Re: [Harp-L] Learning Other Instruments from Harp

["Thomas McGovern" <tmcg@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Steel drum, often referred to as steel pan.  I've been playing harmonica "by
ear" since the late 1960's (thanks to John Mayall, Sonny Terry and Bob Dylan
influences), occasionally sitting in with various local bands, usually after
a few beers.  In 1998, I became a fulltime member of a Michigan based Jimmy
Buffett tribute act Airmargaritaville.  (Check out our website at
www.airmargaritaville.net    [shameless self-promotion]).  When our steel
drum player moved on, I purchased a pan from a gentleman  in Trinidad, and
immersed myself in figuring out how to play the thing, again "by ear" as I
hadn't had the discipline to learn music theory.  As I banged away, it
occurred to me that most of the pan lines in the songs we play are very
similar to the additional harmonica lines I'd been playing since our pan
player quit.  Steel pan and harmonica sounds (although not close in their
individual "feel") seem interchangeable when used in tropical rock/country
music.  But more importantly, I was amazed to discover that the pan is laid
out exactly as a circle of fifths (only flipped upside down--with the "c"
note at your belly, and moving counter-clockwise around the pan.)  My "c"
soprano-or "lead"-pan is fully chromatic and has three octaves.  It helped
open the door for me to learn music theory and has greatly improved my
harmonica playing and understanding of positions and modes on the harmonica.
The cool thing is that I'm hearing more pan  in country music (eg. Kenny
Chesney) as well as harmonica.  And like harmonica, steel drum playing is
also a real crowd pleaser, for those of us who love to ham it up.  Contact
me if you'd like the name of a good steel drum maker.  I have no financial
interest in pushing the pan.  I just love the sound, and how it so
wonderfully compliments (and improves) my harmonica playing.

Tom McGovern
Richmond, MI USA

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jonathan Metts" <jonathan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, December 15, 2006 1:05 PM
Subject: [Harp-L] Learning Other Instruments from Harp


I have often wondered whether my experience and skills playing harmonica
would translate, at least partially, to other instruments.  I have seen
these work to a small degree on piano, where my knowledge of scales and
improvisation lets me sound like I sort of know what I'm doing.  But I'm
more interested in the physical skills rather than music theory, which could
apply to any instrument.

Specifically, I have a chromatic harmonica on my Christmas list, and I'm
very curious to see how quickly I can pick it up based on four years of
playing the diatonic.  I'm also a lover of the saxophone and have to think
some of my embouchure and other oral skills from playing harp would carry
over to that instrument.  Any comments from Michael Peloquin or anyone else
who plays both harp and sax or has gone from diatonic to chromatic?  Are
there any other instruments that a harp player could pick up more easily
than a non-harp player?

Jonathan Metts
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