, which apparently is a staple in the band's repertoire. When he
was turned down, he next went to ask the harp player, who turned
him down again. The guy then walked over to the bandleader, stood
next to him holding a harp up in one hand and a camera in the
other, and took their picture together.
This is some pretty spectacularly bad etiquette, and does not
reflect well on harp players in general. I thought I'd take the
opportunity to describe a few basic principles for asking to sit in
with a band (in a situation other than an open mic or jam session,
of course).
1) Principle #1: it's their gig, not yours. Sitting in is a
privilege that you earn first with your attitude and your demeanor,
and it starts with respect for what they're doing.
2) Principle #2: You never approach the band in the middle of a
set, much less in the middle of a song, to ask to sit in. That's
flagrantly disrespectful. If you're serious about sitting in, wait
for the break, then make your pitch.
3) Principle #3: Sitting in is ALWAYS about making the BAND sound
good. Before you sit in, listen hard to the band, and think about
how your stuff is going to add to what's going on. If you can't
think of what to play to make the band sound good, it may be a
better idea to listen some more than to sit in.
This isn't a principle, but it's good advice: when you approach the
band on a break, start the conversation by showing that you were
listening. Talk about something great you heard in the set--a
groove, a solo, something the bass player did, whatever. If it
sounded good to you, it probably sounded good to them, too, and it
shows that you respected them enough to pay attention.
If you happen to be in Waikiki on any given Sunday, the Kapono band
plays 4-6 at Duke's. Worth checking out. If you go, don't do what
that other guy did.
Regards, Richard Hunter
author, "Jazz Harp"
latest mp3s and harmonica blog at http://myspace.com/richardhunterharp
more mp3s at http://taxi.com/rhunter
Vids at http://www.youtube.com/user/lightninrick
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