Re: [Harp-L] Why Musicians Hate Harp Players

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Greg Jones wrote:
<The harp is a lead instrument which is a bit counter-intuitive because it
<is a lead instrument that really shouldn't lead on every song and every
<verse.  Also, harmonica players are notorious for playing over vocals. The
<guitar players are guilty of the same infractions but they get a lot more
<grace because they do serve a purpose when they are not playing a lead and
<hat's to help keep the rhythm.

This, it seems to me, is exactly why harmonica never really found a home in rock n' roll.  If you can't help push the rhythm in rock n' roll without overpowering the singer, you're not essential to the band.  Magic Dick was a revelation to me in 1970 precisely because he put the harp into the rhythm section, instead of floating on top.  But Dick could only go so far to change the role of the harp in the band while sticking with a relatively traditional amped tone--in particular, he had to be careful about playing in the same register as the singer. He also used a Bullet mic, as I recall, and Bullets smear chords, so there's more incentive with a Bullet to stick to single notes.

We now have available to us FX that can dramatically change the tone of the harp, and so its role in the band. An autowah (envelope filter) or pitch shifter can make a harp sound dramatically different--different enough to take on rhythmic roles it would never have played before.  Combinations of modulation FX, such as can be done on the Zoom G3, can take the harp into very new places, where slight changes in breath pressure produce major outpourings of rhythm and emotion.

We also have harps like the Thunderbird, engineered from the start to put the harp into a different register, and so a different role for the instrument.

Whatever role the harp played in the band in 1950 or 1970, it's a new game now.

Regards, Richard Hunter

author, "Jazz Harp" 
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