Re: [Harp-L] re: was timbre etc, now music theory




Harri said:


In the end both approaches are cross-pollinated. I guess most harmonica players have a feeling for what they play and at least an elementary knowledge of musical theory. Weighting on theory or natural talent doesn't count, total sound does.

---

IMO:

Total sound takes you to second base, but you got to know what to play, where you can take the music. I think guys that don't know any theory today play in a small sandbox. Yes, they can play gut wrenching stuff that can make my jaw drop. But the repertoire is limited and it gets repetitive. It's all been done. The only way to get fresh sounding stuff is to enlarge the sandbox by learning more, new approaches. Not more Little Walter riffs but more routes.

Listen to jazz for a few years and you will probably get a whole new perspective on music and you may find that most blues start sounding boring, same with most rock and pop. This is not snobbery, once you get used to jazz, other music just starts to sounds too simple, too basic. Like rap to a blues listener. Well not quite, but same sort of thing. Not to say that there aren't any masterpieces in rock, blues or pop but the masterpieces are few and far between and they are getting harder and harder to come up with.

Jazz players are jaw dropping but in a different way. They are jaw dropping in what they can do on the spot, not just how they sound. Listen to the top jazz artist for a few years and you will be forever changed. Warning: It may take a while before you develop a taste for the music but there is no going back once you do. Trick is to find the right people to listen to.

Basically any of the local guys I pay $3.00 to see play at Upstairs Jazz bar on a Wenesday night can blow 99.99% of blues player away on any material except gut wrenching blues. They all know theory as they all have degrees in music and they don't suffer one bit.

Pierre.
































----- Original Message ----- From: "Haka Harri" <harri.haka@xxxxxxxx>
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 5:55 PM
Subject: [Harp-L] re: was timbre etc, now music theory



Just a final note on this discussion on my part, just because I restarted it. There seem to be two schools of listers. Theory (classical, acid jazz, traditional songs etc.) and feeling (mainly blues).

In the end both approaches are cross-pollinated. I guess most harmonica players have a feeling for what they play and at least an elementary knowledge of musical theory. Weighting on theory or natural talent doesn't count, total sound does.

Harri



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