Re: [Harp-L] On the Road Again,,and again

[BiscuitBoy714@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 12/31/2006 6:28:12 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
rlaughlin@xxxxxxxxxxxx writes
 
            I'll  tell ya what dude, I was in a country band with some killer 
musicians. EVERYBODY  could rip lead and 5 of us sang lead at different 
times, the harmonies were  awesome. Best money I made in Erie was with these guys. 
All of them were very  polite and confident enough in themselves that they 
didn't have to overplay or  get in the way doing too many fills. They let me play 
any instrument I wanted to  play. We all took turns in most of the songs, 
kind of like a circle, unless it  was just a violin song or had a specific harp 
part like Boot Scootin' Boogie, or  guitar part that was the overriding thing 
to be played. Sometimes we would split  the leads up and I'd do half and the 
guitar would do half, then we would double  going out. We all did that but the 
guitar player was my fav to do it with.  Problem was, I just 'aint that in to 
country. Now blues on the other  hand...........we would share rigs but nobody 
would ever share the stage  anywhere I ever played. I'd take the low part, but 
I'd want to take turns at it.  O well, I'll do it sometime. I'm recording 
right now, I was thinking of trying  playing in E ...A harp dominate and then use 
a D harp kind of like playing  mixalodian (?) scales with it to double in 
harmony. Anybody ever try that?
         Randy

Maybe  the Harmonicats? I know  I've tried it with other players and  it
always
> turns into a pissin' contest.
>

Bob  ponders:

Ain't that the truth.

Well,,I guess SOMEONE's always  gotta take the lower place to make it work.
It works best when you get two  or more that are WILLING to take the lowest
place, to perform a menial  task, musically speaking, as support, rather than
the "headliner". I think  good accompaniment always recognizes the need for
support. On one extreme,  when musicians get together, everyone wants to be
"the big cheese". On the  other extreme, you get a situation where no one
wants to make a decision,  and the gig just drifts nowhere, into endless
"jamming" on a monotonous  pattern. That's as unfulfilling as the first
example, where people are just  "cutting heads". Hey,,even "cutting heads"
can work if everyone's willing  to take turns.

But getting two musicians to support each other,,that's  real.

Bob,,pondering the dynamics of a successful  group