Re: [Harp-L] Re: Phrasing and Spacing

[Ken Deifik <kenneth.d@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 07:10 AM 1/22/2008, you wrote:
> Some one correct me if I'm wrong but the story goes something like
> this . Someone asked Louis Armstrong about about how he played jazz or
> how to play jazz or something along those lines . He responded and I
> paraphrase, "Man, if you gotta ask you'll never know ."

I intend to join in the larger discussion, and I feel that the other 
paragraph Gary wrote is right on, but this quote would have to be among the 
most discouraging, and incorrect, pieces of information to tell most 
harmonica players.

In fact, most people "gotta ask", and Harp-l is a forum where people "gotta 
ask" or they will not learn.  Armstrong, who may not have even spoken that 
quote, was not a teacher, he was a genius who didn't put much thought into 
explaining.  On the other hand, he had many, many teachers and said as much 
when recourning his personal history.

Note to everyone who feels like they have not gotten to the musical place 
they want to get to: You Gotta Ask.  Almost every good musician I have ever 
played with stunk at first.  Then they got okay.  Then they got good.  Alot 
of it comes from working at it, but ALOT of it comes from asking people who 
already know.

There are big issues that are hard or impossible to teach, but the idea 
that was presented in that quote is pure, unnecessary discouragement.  Ask 
ask ask.

Ken