[Harp-L] Jam camper makes good - Staring a number "naked"--Leading the band

["Brad Allen" <Brad@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

(Thought I'd share this wilth the list...Kudos to Mr Gindick & the Jam
camps)




Hey Jonny ...

You're on "FIRE" lately ...your CD, the band, Jam camps , & gigging

Good for you, I just wanted to say hello & I always enjoy when you post
on Harp-L

You remember me , I'm the dummy who rolled my car in Clarksdale last
year 
"Bad experience great memory", I know there's a song in it somewhere in
the future

I wanted to thank you for my experiences @ the 2 jamb camps I went to ,
I still play EVERY day 
And I didn't know it then, but my life was about to change when I called
you up in 2009
(for the better) ....Anyway for better or worse I've been open micing ,
Gigging , Gussing , Busking & sitting in with bands & friends whenever
possible, I even entered the advanced level harp contest @ the La Mesa
Harpfest & actually placed & won a harp ! (go figure) I learned a while
ago ,for me anyway NOT to say how long I've been Playing (or not playing
in my case) , It's easier to fly under the radar, people just assume
I've been around a while, which is a compliment

I've taken my wife to see James Cotton, Charlie Musselwhite,Rod
Piazza,of course,Jon Gindick & even Gussed Johnny Mastro @ a Lucille's
one night (although he let me sit in 3 songs) I did later apologize the
next time I saw him

I even got up the guts to take out some ads in Craig's list to put
together a band, were up to about 30 songs, I'm doing vocals on most of
them & playing harp on almost all of them, It's my band I guess but I'm
just part of the group, that's why I replied to your post because it
really hit home when you were describing all the nuances of essentially
leading a band when you're the harp player,a bit different as I have
been in bands before I played harp, were a month or 2 away from getting
out in a club but I'm up for the task, still I know I have ALOT to learn
& a long way to go, but I'll get there, I have the passion for it, 
            Not bad for a guy that didn't know who Little Walter was 2
years ago

My heart is on its way back to Clarksdale , but my wallet isn't willing
this year,  I'll be back

Although I can say for sure I will catch one of your shows in the near
future with your band and promise to only listen

OK teacher...I hope life finds you well , thanks again 

Always, Your student

Brad Allen







   
     Bradford Allen
        Estimator
      Ph   (909) 627-3354
      Fx    (909) 627-0043
      Cell (909) 762-7056
Brad@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx      

            P.O. Box 2257
         Chino Ca. 91708


-----Original Message-----
From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of jon Gindick
Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 2010 1:31 PM
To: Ryan Hartt; harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Staring a number "naked"--Leading the band

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
>>
>
The worlds most popular
harmonica instruction
and audio package
Country & Blues Harmonica
for the Musically Hopeless (ful)
110  page Book &  73 minute Audio
by Jon Gindick
is back (in e format),
revised 2010 Style,  and much improved
 http://www.musically-hopeless.com


Please note that my e-mail address has changed to
jongindick@xxxxxxxxxxxx

 Jon's Blues Harmonica Jam Camps
(with free phone consultation):

September 28 to October 2, 2010

http://www.harmonicajamcamp.com
http://wwwbluesharmonicajamcamp.com

Get Jon's books and Cds at
http://www.gindick.com/Engine/Shopping/catalog.asp?store=6&category=123