RE: [Harp-L] How Come?. . .How Bout?

["Bradford Trainham" <bradford.trainham@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi,
While you're right about the guitarists, if you're ever leading a band, I'd
say push back and make them learn to play their instrument.
And, lest I come off too harsh, I can jam, on a guitar, in any key they ask
for and I very seldom use a capo or alter the tuning.
If it behooves us as harp players to adapt, the guitarists might also do
well to extend themselves a little bit. 
 I realize the dynamics/perogatives are different if we are as harp players,
trying to insert ourselves into an already formed jam/combo, but a lot of
that stuff with guitarists and key preference is laziness.
(Please note that one as a subjective opinion and tell Santa I've been
fairly good most, if not all year.)

Of the low harps, I love them!  I've got a low d Special 20 and a Marine
Band 365 and I love them both.
The 365 seems especially good for first position, especially after I
prevailed upon Michael Rubin to tweak it just a tiny bit to more easily
facilitate the 4 5 and 6 over-blows. 
With those notes available and all those bends up higher, first position
suddenly seems as rife with possibility as our old stand-by second position.
I don't have any of the lower f harps, but they're on my wish list.
(Surely Goodness and Santa... Right??)
Brad Trainham


-----Original Message-----
From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of B. McCoy
Sent: Wednesday, December 24, 2008 12:55 PM
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Harp-L] How Come?. . .How Bout?


So far most of the responses to (How Come?) have been as one might expect. 
Many said what I ~think~ most of us feel about the higher tuned harps being
shrill or harsh to the ear.  However, nearly half of the the responses (most
off list...) have had something like this to say as well.  . ."I think Bb
and F makes the other guys in the band work too hard or harder than they
want to".  Some say that the other players are "not able" to play in a 
particular key.   Many, nearly all, said that they have adopted some common 
habits.  I know myself, after playing for close to 20 years now I have
become accustomed to these following habits:

-I have found that I don't write songs in these "less explored" key and
position variations.  Mainly because of the register of the harmonica in
question. . .Secondly due to other musicians preferences.

-If I am sitting in with another band and a tune is called out in "C", I
grimace, grab my F and Slip my Bb into my pocket incase the feel is
compatible with my 3rd position playing.  If I am real good friends with the
band... I might even ask to change tunes or switch keys. . .But not often.

-Often when playing 1st position it's in the key of A and sometimes in C.

-In jam situations I often avoid Bb tunes and F.  When I call out a tune in
"F". . . The guitar players all rush for their capos. . .and if they don't
have one.  Which amazingly happens more than I can understand. (I carry a
capo in my harp case for this reason.)  Many will ask to change keys or
songs.

I could go on for quite a while and probably not shed much new light on
these habits that even the newest player hasn't already started to figure
out and probably adhere to.

Now here's what I have been surprised NOT to hear:

I thought for sure Dave Payne (a great and prolific poster!!) would be the
first to point out that Seydel for one has a WHOLE LOTTA LOW TUNED harps out
there now just waiting to be used for this purpose.  (But he was busy baking
Turkey Flavored Cookies. . .No need to send any this way Dave. . .) For
example, I have a Blues Session in  LOW A. . .Yeah LOW A. . .  Now that's so
low you gotta pull down yer socks to play it.  I have for many years now
loved and played my LOW D harmonicas. (Gary Primich turned me on to the LOW
D in 1997-98?)  The Jimmy Gordon LOW F I have proved to me that a quality
made low tuned harp could be played with speed and finesse without the
flabby-ness often associated with low tuned harmonicas.  . .Even if the
harmonica player is a bit flabby himself.....(That's probably a personal
note that should have been left out....?)

So my question is. . .
Now that we have a maker who is supplying the harmonica community with
quality, out of the box, LOW tuned harps in all keys, with more makers on 
the way like Brad Harrison.   Do you think we will start to see . . .Or have

YOU been working on new tunes with say. . .A LOW F played in 3rd position? 
Or 1st?  How about a tune in F with a horn section and you playing 3rd on a
LOW E???  (I think Gruenling has done this for a while right?)  Or even just
transposing a classic from it's commonly known key to use a harmonica that
isn't as common in that style.  How about 2 harps at a time.  A LOW C and a
standard tuned C to extend range etc. (I have a customized Steve Baker
Special in D that I employ in a similar fashion.)  I know that it's
happening to some degree since I have a few ideas I am working on -and I'm 
far from ground breaking in my stylistic choices.   Any other ideas or 
thoughts out there that people want to share?   We all know the combinations

available.   I'd love to hear what people are doing now that these different

harps are more widely available.   Even if it's a simple blues tune set in a

different key. . .totally familiar yet different from the norm. . .That's
hip.

Yeah. . .Dig it.
-Bubba McCoy

 

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