[Harp-L] Re: [BluegrassHarp] Dr Banjo's view of harmonica

["Cara Cooke" <cyberharp@xxxxxxxxx>]

It still remains a matter of "each to his own" opinion.  Most people hardly
ever hear me breathe when I play fast or slow, unless I am having some sort
of unfixable sinus problem, in which case they would hear me breathe when I
sing or play bass or....  By the same token, many singers can be seen and
heard breathing, as can string players.  We used to have a "frog award" for
certain string players because of the contortions their face went through
while they played.  The facial contortions were actually that distracting
from the music.  Should they hang it up because they don't have a poker
face?  And, through it all, you could tell when they were holding their
breath as they played, so we could hear them breathe, however light the
sound might be.

Pete can be a great guy, or a demanding one, letting the frustration of the
moment color his perception and behavior.  For that matter, that can be said
about many of us.  However, I was watching when Jim and Jesse had Mike
Stevens in the band and the members of the audience were cheering the
harmonica on, loudly.  Flatt and Scruggs let Earl Taylor play harmonica
occasionally, long before they worked anything out with Charlie McCoy, so
something must have been alright with the instrument as far as they were
concerned.  Charlie was not their first experiment with the instrument.

Not knowing of any great, well-known, or popular bluegrass bands that have a
harmonica player is not much of a measure either.  There are hundreds of
thousands of bluegrass bands all over the country, but only a very small
group is known as "great", or are well-known or "popular". There are
hundreds of thousands of banjo players across the country, yet only so many
manage to become "great" and end up in these few "great", well-known, or
"popular" bands.  But those bands generally would seek out a banjo player if
they needed one, because they know it is necessary for the music they play.
However, they might not seek out a dobro player.  How many "great",
well-known, or "popular" dobro players are there in comparison to the
banjo?  The overall population is going to be smaller, but not so small as
to explain why every "great", well-known, or "popular" band out there does
not have a dobro player.  Many marvelous dobro players have to wait their
turn for their opportunity "knock" alongside the many wonderful banjo
players whose names you will also never know.

If a harmonica player is good enough to play the faster tunes, as the other
instruments do, then he would himself be rather well accomplished and would
be amongst the few outstanding in his field.  Unlike the world of banjo or
dobro or the other stringed instruments in the band, the population of
harmonica players who are accomplished enough just to keep up with such a
band is pretty small.  Consequently, finding a single band with a harmonica
player in it might be quite difficult, especially in the realm of the type
of popularity Jim and Jesse receive.  Yet, Jim and Jesse had one, and,
according to recent reports may have another.  (There are folks who have
sworn to me that Jim and Jesse had a harmonica player with them this year.
I haven't seen them play this year, so I don't know personally.  I have been
busy playing my own gigs.)

I can show you one band that is popular enough regionally that we have been
requested by many of the same events and venues for many years.  (
http://manchacaallstars.tripod.com)  In this band, I have played guitar,
mandolin, bass, and harmonica at various times over the years.  My harmonica
gets requested back into the band anytime we leave it out -- by our fans.
With this bunch, I primarily play the instrumentals (fast or slow) and play
bass and sing harmony the rest of the time.  Once the fiddler and banjo
player take their breaks, they will look to me to put in one on the
harmonica before they take their next turns.

Like any instrument in a performance situation, you will want to alter the
instrumentation of the band periodically to alter the sound and approach to
different songs/tunes.  Here is where we fail to consider the band's view on
all of this.  No one song is going to need every instrument you can play to
be on it.  So a particular band may use the harmonica only occasionally on
purpose -- not so much because the harmonica doesn't fit or the player is
incapable, but, simply, because they want the sound to change.  That may
also be the reason behind their addition of harmonica to a song/tune.  Each
player and each band is different and approaches things differently.

Obviously, I don't agree entirely with Pete, but that is not necessarily
new.  We are, after all, still in the world of opinion.  Given time and the
growth of a population of players able to hold their own in such situations,
you may begin to see more harmonica players on the scene.  Since getting to
that level is typically exceptionally difficult on harmonica, the time we
hit that "critical mass" of players may be far, far in the future.  That is
why it is important now to keep working on our skills and knowledge and help
those who want to try their hand at the music on our instrument learn the
ropes.  For every 50 beginners, you may find one able to "go the distance",
and then they have a lot more to learn to work with the other instruments
and musicians.  The job is not impossible, just daunting --
challenging.  So, ONWARD  BLOW!!!

Cara



On 10/20/06, Henderson, Peter <henderson@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>   BILL THOMPSON WROTE....
>
> I came across this question and its answer by Pete Wernick, the banjo
> teacher who has some DVDs out...thought it might provoke some
> discussion.
>
> I thought Pete's answer to the harmonica player was thoughtful and
> sensitive, but a bit of a downer, as it spelled out (as if we didn't
> know already!) how string players view the harmonica in bluegrass.
>
> What struck me most was Pete's statement that the harmonica should not
> be played fast in bluegrass and characterization of such playing as
> "huffing and puffing." My first thought was that he's been exposed to
> players with bad technique, and that nimble, clean single-note playing
> on a harmonica doesn't sound like that at all.....But maybe to a string
> player, ALL harmonica playing sounds like huffing and puffing.
>
> Any thoughts?
>
> ________________________________
>
> Ask Dr. Banjo:
> Harmonica in Bluegrass
> Aug 3, 2006
> Jersey Jim writes:
>
> Hey Pete,
>
> I've been a campfire guitar strummer for years but never really tried
> to advance. (Same old stuff). What I been good at or even better than
> good is the harmonica. I been playing harp for 30 years and have adapted
> to sitting in with a lot of different styles of music Blues, folk and
> bluegrass mostly.
>
> What I have experienced as a harp player is I get mixed emotions from
> different festivals at night time jams. Sometimes I am very much
> welcomed (especially if they recognize me ) and other times I can't get
> a break to same my life, so I move on. I've even seen where musicians
> will pack it up and move on when I enter a circle, with caution that is.
> I'm thinking of taking up the banjo, just so I have more musicians I can
> play and work with. But I was curious to hear your view point on his
> delicate subject and do you have any suggestions on were/how I can
> improve. So I ask you, Pete, Is the harmonica a bluegrass instrument?
>
> Thanks for your input , hope to meet you soon. Jersey Jim
>
> Pete Replies:
>
> Dear J.J.,
>
> You've asked a very interesting question here. The short answer is what
> you've already observed: "Yes or no, depending."
>
> Longer answer, depending on "what"?
>
> Most people don't like *fast* harmonica playing in bluegrass. It's very
> hard to do, and sounds very hard to do, but I personally don't usually
> like it, and all the "huffing and puffing" as I think of it, distracts
> from the pure sounds of the picked and bowed instruments. Flatt &
> Scruggs and Jim & Jesse both experimented with harmonica players, some
> of the best in fact, but many fans didn't like it, and with those two
> high-profile experiments, most people consider the case closed.
>
> **However**, on slower, wistful tunes, I think a harmonica can add a
> beautiful, evocative feel that is not at all foreign to the sounds and
> emotions of bluegrass.
>
> I am a bit biased here, because my dad played harmonica. After rejecting
> him as a music partner as a teenager (par for the course, I guess), I
> later "rediscovered" him, and had many happy times making music with
> just banjo and harmonica. We even did a little bit of recording that I'd
> like to release someday.
>
> In jam sessions, I'm always willing to give a harmonica player a turn,
> just to see what they can do. If they can handle the music well (even in
> huff/puff style) I'll think of them as welcome, because in a jam, when
> it doubt it's better to be inclusive -- usually, at least.
>
> So I'm just underscoring your experience and the conclusions you've
> already drawn:
>
> 1. Some people will like it, some won't.
>
> 2. Choose where you're welcome, and leave where you're not.
>
> 3. To be more generally welcome, bring and be able to play another, more
> wanted instrument.
>
> Here's a further suggestion:
>
> 4. Choose your situations carefully. Don't bring out the harmonica until
> a slower song comes along, then do your thing, with good tone and
> feeling, no histrionics. That will create a great first impression and
> good reaction. Then put it back away until the next opportunity where
> you know it will go over well. Don't start "chancing" using it on more
> questionable songs (especially faster ones) unless you really think it
> will work. Like a lot of things, a small portion will go over a lot
> better than a large portion.
>
> Happy harping!
>
> Pete
>
> **************************************
> Trip's two cents...
>
> This may sound funny coming from a harp player who is out every week
> playing bluegrass, but for the most part, I agree with Pete. Just to
> add to his pedigree, in addition to his being one of the most important
> players and educators of the banjo, he is, or was until recently the
> President of the IBMA (International Bluegrass Musician's Association).
> But he's no stick in the mud - or a purist. He started HOT RISE with
> Tim O'Brian and has a progressive bluegrass band that features - god
> forbid, the clarinet! I've both hired Pete and played with Pete - he's
> a great and open minded guy. But I too was not wild about Charlie McCoy
> with Flatt and Scruggs or Mike Stevens with Jim and Jesse. Come to
> think of it, I can not think of a popular bluegrass band that
> incorporates harp into the lineup. The one exception that comes to mind
> is the first WILL THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN album with Jimmie Fadden on
> harp (and drums). There he duets with the late great Vassar Clements by
> playing a harmony or takes his own solos and it works great - but that's
> not a pure bluegrass recording - but it serves as an example of how it
> CAN work. As a rule, harp seems to work better in an old time setting
> due to the ensemble nature of the music - harp and fiddle blend
> beautifully.
>
> Trip Henderson
> http://www.myspace.com/triphenderson
>
> * **************************************
>
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