[Harp-L] Being heard acoustically in various environments

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

Joel Thomas brings up some interesting points about being
heard acoustically on harmonica, and it stimulated the following thoughts:

 

I do think it’s proper to tell new players that it’s
possible to be heard acoustically in noisy environments because I know from my own experience that it’s
true. 

 

In the past, I have certainly believed that some things were
impossible on the harmonica, only to have my eyes opened by others who could do
the “impossible.” Once I experienced their ability, mine opened up and, with
some practice, I could also do what I had previously though impossible. For
that reason, I don’t believe in telling newbies what’s “impossible,” based on
my experience. When you do that you’re imposing your own limitations on other
people.

 

While I don’t have video to “prove” it, I can certainly make
myself heard in a large group of fiddlers at sessions – I have been so told by
several fiddlers – and even by a smallpiper ( smallpipes are a type of indoor bagpipe), who
was sitting about 15 feet away from me in a noisy rehearsal hall containing
about 100 musicians all blasting away.

 

In the video on youtube, it’s true that I’m being heard not over
the full group but over 

"only" about a dozen other musicians –  but, hey, it’s still about six cellos slapping
out a rhythm grove and about an equal number of percussionists. Not exactly
sneezing into tissues. And they’re amplified while I’m not (at least not during
the part where I’m most clearly audible). 
 However, the fact that I’m out
front of them and separated from them by several meters probably helps. If we
were all sitting in a circle in a pub I wouldn’t stand out like that – but I’d
still be heard.
I want to stress that I'm not saying this to brag about my abilities. I relate these stories to point out that if I can do it, then certainly others can.


 

There’s an important
point about sessions that I think is worth clarifying: 

You’re not there to
dominate or to be heard over the group; no-one is. Even being heard as an
individual isn’t really the point. The point is to  play tunes together with other people for the
joy of doing so in a gathering of folks all contributing to a roaring noise (hopefully
a musical one) together. A harmonica player with good resonance can as loud as a guitar
or a fiddle. But neither you nor they as individuals are loud enough to dominate the group. Then again, the guitarist or one of the fiddlers might start getting ideas and show up at a
session with an amplifier. Imagine how well that would go down . . . 

 

When busking, streets can be noisy. However, I feel that the
real value of amplification is that people need reaction time. They hear you from
far enough away that they have time to listen, decide, “Hey that’s good!” (or
not), then, without breaking stride, reach into their pocket or purse and pull
out some change or wadded-up bills to fling into your bowl/harp/case/hat. They
can hear you acoustically only within about maybe 3 meters, which doesn’t give
enough time for listening and donation.

Winslow