Re: [Harp-L] Musicians' etiquette

["Dennis M. Cooper" <dcooper@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Guy,

I appreciate the fact that you didn't "Guss" the band by sitting on the 
bar stool playing as loud as possible like your friend described. As a 
working musician who plays several instruments in addition to Harmonica 
I'll make a few general observations.

1. It depends on the gig: Bands playing in a venue where the management 
is OK with "guest" musicians getting up for a few numbers are a far cry 
from a performance at a major festival or state fair. Some club owners 
frown upon guest musicians for the simple reason that if I let one 
person "sit-in" a whole crowd may appear out of nowhere waiting their 
turn. Suddenly it's bad Karaoke with a live band night at the bar 
instead of a quality musical performance.We actually had a fellow harp 
player "guss" the band by playing blues licks right in front of the 
stage during a bluegrass festival for a whole set and then get pissed 
off because he wasn't invited onto the stage to play inappropriate solos 
with the band.

2. If you feel like you would be a good fit with a group, it's OK to ask 
during a break if they ever let guest musicians up on stage.  Don't be 
hurt if they say "no". Some groups have strict policies due to past 
issues. example: The band lets someone up on stage one time and they 
turn into "stalkers" following the band to every gig they play for the 
next ten years!

3. Less is More! Use your ears as your primary instrument. Play stuff 
that fits with the song and stay well within your ability level. You are 
more likely to get invited up again if you error on the side of playing 
too little.

I must say that  it seems to be a singular peculiarity  of harmonica 
players to drag our instruments  from club to club hoping that a band 
might let us onto the stage for a song or two. (When was the last time 
you saw an oboe player drag their instrument to an orchestral 
performance, "just in case"?) Even when I'm good friends with all the 
band members, my harps stay in the car until I'm invited to play along. 
I also make a habit of not being conveniently available to play every 
time I show up someplace. It's a real treat to be on the audience side 
of the stage once in a while and I often let the band know that I came 
to enjoy them, not join them.

Most communities have jam sessions featuring different musical genres. 
Open mics, harmonica clubs, churches, and impromptu sessions with other 
musicians at festivals are always a good source of places to get a 
musical fix.

--
Best Regards,
Dennis M. Cooper
http://www.dennis-cooper.com
http://HarmonicaBootCamp.com
http://www.cdbaby.com/all/crossharp
http://www.ubl.com/denniscooperharmonica

"Practice hard, play well, and entertain the audience"