Re: [Harp-L] Staring a number "naked"--Leading the band

["jon Gindick" <jongindick@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I agree completely with Ryan who is a real expert in this.  It is also one
of the things we specifically teach at Jam Camp, using a real band so harp
players get the experience
in a safe setting.  I am on the learning curve for this now, as I have my
own band for the first time in my life.

Leading a band through music and gesture and charisma is an important skill,
and a demanding one, and when you have it, you aren't just playing the harp
in a band,
you are playing the band.  Unfortunately no one gives harp players a baton.

If you can get the band to start, to stop, to break, to accent, go into
bridges and verses as a group, and to play in a way that compliments the
harp solo rather
than just laying flat, to leave aural space and refrain from white noise, to
watch you for signals, to play at an appropriate volume when you are singing
or harping, to play with energy and fire...if you can get a band to have a
conversation with itself...well now you are playing something bigger than
harp. Bands are almost alweays geared to follow the guitar player.
It can be new for them to consider the possibility of following the harp
player. You need to understand htis and include it in your leadership
strategy.

This is also a point where some musical knowledge comes in real handy. For
instance, to play "naked" one wouldn't  or shouldn't just say I'm gonna
start and you guys come in."
and have no more plan than that. That invites a trainwreck. Instead, you
might explain that you are going to play the lead in solo and the drummer
and band should come in on the I chord. (This is just one way to make this
work.)

If you have some blues song structure 101 in your knowledge, you'd concoct a
V IV I  V introduction, to the 12 bar blues you have in mind.

Although there are many ways to accomplish this next part, the simplest is
to know that you express the V chord at 4 draw, the IV chord at 4 blow, I
chord at 2 draw.
OK, so your intro is V, IV, I, V or  4 draw, 4 blow, 2 draw, 4 draw.

So, Mr. Naked Harper, you start stomping your foot, 1-2-3 4 that's a bar.
Keeping this beat, you play one bar of 4 draw, 1 bar of 4 blow,
1 bar of 2 draw, 1 bar of 4 draw , and the band comes in on the I chord
ready to start the song.. The band will recognize this intro and know when
to come in,
particularly if you gesture for them to do so. If you explain it to them in
advance, they can accompany it

I'd love to hear other bandleading ideas.

Jon

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ryan Hartt" <rhartt1234@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, August 05, 2010 12:29 PM
Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Staring a number "naked"


> I think leading a band with your instrument is a very important skill. 
> Combined with clear and concise explanation of the tune/groove ("bandstand 
> shorthand" I call it) leading the band with your instrument creates a 
> redundancy that can further prevent flubbed starts to tunes. Even a good 
> explanation can get lost in translation. But when you explain music with 
> music instead of words it will help make the groove much clearer to the 
> band when you can play it for 4 bars and have the band come in on the IV. 
> A good harp player can also cue breaks, endings and other stuff the band 
> can pick up on. The more you are in control the less likely the other guys 
> are going to screw it up.
> Ryan
>
> > From: bkumpe@xxxxxxx
> > To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> > Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2010 09:26:15 -0500
> > Subject: [Harp-L] Staring a number "naked"
> >
> >
> > A while back, a pro player that I really respect suggested that when 
> > playing
> > with a band or accompanist you have not practiced with it is better on 
> > some
> > numbers to ask them to let you play a few bars "naked" with no 
> > accompaniment
> > and then let them come in as they catch the groove.  Every time I have 
> > tried
> > this it has not worked out well.  I really like this sound when this is 
> > done
> > right and the guy I got the tip from pulls it off flawlessly every time.
> > Does anybody else do this? Suggestions? Comments?
> >
> > Bill Kumpe
> > Tulsa, OK
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