Re: Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Suggestions for minor key practice

["Tim Moyer" <wmharps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Elizabeth wrote:
> > Tim Moyer writes (snipped):
> > "If you go to my band's MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/itpband)
> > site there are some live recordings
> 
> .....wow...I had no idea THAT's the kind of music you played.   
> Where Jazz meets the Blues, indeed! Great stuff!....and the 
> kind of music  I've been looking for (on harmonica).  Do you 
> play purely diatonic  (of your own construct)? 
> .....do you ever half-valve them like PT does? or  are there any 
> chromatics ever in the mix?  Inquiring minds (and this chromatic 
> player) would love to know.....  

Thanks for the kind words, Elizabeth.  This is a tough gig to find 
for a diatonic harmonica player, because most jazz players won't 
give you the credibility to try it on diatonic(s).  I am very 
fortunate that our guitarist and I had played together years before 
either of us was ready for material like this, and when we finally 
got together he never questioned my ability to cover any of this 
stuff.  It's been way too much fun, and I feel like a trumpet player 
more than a harmonica player, in this context.  

I don't play chromatic, although I do own a few and keep telling 
myself that someday I'll learn to make real music with it.  I love 
my little 10-hole Hering, but have never used it at a gig.  I do, 
however, play a few different tunings on the diatonic, and on a few 
songs I switch harps during the song (Girl From Ipanema, Watch What 
Happens).  I primarily use Paddy Richter tuned diatonics but 
occasionally go to Melody Maker tunings for some major keyed 
melodies as well as some minors, using 5th position.  

As for choice of material, we just listen for stuff that sounds 
like "us" and then try to work it up.  Sometimes it gets elaborate 
(such as the trading of sections of the head in Moonglow), sometimes 
it's all about me (playing both the head and the solos on Stolen 
Moments or the aforementioned Girl From Ipanema), sometimes I just 
get a few bars of solo (such as The Lady is a Tramp), but it's all 
good.  And fun!  

Oh, and we do Summertime: http://tinyurl.com/y7cb5x

Thanks again,

-tim

P.S. By the way, if there are any harp-lers who have MySpace sites 
and want to link up as friends, just send a request to the band.  I 
maintain the MySpace site (as dull as it is!).