Re: [Harp-L] How fast can a harmonica be played compared to other instruments?

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Harri Haka wrote:
<If speed is the thing a player goes for, 
<some listeners might find it thrilling. But musically speaking, my guess 
<is that the majority of listeners want to hear feeling and nuances 
<rather than speed.

How do you get that?  The most popular harp player--meaning a musician whose primary instrument is harp--of the last 20 years in terms of sales is John Popper, by a mile.  The kid who won America's Got Talent played blindingly fast.  Jason Ricci plays a lot of high-velocity stuff too, and he's the most recent award-winner in harmonica-land.

Audiences are clearly telling harmonica players in general that faster is better. Or so the sales data would seem to imply.

Regards, Richard Hunter



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