Re: [Harp-L] FLAT!! But Maybe Not??

[pdxharpdog@xxxxxxxxxxx]

One of my buddies invited me to sit in with his band for a 3 set 40 song gig. He sent me the set list and the keys they played in so I was all ready come gig night. I was prepared to have a great night when duringÂsound check I got this sick feeling in my stomach as they started playing - my harp was horrifically out of tune - so wrong that for a minute in a panicÂI couldn't even tell how far off it was - I leaned over Âto my bass player friend and he sheepishly told me that they always tune 1/2 step down - something he forgot to mention earlier in the week. Didn't matter too much anyway as in this band they had their own version of JimiÂand StevieÂso nobody could hear me anyway. 



In my current band, I take note of where the guitarist's Capo is placed when the tune is played in the correct key , so that whenÂhe starts the song in a different key, which happens from time to time, I can adjust on the fly. ÂI even write it down on the set list. ÂI used to stress so muchÂwhen this happened that I just decided I needed toÂfigure itÂout. For the most part you can figure it's probably a half step up or down and you can try that off mic, but if that doesn't work you're probably too far into the song toÂstart over.ÂI've played so many gigs with this guitarist that I have even developed a look that he recognizes as "You're putting the capo on the wrong fret dude" and he'll adjust before he even starts the song if he's looking my way. I don't give him any crap for itÂas he has a lot on his mind wha t with all of the beautiful women oogling him (and not me) - so it's understandable he'll get it wrong from time to time. 



Ross 

www.sassparillapdx.com 

www.myspace.com/sassparillajugband 



  Â 





----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joe Spiers" <joemopar@xxxxxxxxxxx> 
To: "Elizabeth Hess" <TrackHarpL@xxxxxxxxxxxx> 
Cc: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx 
Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2010 4:30:42 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific 
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] FLAT!! ÂBut Maybe Not?? 

Sometimes the "helpful" guitar player will tell you the key of the harp he 
assumes you should be playing to play in the key they're playing 
in........would've been really bad luck for it to happen twice in a row, but 
maybe they were both playing in B? 


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Elizabeth Hess" <TrackHarpL@xxxxxxxxxxxx> 
To: <icemanle@xxxxxxx> 
Cc: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx> 
Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2010 6:09 PM 
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] FLAT!! But Maybe Not?? 


> On Mar 31, 2010, at 6:45 PM, icemanle@xxxxxxx wrote: 
> 
>> Recheck your harmonicas w/tuner or a keyboard that you KNOW is tuned to 
>> A-440. 
> 
> All of my harps are within 10 cents of 442, none flat. 
> 
> 
>> Sounds like the band had used an improper reference point to tune 
>> themselves. When this happens, there is no way you can compensate on 
>> harmonica. When this happens and you realize it, DO NOT JOIN IN ON 
>> HARMONICA. (unless you have a full set of harmonicas and can recognize 
>> what is described in the next sentence and adjust) 
> 
> Right. 
> 
> 
>> I've been in situations where the band will tune everything down 1/2 step 
>> a la Jimi Hendrix/Stevie Ray, so that when you look at the bass player 
>> playing an open lowest string, it is Eb rather than E, and not mention 
>> this to the harmonica player they have sit in with them. 
> 
> I Â*might* Âhave believed this if it had been a single instance, and not 
> posted about it here. ÂBut two venues, in two states, with two different 
> bands and two sound system set-ups triggered my query. 
> 
> It seems unlikely to me that a band that likes me would play that kind of 
> trick, and also unlikely that the house band at an open jam would do this. 
> But I will be wary of the possibility in the future. ÂThank you for the 
> heads up. 
> 
> Elizabeth 
> 
> 
>