Re: [Harp-L] re: An alternative view... Melody Makers

["Tim Moyer" <wmharps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Serguei Volkov wrote:
> Melody Makers are the key to mainstream, it's as simple as that.

Mainstream music is dominated by two basic instruments, the guitar 
and the keyboard.  The key to these instruments' dominance is 
simple -- both are able to play both solo and accompanyment in any 
key.  This simple fact led to their rise in popularity in 
contemporary music through the 20th century, which in turn resulted 
in the proliferation of derived types.  Look at the number of types 
of guitars available today compared to 100 years ago.  It's still 
the same basic instrument, but capable of an entirely new palette of 
sounds.  The same is true of the piano, which has morphed into so 
many types of electronic instruments, many capable of emulating 
other, more esoteric instruments.  

The guitar has been the more dominant of the two because of it's 
accessibility and versatility.  It's easier for a novice to pick up 
a guitar and make music than to do the same on a piano.  Guitars are 
also generally less expensive and more portable than keyboards, 
though this has changed somewhat with technology.  

Still, no other instrument has approached these two in modern 
music.  Even instruments we think of as mainstream -- saxophone, 
trumpet, bass, drums -- all are accompanyment or solo instruments in 
the context of an ensemble dominated by guitar and/or keyboard.  In 
some genres, some solo instruments have been represented better than 
others.  In genres where solo instrumental in a prominant feature, 
such as jazz or blues, they made be fairly ubiquitous.  But as 
Jonathan points out, mainstream, popular music is about voice 
performance, and that voice is nearly always accompanied by guitar 
or keyboard.  

Harmonica will never supplant guitar or keyboard in mainstream 
popular music, no matter now you tune it.  It competes too directly 
with the voice to be a proper accompaniment.  Harmonica will always 
be a novelty, just like the guy playing classical tunes on the 
ukulele.  

I was thrilled when Dave Matthews included a John Popper solo on his 
breakout hit, "What Would You Say".  Guys like Popper can raise the 
awareness of harmonica as a solo instrument in popular music, which 
will lead to more kids like LD Miller taking it up, and they might 
tick up the presence of harmonica by a fraction of a percentage 
point.  Personally, I don't want to hear harmonica on the next 
Britney Spears tune.  

FWIW, I do play Melody Makers much of the time, and Paddy Richter 
most of the rest.  But I don't play pop.

-tim