[Harp-L] "Wrong" Notes & Hedged Bets; or, What Price Chromacity?

[Aeskow@xxxxxxx]

It seems to me that all this provocative byplay about overblows, Miles'  
clunkers, and how much slack we should cut for "slurred" notes is obscuring a  
simple but crucial question: the emotional impact of a particular song at a  
particular moment.  I think the argument has gotten wobbly and kind of  mis-shapen 
as people rush to defend either their playing or their sense of  aesthetics, 
but at its core, for me, it's just that simple--is the pursuit, or  
achievement, of full chromacity on a diatonic serving the tune, or vice  versa?  I 
should point out up front that I don't overblow--have not yet  felt a strong enough 
impulse to do the work, in the larger context of study  and playing, and find 
that my own needs as a player can be met either with  valved diatonics or on 
chromatic--but speaking now just as a listener, I feel  that the pursuit of a 
full palette of notes can sometimes get in the way of the  song.  And not in 
the way that's being discussed--i.e. hitting "wrong"  notes; it's not that hard 
to transform "wrong" notes into "right" ones  retroactively if you're 
comfortable with jazz scales, or to simply let them hang  there, Miles-style, as part 
of the song's human statement.  Rather, for me,  I get the feeling sometimes 
that the laudable goal of chromacity can make the  playing too intellectual.  
Given the challenge of overblowing notes with  the same fullness and resonance 
as "regular" ones, it seems to me that  players may be TOO concerned with 
avoiding clunkers--with the result being that  bets are hedged, and 100% 
commitment to each note is often difficult (or  impossible) for players to sustain.  
In no way is this meant to disparage  the work--I admire it--the point here is 
just that ANYTHING that gets in the way  of pure focus on The Note, whether 
it's for the player or the listener, breaks  the flow of the experience.  
Whether it's concern for pitch, or a thin-ness  of tone, it's perfectly 
understandable--but when it gets between the harp and  the audience, as I think it often 
can, technique can obscure rather than  illuminate.
 
That said, the pursuit is obviously a noble one, and the debate's inspired  
me to play.
 
Peace and Respect,
Johnny T