[Harp-L] OB's/Intonation/Wabis/second try sorry if this posts twice...

["Jason Ricci" <jason@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

1.)I'm really curious as to what diatonic players working towards the goal
of true chromaticity on a 10 hole actually think about the intonation
issue-fjm
 
2.)I'm really curious as to why people make these expressive compromises and
I don't mean in any particular direction.  -Fjm
 
 
The Story:
 
Alright here goes:
                         I'm a diatonic player who's working towards that
goal (the chromatic one) But thats not my only goal. I'm going to address
this issue (intonation) later, but I first have to tell a little story that
address fjm's apples and oranges remark about intonation vs. groove vs. soul
etc. because  that having been brought up, is another topic entirely, yet
not so different at all, and certainly not unrelated to me.
   Five years ago or so...I quit Big Al and the heavyweights and got off the
road for a while. I was wondering what to do with my life and music
etc....Hmmm  like maybe a substance abuse counselor, maybe, a harp teacher,
maybe find another gig, maybe go study with Howard Levy, maybe start my own
band....I narrowed it down to two choices: 1.) Study with Howard, 2.) Start
my own band. I wrote Howard Levy and discussed this with him and it could
have happened for me. I had money saved etc...and could have made it worked,
and although Howard was more into me studying piano (For Harmonica), than me
studying with him, I could have made it happen. I sat outside bars, followed
performers cross country, picked up jobs in towns just to be around certain
players etc....( there wasn't always a harp l and internet and this is how
many of us learned.) So I chose to start my band. I did this because I knew
I had some chops already, some harmony, some theory, my own style etc...but
I wanted to do more than just play harmonica well, I wanted to make art, I
wanted to express how I felt inside, inside my heart and my mind and I knew
all the study, theory, harmony, intonation etc...would surely help but would
not provide and end to this search.  When do you say when and when do you
say here I am this is me venerable, fast, tough, sad, happy, smart, stupid,
sober, drunk, out of tune, in tune, perfectly imperfect...When does one do
that??? Some never do...some too soon. all good art is a balance between
technique and soul neither one is key they both serve eachother. In the
Tradition of Japanese pottery there is something  that all collectors and
historians  alike look for in any given piece. It's Called a Wabi. A wabi is
a flaw or an imperfection found somwhere on the piece of pottery that gives
the piece it's unique identity and ultimatly makes it priceless  I learned
this from a japanese  harmonica player named Wabi who use to play with Larry
Garner. The Japanese culture has always been one that has generally and
stereotypically, for thousands of years strived for perfection and technical
mastery in all of it's ventures both artistic and otherwise yet some how
they have forged a high value of the wabi.The Wabi doesn't make the piece
cool nessacarilly and I doubt any of the potters intentionally tried to
include wabis in their pieces but it does identify the maker and expresses
the prayer PROGRESS NOT PERFECTION. So in short I chose art over musical
mastery, I chose my expression to be the pursuit of life inside my music, of
action inside my life and music of various forms and disciplines, I chose to
make an attempt to intonate my life with my music, and yeah that means
practicing my bend notes on the 3 hole draw but more importantly it means
practicing making my music say something besides: "Hey look this ten hole
diatonic can play three complete chromatic octaves in tune with your
Steinway Grand piano." That would be cool to say that and maybe Cletus can
but has anyone ever told any of you "your music kept me from killing
myself", or "you gave me hope to get off drugs", or "you made me cry when
you played blue and lonesome". I heard those things before and the
sickest/greatest part of this story is that when I heard these impassioned
testimonies either during or after I heard them I thought to myself...."Yeah
but man that three bend was flat or "Wow you liked that? My singing sucked!"
There's a lot to work on in music and in life we have to try and do it all,
but in the end we make choices based on priorities that deal with the issues
we think are important. For me intonation is an issue and will always be
admittedly because of my chosen instrument but one thats only part of
bigger, more important issues like: Moving people, individuality, creative,
expression and the ability to make a note go
woooaaaahhhhhooooohhhhhaaaahhhheeeerrrrhhhhaaaahhhhh ( hole bend ).
 
The addressing of the actual issue at hand:
 
 
  There are intonation issues on NON bend/over bend notes on diatonic as
well as chromatic. Just by playing the 1 draw or 2 draw on a chro or a
diatonic one can play either of those notes sharp or flat without
bending/overblowing. I have recordings of Larry Adler and Mike Turk honking
a little too hard on their chro's to the extant of flatness. MANY,MANY GREAT
jazz recording feature pianos that were not tuned properly and other
instruments as well (this IS part of this discussion) and would be found
relevant in a court of law. If you can compare the Chromatics intonation to
the diatonic why not the diatonic to the sax/theramin/bass etc.. I agree
it's really hard on the 3 hole bend on the diatonic and a definite obstacle
but lets here any instrument bend a whole step and a half then have that
player isolate the individual notes....It's tough but fun listen to the
reaction of the uadience when Buddy Guy Does it. A chromatic can't really do
that (bend a whole step) neither can a piano that's tough too, it's
something they have to work around, especially when trading 8's'  4's
etc.... Something you live with, challenge,fight  sound a little like trying
to get perfect intonation on a diatonic????. "These expressive compromises"
in any direction (very eloquent Fjm), are indeed in ALL directions arn't
they.
   I think intonation is just an obstacle of the instrument as it is with
many instruments, maybe more with some,  example:(Theremin).... maybe less
with others (Fretless bass) etc.. Obviously more with the diatonic and less
with the chromatic.  I have no problem with that. As far as this being "AN
ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM" or "THE EMPERORS NEW CLOTHES"  what??? First I've
heard!!! Me and my buddies been hunting that elephant on safari for like 10
years now...almost shot that bitch too in Zaire last year. Intonation is
something I and almost every diatonic player I know spend LOTS of time
talking about, teaching, critiquing, practicing and on and on. There are
even computer programs available, and designed to, help with practicing
one's intonation on the diatonic ( The BENDOMETER ) and a number of books as
well address the hurdle by suggesting practice with a piano etc... This is
not an issue I feel "everyone refuses to acknowledge". Gindick Jam camp,
Dave Barrett's master classes, countless one on one player discussions
should and do bring this up, now it's here too at little ole harp l.
 
Everyone!!!!:Practice your intonation, get it good, hell get it
perfect,knowledge can never hurt you, But don't think ever that intonation
in and of itself makes music good or bad or makes an instrument good or
bad....My cat just walked across the piano and it was perfectly in tune. Was
it art? Is she a better player than professor Long Hair" does it matter?"
 
 "Girls that are fine doesn't make them fine if they aint got something on
the inside that shines"
-Jim Morrison from the album An American Prayer
 
Jason Ricci
 
 jasonricci.com  
 
 myspace.com/jasonricciandnewblood

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