[Harp-L] Just a thought, but wordy

["Robert Laughlin" <harmonicaman1968@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I think the discussion of CoF and such brings to light the differing approaches to music, one, intuitive, the other, intellectual/technical. Or you might call it the right-brain, left-brain dichotomy. 

One who approaches music entirely by "feel", or "intuition", simply plays, plays, and plays, until he learns, through the "feel" of a sound or interval, either what is pleasing to his/her ear, or makes the musical statement desired.

When you create "tension" with a particular interval, then "relieve the tension" through a resolving interval, or "return", then you've said something. The differing intervals between tones make the different parts of the musical "statement" possible.

In blues, for instance, you're trying to convey your deepest feelings, both with words and music, and in specific, musical intervals, both combined in chords, and individually, in melody. 

Sometimes, just through the experience of playing, one becomes familiar enough with one's instrument and its possiblities in making musical statements to move around the instrument "intuitively", without having to resort to a book, a chart, an instruction. Other times, when the playing is over, or in one's "off hours", one may gain further understanding of what was happening, on an intellectual level, by studying such helpful tools as the CoF, musical theory, etc.

So, right brain, left brain, and hopefully, they communicate often to help each other. 

At my point, I've got some musical theory under my belt, from having studied classical cello for a few years, and in so doing, was taught the scales, the key signatures, etc.

But I have to admit that it was tedious and boring to me. I always just wanted to play, play, play. As a result of not paying enough attention to the theory aspects, I still can't tell you which keys have how many flats or sharps, or even how to use that knowledge in practice, since in classical music, the notes are all laid out for you on a sheet of paper, so it's somewhat of a "no-brainer", if you're familiar with the piece, and make sure you hit all the naturals, etc.

Now, I have to also admit that in avoiding the theory portion, being predominantly "right brained" (think, riding a bicycle, or delivering a baby, where you don't have time to refer to written material), I do not fully "understand" why things work, though I can HEAR it and FEEL  it, and FIND the note instinctively. I frequently regret not having spent more time studying, so that I could, for instance, quickly pick up the BEST harp key to use in any particular situation, rather than just resort to either the 1st position key or the 2nd. 

I have played in other positions, perhaps unknowingly, simply because I didn't have the harp I was looking for, so had to resort to one that had "some" of the notes, and, being familiar with the harp layout, I could quickly find the others, or bend into the right note, instinctually.

I have to admit that I do find it somewhat tedious to get back into this discussion, but also have only myself to blame for any gaps in the knowledge that could have improved both my playing and my facility onstage.

As Hillary (ugh!) once said,,"It takes a village". So I'm one of the "village idiots",,lol.

I think, if I get any of this, it will be through "osmosis". My left brain is spinning. But the discussion is good.