Re: Re: Re: [Harp-L] The shapes of the covers

["Tim Moyer" <wmharps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Vern Smith wrote:
> If differences of cover design are imperceptible to the audience, 
> why bother.

The idea of music is to provoke subjectivism in the audience.  Why 
remove it from the performer?  

> The player is a listener too. If there is a way to deny the player 
> knowledge of what kind of covers he is playing, I predict that he 
> would not be able to to distinguish among covers of  different 
> designs.  

Why would we want to do that?  When I go to listen to someone like, 
say, Phil Wiggins play, I like the fact that Phil selects his 
harmonicas based on how he wants people to hear him.  Whether that's 
attributable to the cover shapes or the comb material or the size of 
Phil's enormous hands is immaterial to me, the listener, but it might 
be material - whether perceived or real - to Phil as a performer.  

Likewise, when I go hear Phil Gazelle, I like the fact that Phil 
selects his harmonicas based on how he wants people to hear him.  
Whether that's attributable to the cover shapes or the comb material 
or the precision of Phil's intonation and placement of his microphone 
is immaterial to me, the listener, but it might be material - whether 
perceived or real - to Phil as a performer.  

Rather than trying to prove that it's all an illusion, why not just 
allow the illusions to guide performers to bring their audience to 
subjectivity?  

Wrapped in warm wood,

-tim