[Harp-L] Am I alone

[Paul Cantin <cantin46@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hell no you're not alone Michael.  I'd like to tell you my experience  
with this  problem. I too practiced licks for hours on end and never  
have an opportunity to use them. Until recently. What I have done is  
learned these licks cold and what happens is they get parked in the  
brain somewhere and just sit. I hardly if ever use them but what  
happens is that I have developed and become proficient in playing  the  
notes and pitches that I do use in jams, properly. You will become a  
better player as well by practicing your licks.

As one example I remember when I first started I had learned the intro  
and  solo to "Just Your Fool" by LW about fifteen years ago and never  
ever have used it. I can still play it well but it just resides in the  
brain somewhere, unused. I feel the practice time used to learn it was  
not wasted. It taught me multiple bends in different holes and other  
techniques.

Part of the problem is that I don't sing and that song never came up  
in a jam, but if it did it would not be played as I learned it. The  
tempo or the key or whatever would be different so I wouldn't know how  
to fit it in. I'm sure you can relate to what I'm saying.

I have recently found myself using these parked licks more and more  
lately. The reason? Getting away from I IV V blues standards. Songs  
played in a jazzy or rock flavor have gotten me to play the licks   
parked in my brain. They just flow out without much effort because I  
know those licks, and they just escape. They are most useful when a  
song I never heard before is played it forces me to dig deep and find  
something to fit in. I find it challenging and a lot of fun.

So keep on practicing and playing those unused licks and park them.  
They will come out some day when they're ready and they will be useful  
and sound good.
Paul
If You Love The Blues
Honk Your Hohner