Re: [Harp-L] Re:Help!

"Abner Galdos" <cdgaldos@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> · Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:46:04 -0400

I agree with you guys only 50 %.
I don't know Jim at all, I don't know how he sounds.
Few things I have learned:
.... If Musician like the way you play and they want you to play with them on stage and practice with them then you got some think they like....so go for it and have fun.
.....Buy a good book one with a cd or DVD that will help you along and understand the question you are asking.  And learn and Practice and have fun.
Get some back tracks or tape the band with songs that you will be playing in (with out you playing) and use that to practice with.
I am a newbie and proud of it.
I do not belong to a band but I play at open mic and last night I was able to play with real good musician.  Played a lot of Neal Diamond ( the guitarist was good) I would play soft, then he would look at me and tell me to go off and I did and he loved it.
Anther guy played country and the same thing...
At the end of open mic I had people come up to me and tell me how much they enjoyed it.... The harp gave it a punch.
I thank them and told them I have only been playing for several months and they could not believe it...
Now I know I have a lot to learn...
Richard Perkins who is a member of Harp L and my teacher is very, very good.  He also played that last night and I know by hearing him I have a long way to go... but this wont stop me from going on stage and having fun and jamming..
It took me a long time to have the courage to get up their and sometime I feel lost, but once I get into the music into the beat into the soul of the sound.  My whole body feels like a blade of grass swaying to the breeze of the sound and I flow..
I don't know jack about music, amps, mics, effect peddles or brand of harp to buy, or even if I should customize.

But I do know music, and I love it.  Plus that what you guys are here for.  To encourage newbie's to embrace the harp, the sound, the joy, the love.
Some people are just born with the talent some are not... I cant sing to save my life... but I going to learn... will I sing at open mic,,,, who knows,,,,, but if I do and they like it...... that's one more step up...

abner (Blueyes, enjoy)

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Bill Hines 
  To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 10:25 AM
  Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Re:Help!Yay. I wasn't going to be the one to say it but I couldn't agree more. If
  people are going to enjoy the music and this isn't some type of open jam
  meant to foster people just learning, I'd wait until you have some
  reasonable degree of proficiency. Not only will it be bad for the audience,
  but the experience could completely turn you off to this. This can be a very
  embarrassing and uncomfortable experience, especially if you are making
  experienced musicians sound bad and start getting that GLARE from some of
  them in the middle of the song (there will always be one or two who
  encourage you, but others who will be really pissed). And when you look out
  at the audience and see them laughing or looking at each other like 'WTF" it
  can be really crushing.
  Now, having said that, there are some folks who just don't give a damn and
  will jump up there and have no shame or ego and just honk and hoot to their
  own amusement and delight, oblivious to the pain they are inflicting and the
  image they are projecting of the instrument and themselves. I see this all
  the time. In their own ears they are maestro, perfecto.
  My approach was to spend some time learning the basics, with instructional
  material (tons of fantastic stuff out there), learning to play with other
  musicians first by using jam tracks, and *then* start to play at the local
  jam (where the audience to some degree is buying into the fact that they
  will hear some good stuff and some bad stuff), but always in the earlier
  night sets where the newbies and experienced folks that give back by
  fostering them tend to play.
  Bill
  On Thu, Jun 25, 2009 at 8:46 AM, Anthony Smith <anthony@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:
  > Man, I didn't want to but I gotta say this cause it keeps on coming.  If
  > you> don't have the basics down you shouldn't be out playing in front of people!
  > By a book or something and get at a minimum the basics.  I don't mean you
  > have to be Kim Wilson before you get on a stage but you need to be able to
  > play.  Getting up and making noise for the sake of public performance is
  > why> many other musicians simply can't stand harp players.  It's the only
  > instrument I can think of where people who really have nothing musical to
  > offer still have the gall to get up and punish others with it.
  > Simply put, if you don't know what key you need to be in, you shouldn't be
  > on stage yet.  Practice, study, play for yourself and THEN go out in public
  > and play.>
  > -----Original Message-----
  > From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On
  > Behalf
  > Of Lyalljames@xxxxxxx
  > Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 9:24 AM
  > To: cdgaldos@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; gbuxman@xxxxxxxxx; drfertig@xxxxxxxxx;
  > harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
  > Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Re:Help!
  > Dear list   Thanks for all the great beginning performance  advice.  You
  > are all very generous.  I know this is a stupid question  but I'm not
  > really> a musician.  If the band is playing in a certain key  what harp key do I
  > play> in?    So if the guitar is playing in C  what key harp do I use.  I know
  > people talk about the "circle of  fifths"  but is there a simple chart
  >  like> Band=C then harp  is  ?.  Thanks for all the encouragement!  Jim Lyall N.
  > Canton  ,Ohio
  > **************Make your summer sizzle with fast and easy recipes for the
  > grill. (http://food.aol.com/grilling?ncid=emlcntusfood00000005)
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