Re: [Harp-L] RE: Discussion topic: Why do you want to play blues? (Buddha)

[IcemanLE@xxxxxxx]

My belief is that one fault lies in the educational process. From public  
schools on up, original thinking is discouraged in favor of following the path  
of least resistance to being a good little drone.
 
It's easy to teach the notes that an original voice recorded. Analysis,  
transcriptions, notes on a paper, computer programs, etc.
 
Once students have the ability to sound "good" and impress "ears" listening  
to them, most stop their education at that point and focus on learning more of 
 the same - more licks, more transcriptions, more patterns - and in today's  
computer game society - repetition of the same faster and faster and faster -  
with "speed chops" as some ultimate proof of artistic creativity. (I feel 
speed  chops are impressive in showing how many hours the player has  spent 
striving to impress with speed chops).
 
Jerry Portnoy had some of the most important suggestions contained within  
the text of his Harmonica MasterClass series - Jerry said to focus on the sound  
of one note and discover the heart contained within - is the middle soft or  
hard? - is it ragged around the edges or smooth? - is it RED or BLUE? 
 
Could this be a better reference point towards artistic originality? The  
understanding of the heart and soul of a single note - leading to the  
understanding of the heart and soul of the next one, etc?
 
Could this be a path towards more depth rather than more speed?
 
So, with the "ears" stroking the ability of the player to reproduce other's  
originality, there is little to entice the player to greater depths of  
originality - especially if the player really feeds off of the praise of the  "ears" 
around him.
 
Yes, you are right about Paul De Lay. He wasn't part of a "harmonica  
community". He didn't listen to Little Walter records as much as he spent time  
absorbing all kinds of music and using his instrument to reflect his interests.  He 
didn't hang out in a little clique of like minded harmonica players and morph 
 his originality into some kind of greater image of what should/shouldn't be  
based on the collective thought of the clique. He was an original voice. Not  
hard to do - just don't get caught up in the crowd and the easy stroking that 
 comes with learning the surface stuff.
 
The Iceman
 
 
In a message dated 8/20/2008 7:01:45 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
aolmos@xxxxxxx writes:

As far  as why players don't seem to seek an original voice on the
instrument, it  may be because in reality there are very few originals out
there, in any  instrument or music genre.  For every harp player imitating
Little  Walter there are 100 guitar player trying to sound like Hendrix.   I
also don't think that it is a matter of lack of technical ability on  the
instrument.  One of the most innovative and original harmonica  players in
modern times, Paul Delay, did it all using "standard" harmonica  techniques
and positions (somebody please correct me if I'm  wrong). 




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