[Harp-L] re: 12 position, Overblows, and why I like harp

[Jonathan Ross <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Miguel Weissman writes:

"I?ve been playing with a band {The Last eight month} that plays  
music from the Twenties and Thirties {Louis Armstrong, Django, and  
Dixieland older blues, Old country Swing- Bob Willis}."

You will want to check out Rhythm Willie (http://www.patmissin.com/ 
articles/PWBHG4.html), amongst others.  He was playing diatonic in  
swing tunes when it was still a popular music.  Don Les of the  
Harmonicats is another early diatonic swing player (as oppossed to  
blues, folk, etc...which swing but aren't Swing, if you get my  
drift).  The two are quite different, but show interesting ways of  
tackling the same basic questions.  I'd also recommend listening to  
some Larry Adler as well.  The chromatic and diatonic are different  
beasts, but it still gives you some ideas of what other people have  
done with swing.


"The positions choice is make according to how the cords fit the  
tune. I play ?Found and New Baby? in forth position, The Band is in D  
and I?m using my Bb harp. ?Belleville? I use third position {It fits  
with the Bridge Better}. Took me three weeks to feel comfortable  
playing ?Belleville? with the band.  But songs like ?Memories of You?  
and ?I?m confessing? are in cross harp. "


Why "confessing"?  It sounds like you're doing what comes naturally  
to the instrument and making music.  Doing things just because they  
are hard is not a sign of any greater worth, especially not when it  
comes to music.


"Some of you will hate me when I say ?Daphne? in the key of D and Eb,  
I use two harps, and I?m working on using on harp!"


I assume you mean that you're working on using "one harp" rather than  
two.  Why?  If two harps serves your purposes better than one, then  
use two with pride.  Hell, if seven harps is what you need for a  
song, that's the way to go.  Music is one area where the ends do  
justify the means: if the music sounds good, whatever technique you  
used to do it is good.  If it doesn't sound good, then you should try  
a different technique.


"My point is I?m a professional harp player that wants to take  
chances, but it has to sound great? so some times I cop out, I?m  
practicing almost every day and I?m growing! '


My point is that it's not a cop-out:  If it sounds better to play in  
the more standard positions, to use multiple harps, etc... than it's  
not a "cop-out" by any definition.  The results are what matters, not  
how you get there--the music is the real goal, not the technique.

So, stop feeling guilty because you aren't fitting in with some  
attitude (real or perceived) about how it "should" be done,  
especially not concerning what techniques you use.  All techniques  
for playing are equally valid, none better or worse than any other.    
With rare exceptions, music isn't about technical feats of wizardry  
but things that sound good (in context--what sounds good for Sun Ra  
might not be the same as what sounds good for the Texas Doughboys,  
for instance).

As a big fan of pre-WWII swing (of all sorts: Hot jazz, Big Band  
Jazz, Stomp, Western Swing, Gypsy Jazz, etc...) I look forward to  
hearing when you record.  It sounds like an interesting band, and  
like you're finding new ways to incorporate harmonica into the  
style.  Good luck, and keep doing what it seems you've been doing all  
along: focusing on what sounds good.



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