RE: [Harp-L] Blues Scale / Shapes
- To: <MundHarp@xxxxxxx>, <kenneth.d@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Blues Scale / Shapes
- From: "Bradford Trainham" <bradford.trainham@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 7 Mar 2008 19:22:26 -0600
- Cc: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
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Somehow, even though you're certainly right that they didn't have access to
music theory/notation, when you start trying to learn one of those solos,
you see an underlying method that almost insists that the Blues scale was a
conscious part of the way they played and sang.
I have perfect pitch, and I've ridden that "Just feel it" horse umpteen
gizillion miles, but when Michael Rubin encouraged me to orient myself to
the Blues scale, I was amazed at how faithfully the supposed masters all
adhere to that scale. I think it was as much for them a thing in the mind
as it is for us.
Having said that, we still react emotionally to the music because the
masters too found that zone where the mind's method and experience met what
ever you call that mysterious thing the heart contributes to music, and the
synthesis was indeed beyond that which the mind could think and so they
"felt it".
Brad Trainham
-----Original Message-----
From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of MundHarp@xxxxxxx
Sent: Friday, March 07, 2008 3:58 PM
To: kenneth.d@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Blues Scale / Shapes
Ken comments:
>Advice we might hear from one of the greats might be, "Hey man, shut
>up and play!"
>I suppose all roads lead there, all posts could end on this note, but
>why have Harp-l in that case?
We have Harp-L so we can share our opinions.
As far as I'm concerned, music comes from your heart and soul.
It is always good to have music theory knowledge, but I'm sure Little
Walter and Walter Horton also Sonny Terry never thought about even the names
of the notes! They just played what they FELT!
I might learn a tune from "the dots" but I never use a score when I
perform.
Best wishes,
John Walden
London
England
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