RE: [Harp-L] Old-Time Harmonica

["Henderson, Peter" <Henderson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Astute observation Jim.  We as old time harp players can either play it
note for note or occasionally play a long tone while the fiddler carries
the melody - almost providing a drone, then going back to join the
fiddler.  Its that old tension and release thing that blues players go
for.  A quality trick if there ever was one!

Trip Henderson
http://www.myspace.com/triphenderson
 



-----Original Message-----
From: James Sterett [mailto:Jsterett@xxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2006 10:38 AM
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx; Henderson, Peter; bluegrassharp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Old-Time Harmonica


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.