Re: [Harp-L] Are there pro harp players who do not know theory?

[Slim Heilpern <slim@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On May 20, 2011, at 2:03 PM, Joe Leone wrote:

> On May 20, 2011, at 2:32 PM, sheltraw@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
>
> > Hi Richard
> >
> > > <I like to use what little theory actually exists in jazz to shine  
> > > a light
> > > <under the hood while the car is in the garage.
> > >
> > > First, I don't really understand what the 2nd sentence means.
> >
> > Just rolling with the car driving analogy. I don't like to think of  
> > theory
> > while in an improvisational setting (on the "road") but away from  
> > those
> > settings (in the "garage") I often think about tonal relationships  
> > (look
> > under the "hood").
> Strangely, I understood the 2nd sentence. (I think I'm in trouble).

I had no problem with the car analogy, the part I didn't understand  
was "what little theory actually exists in jazz". From my perspective,  
there is actually quite a lot of jazz theory to be learned, and it's  
not easy for people like me to get my head around it all.

Although Hendrik Meurkens once mentioned in a seminar I attended that  
for him, jazz theory was a piece of cake (not necessarily his exact  
words, I think he said it took him a few days to master) -- it was  
playing legato on the chromatic that was hard.

I guess not all brains are created equal ;-).

- Slim.