Re: [Harp-L] Re: 7-10

["Bob Laughlin" <rlaughlin@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hey, before you address me in capital letters,,,

I wasn't the one that said, sarcastically if I'm not mistaken, that "no one
plays 7-10". That was fjm, one of the "listowners". Again, I believe he was
making a joke,,

I'm sure "7-10" have their place. I personally would not want a harmonica
that didn't have those notes. But personally, I don't use them for anything
but TB'd octaves. So shoot me. It's my personal preference at this time,
until I feel INSPIRED, not SHAMED into using them, big guy.

I personally just don't enjoy hearing those high pitched notes, unless they
fit, which they sometimes do, sometimes don't. Sure, if you're able, you can
squeeze some awesome tones out of them, but as Robert Ross already said, it
has to be with some amount of taste, and not excessive, otherwise it can be
both out of place, and annoying. Anything is like that, however.

By the way,,a lot of what I'm hearing from people that I admire,,the blues
greats of yesteryear,,much of it is supportive stuff in the lower registers.

Take, for example, "Smokestack Lightning", Howlin' Wolf.  I wish I could
post a file here, but it's not set up for it. When I listen to that simple
harp line, chords mainly, around 1min, 1:56, and 2:56 to fadeout, simple,
supportive, not "showing off", but just tastefully accompanying the music.
It's simple, but evasively challenging, that kind of playing. Yet it adds so
much to the music. No high notes at all.

I'm sure there's a place for high notes,,especially if one wants to
demonstrate his or her skills on the harmonica, and become "famous", or even
"impressive".

For me, music is about appropriateness, taste, and if it belongs, it
belongs. If it is just done to "demonstrate", then it doesn't belong.

I am of the opinion that harmonica has a great place as a supportive
instrument. As far as I'm concerned, the jury's out on whether it belongs in
"the lead". What DOES belong "in the lead", is the music, the groove, the
mood, the feeling, not just the notes.

BL
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <SONNYTONE@xxxxxxx>
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, February 09, 2008 8:17 AM
Subject: [Harp-L] Re: 7-10


> NO ONE PLAYS 7-10 BOB??????  Good God there is so much feeling  that can
be
> squeezed out of those many notes. I can't even comment on this any
further, if
> some of you want to stay boring from 6 down, so be it. I just know  so
many
> players that do the upper register justice that it makes me cringe to
hear
> that. Don't be a hater just because you haven't spent the time to master
them.
> Sorry, another blunt but honest statement from what I have heard from so
many
> harp players who have complete control of the harp.
> KASHMAR. If you  haven't heard him, don't comment on this subject until
you
> hear what CAN be  done, rather that focus on what you cannot do. I would
walk
> out of a club if I  heard a harp player in 8 bars play basically what he
is
> going to play all night.  I need 3 lifetimes to achieve what I want, I am
not
> stating anything about  myself, but I will play first position and have
learned
> from Mitch what I first  taught him, but I still cant do it in TB. Kim
Wilson
> makes a nice living, owns  several houses, he has done what is needed to
live
> comfortably.
>
>
>
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