness, it changes the 
chord but works when blowing the E as a single note.

Oh, and I said the line has a G itâ??s actually G#, so a D harp probably 
wouldnâ??t work.  Itâ??s a little confusing because the recording of Desire 
is in Eb, sounds like they tuned the guitars down a half step and used an Ab 
harp. But we donâ??t have a crew of roadies for quick guitar tuning so 
weâ??ll do it in E.   I used Windows Media Player with Chronotron plug-in to 
transpose the recording to E for playing along with.  Anyone know whoâ??s 
blowing on the recording?  Is it a member of U2 or did they bring someone 
in?

Regards,
Charlie

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Help, I volunteered to play with my church band this Sunday and I need to 
learn the harp fast....