Re: [Harp-L] Old-Time Harmonica

["James Sterett" <Jsterett@xxxxxxxxx>]

One thing that stands out to me with your playing Trip (along with the
likes of Grant dermody & Mark Graham) is when you play with a fiddler,
although you're playing fiddle parts, there's no mistaking there's a
harmonica in there.  And I appreciate that... not trying to make the
harp sound like something else, just adding the harp to the mix as a
valuable piece of the song.   I'm not sure if I can express this
clearly, but some of the most effective harp/fiddle work to my ear (and
maybe this doesn't actually occur, only in my ear) is when the fiddle
might be dancing along a notey phrase and the harp plays the phrase a
bit more economically, lingering on a single note where the fiddle may
have just played three (I believe that's a Bill Monroe trick)...  your
"Five Miles of Ellum Wood" kind of illustrates what I'm trying to say,
as well as Grant Dermody's playing with the Improbabillies on "Yew Piney
Mountain."  Something about keeping the harp soul and spirit intact
amongst all those confounded strings. ;)

Jim.

>>> "Henderson, Peter" <Henderson@xxxxxxxxxxxx> 9/26/2006 8:15 PM >>>
Hey Eric,
 
My personal approach to playing old time music on the harmonica is to
play the role of fiddler.  So you are either lead fiddle or second
fiddle.  Lead plays...you guessed it - melody.  Second plays, yup, a
second part, usually doubling the melody or far less often, creating a
part below the melody that emphasizes harmony and chords. In my
experience playing with top level OT players they do NOT want you
"adding vamps and other rhythmic effects to enhance the piece".  Here's
a link to my MY SPACE site where on the tune "Five Miles of Ellum Wood"
I duet with an old time fiddler.  You'll hear what I'm talking about.
 
http://www.myspace.com/triphenderson  
 
I've been playing for 30 years and I started with old time while I was
living in West Virginia.  I then passed through acoustic blues, Chicago
blues, reggae, rockabilly, rock, country, bluegrass, and honky tonk and
now I'm back where I started - old time.  Harp and fiddle sound amazing
together and there's nothing more fun for me than to sit knee to knee
and trance out with the other players on an ancient fiddle tune.  
 
Best,
 
Trip Henderson
 
 

	-----Original Message-----
	From: bluegrassharp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bluegrassharp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Eric Lubeck
	Sent: Tuesday, September 26, 2006 7:51 AM
	To: bluegrassharp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
	Subject: [BluegrassHarp] Old-Time Harmonica 
	Hi Folks,
	I was curious how people on this list play harmonica in an
old-time
	situation. By this i´m thinking of a group probably anchored in
the sound
	of clawhammer banjo and fiddle. Do you play the straight melody
like
	additional melody players might? If you do, how do you play the
melody?
	First position smooth, second position bendy, or some otherway.
I typically
	find myself playing second position on a country tuned harp.
This sound
	really seems to blend well with the group. I also don´t worry
too much
	about melody, but keep my accompianiment strongly with the
rhythmic movement
	of the piece, additing vamps and other rhythmic ethics to
enhance the
	piece. Seems to me like old-time music is far more about rhythm
than
	staying orthodox to the melody and for this reason harmonica
seems to be an
	excellent accompaniment instrument.
	
	 

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