RE: [Harp-L] Irish/Celtic trad

[Steve Shaw <moorcot@xxxxxxx>]

Well, as a non-great player of Irish on the harmonica, and very little else, there's no doubt that I fit into that category that Winslow described, those who play Irish who view with awe and a strong sense of inferiority the blues and rock men and women.  I've spent the last few years trying to persuade all and sundry that you really can play superb Irish music on a harmonica, and especially on a 10-hole harp.   Grab yourself a Special 20 low D and a G-tuned specimen of your favourite brand of harp.  Somehow, get your G harp into Paddy Richter tuning.   It really is just one reed different to a standard harp.  If you're not a tinkerer, Seydel will sell you a Paddy harp.  Then, beg, steal, borrow or buy loads of recordings of Irish traditional music and listen to it until you're blue in the face.  Go to gigs and listen in on sessions too if you can.   Really get the feel!  There's no rule that your bloodstream must consist mainly of Guinness before you can do it. You can't do all the ornaments on a 10-hole that a fiddle or flute can do, but you can do some, and who cares anyway as long as you play with a strong sense of rhythm and tempo and employ a good, full, clean tone.   You'll play an awful lot of tunes in first position, so if you can play Oh, Suzanna in first you're well on the way.   There are lots of opportunities to play in second, third, fourth and twelfth but you wouldn't know you were doing it as most Irish tunes are modal and will fit like a glove on your D or G harp.  When you get really good you can splash out on an A harp so that you can play Laird of Drumblair or Mason's Apron.   Just do a lot of listening, then playing along, then cut the umbilical... As for the speed, in many ways that 's the least problematical aspect.  The patterns soon become ingrained, and before long you'll be playing like the wind.
  
Steve


http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/trad_irish_harmonica
HEAR my CD clips: http://www.gjk2.com/steveshaw/cd.htm



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