Re: [Harp-L] practice harps

[Ken Deifik <kenneth.d@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> How about all you guys who spend over $100 for a high-end customized harp 
> (or even an out of the box Seydel 1847)? do you use that for practice, or 
> save it for the gig?
>   I`m curious to hear your opinions

I use the best harps I have for practice.  I think I'm like most 
'practicing harmonica players' here when I say that after my warm-up, the 
practice session is about discovery and invention.  The whole reason I use 
excellent harps is because there is so much more to discover and invent on 
them.  I have a bag of new techniques that do not even work on my cheaper 
harps, or don't sound that good on them.  I want to keep inventing more.

Normally I am not concerned with blowing them out, because I haven't blown 
out a harp in years.  I do not blow hard enough to do that anymore, it is 
not part of my style.

Until this past Monday.  I did my normal practice session, with my favorite 
harp performing like the champ it has been for over a year now.  I played 
it a little bit more and put it in the case and headed off to a session for 
a TV show.  I removed the harp from the case at the studio and blew a 
chord, and to my horror the fourth hole blow had gone down by a half step.

That is, at home the harp was fine, and not when I removed it from its 
case.  I was able to play this harp, which was needed on both songs OF 
COURSE, and avoid the fourth hole blow, but that was scary as hell.

The next day I called the company that makes the harp and they said "Just 
send it to us and we'll send you another."  It turns out that there was a 
problem with these harps on the fourth hole blow, that they have fixed it 
and life is good.  They were so sweet that I will not name names here, 
because the problem has been dealt with by the designers.

But sheeeeeeeesh.

When I was younger I would have told people at the session about my 
problem, but I have grown wise and know that people are paying you lots of 
money to show up with perfect instruments so you can give them All The 
Notes.  My wife suggested I tell them the next time I see them, and I won't 
be doing that, either.  I don't think one really looks like a hero based on 
how you worked around a problem note in the middle of your axe.  Even 
though I did not cause the problem, the very idea of showing up at an 
expensive recording session with a crippled axe trumps how cool one was 
about dealing with it - in the eyes of the producer.

That being said, when my new harp arrives here I'll be practicing with it 
every day because while I don't think my cheap harps have nothing left to 
discover, the best harps have all kinds of new magic hiding within.

By the way, the TV show was CSI, and if the Writer's strike doesn't 
interfere I'll be filming the role of a plump, bearded harmonica player 
some time in early November.

Ken