[Harp-L] Going solo

["John F. Potts" <hvyj@xxxxxxx>]

i would think the problem doing a one man harmonica gig for 3 or 4  
sets is lack of variety in the basic sound.  Harp has a certain  
"voice" even when modified with pedals.  That voice contrasts nicely  
with guitars or keyboards and other non-wind instruments.  But a  
steady diet of harp by itself may be a different story. Hard to leave  
space and still carry the music along.

Also, one cannot "build" chords on harmonica--we are stuck with the  
chords that are on the instrument which are extremely limiting.  So  
it would be hard to back yourself effectively, even using a looper. A  
duo gig with a guitar or keyboard does not present the same problems.

FWIW, I played a duo gig a couple of months ago with a guitar player  
singer and we did John Lee Hooker, Rev. Gary Davis, Son House and  
similar old traditional mostly blues numbers with each of using an  
arsenal of pedal board electronics which is not the usual approach to  
that sort of material.  We wouldn't use the electronics at the start  
of each tune, but would work them in as the song progressed.  The  
guitar player and i have played together before and we have some  
similar sounding effects pedals so we can get the guitar sounding  
like it is emerging from the sound of the harp and get the harp  
sounding like it is emerging from the sound of the guitar and  
sometimes you might not be able to tell which instrument was playing  
what.  Of course, sometimes we'd use contrasting effects, too or no  
effects.  We didn't overdo it with the electronics but the gizmos  
gave us an unusual way to approach very traditional material. The  
crowd loved it and we got very well paid.  But my point is that it  
was the CONTRAST and INTERACTION between the 2 different instrumental  
voices that made it work. I think it would be hard to pull off  
something like that with just a harp and electronics even if you do  
sing well.  But that's just my take on it.  YMMV.

JP