[Harp-L] RE: Inappropriate harmonica

["Hellerman, Steven L." <shellerman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Grant, I was wondering: If the schmuck in your story had been playing in
the right key, would it then have been okay? (Re: Second Rule of
Harmonica)
FYI:

First Rule of Harmonica: Always play your own harmonica, don't expect or
ask to play anyone else's, don't let anyone play yours. (Yes, there can
be an exception or two to this rule, but it better be good.)

Second Rule of Harmonica: Always make sure you are playing in the right
key. Whatever position, better make sure it works.

(BTW: Third Rule of Harmonica: Make sure your teeth are clean before you
play. Floss, floss, floss!)


SLH




Message: 1
Date: Mon, 5 Nov 2012 06:50:34 -0800 (PST)
From: Grant Dermody <gdermody@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Inappropriate harmonica [long]
To: "mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,	Michelle LeFree
	<mlefree@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: "harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Message-ID:
	<1352127034.12073.YahooMailNeo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Hi again all,

Yes, perhaps a nerve was hit for me to post. 

Many years ago in Seattle, there was a band with which I used to sit in
regularly. They were fronted by one of the best singers I've ever heard.
Nobody can lean into a ballad like this woman. The guitarist in the band
was equally stunning.

The gig on this night was at a small club in the University district.
The place was jammed and the band was smoking. They called me up and we
played a couple of up-tempo tunes and then leaned into a gorgeous, yet
nasty, slow blues. 

It built up to a fever and then, right before the end, the singer
brought it way down, singing soft and strong, the audience in the palm
of her hand. We finished with a stop and then a slow, beautiful outro
retard, and then an equally gorgeous arpeggiated final chord.

 Deciding to add to this gorgeous chord was a harmonica player, hanging
in the back, but still very audible in this small club. In the middle of
this perfect ending and culminating one of the best vocal performances I
have heard before or since, this gusser adds his 2 cents, loud,clear,
and in the wrong key. He had played along with the whole tune and hadn't
figured out the key. Either that or he couldn't hear that he was using
the wrong harp.

It was so wrong and so messed up in so many ways. I went and had a word
with him, telling him, as kindly as I could, that he had messed up a
beautiful performance and that this is part of what gives harp players a
bad name.

He was outraged. He felt he had a constitutional right to blow his out
of key harp whenever he liked and if we didn't like it it was our
problem.
I disagreed, and we went our separate ways. 

So yes, I think gussing is incredibly bad form.

all the best

Grant