Re: [Harp-L] RE: RHYTHM HARP

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"Bruce K Ritter" wrote:
<Is there such thing as playing rhythm harmonica, without walking all over
<everyone. Like picking a few 
<guitar or bass cords and just humming them along softly.
 
There are various approaches to playing rhythm. The big question is this: do you want to add a new part to what's already going on, or do you want to double somebody else's part?

If a song's arrangement is already pretty busy, it may be better to double someone else's part than to add a new one.  In this case, you're basically adding weight and color to one of the parts--the bass line, a guitar part, etc.  The first rule is, don't ever double what the vocalist is doing--it just buries the vocalist.  If you're doubling something else, try to play the part with the exact same rhythm in particular.  Try also to pick a sound that's complementary, as opposed to a sound that's just like what's already being played.  (I seem to recall that Bruce has a license for my RP patchset, which may help in coming up with an interesting sound.)  

Example one: When I sat in with Spider John Koerner years ago, playing acoustic harmonica, there was a LOT of guitar going on in the midrange. I doubled his basslines, and it worked fine.
Example two: When I played the Centro Culturale de la Reina in Santiago, working with a loud rock band, I doubled the second guitarist's chording patterns,which kept me out of the way of the lead guitarist, and added depth to the overall sound of the band.

If you want to add a new part, start with something simple--maybe as simple as hitting a single note or chord briefly on the 2nd and 4th beats, or holding a long tone in a particular section of the piece.  The sound you choose matters here too. In general, brighter sounds with lots of treble are perceived by listeners as being louder and more upfront, and darker sounds with more bass and midrange tones are perceived as being quieter and more in the background. Sounds with modulation effects like flange, chorus, etc. take up more sonic space than un-effected sounds. 

In short, when you're playing accompaniment, think rhythm and color first.

Regards, Richard Hunter

author, "Jazz Harp" 
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