Re: [Harp-L] Low-Wattage Jazz at SPAH

[Music Cal <macaroni9999@xxxxxxxxx>]

"Listen, listen, listen"

Then ... really listen.


On Sun, Sep 1, 2013 at 8:14 AM, Slim Heilpern <slim@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Regarding the discussion of beginner jazz jams, seminars, etc... at SPAH...
>
> While I'm greatly in favor of all such things, I can't help but get the
> feeling that there's a misperception among many harmonica players that
> learning to play jazz on the harmonica is about the harmonica. It's not.
>
> I consider myself to be a good slide chromatic harmonica player but only a
> beginning jazz player. I've been a beginning jazz player for longer than I
> care to remember (although I do get better, little by little). It's not
> because I lack talent, or because I don't understand the music that I'm a
> beginner, it's mainly because I haven't put in the hours to be able to
> easily play whatever it is that I hear in my head on my axe when things get
> complex. But I can at times play very sweet sounding jazz harmonica because
> (again) I'm a good harmonica player and because I have a deep love and
> appreciation of jazz.
>
> It's my belief that if you need someone to show you how to play jazz (on
> any instrument), if you don't already hear what it is you want to say in
> your head, no seminar or jam, beginner or otherwise, is going to be of much
> help.
>
> You must first absorb yourself in a century's worth of jazz music (which
> was mostly not played on harmonica), fall in love with it, listen to it so
> much it's spilling out of your brain so that you find yourself singing your
> favorite solos (or improvised solos) to yourself at odd times of the day,
> every day. Jazz has history and the modern forms are built on the older
> forms. Think you can play swing without understanding dixieland or ragtime?
> Think you can play Charlie Parker without understanding Lester Young? Think
> you can do justice to Miles or Trane without understanding Bird or Dizzy?
> Etc.... I think not.
>
> This is not about the harmonica. It's about music. If you want to play
> jazz on the harmonica, you need to become a jazz musician. Enroll in
> courses (a good starting point is a jazz appreciation course), study the
> music, play with backing tracks, listen, listen, listen. Find other
> musicians at your level (preferably not harmonica players) that you can
> play with, year-round. If you haven't already done so, fall in love with
> the music.
>
> Every year, there are at least a few fine harmonica players (who
> apparently don't understand the above) who show up at the SPAH jazz jams
> and play their butts off with much bravado, but they don't play what I
> would call jazz music, especially over the more challenging changes. They
> play wild streams of notes that fit the harmonica a lot better than they
> fit the music. It hurts my jazz soul to listen. And then there are the jazz
> musicians who happen to play harmonica -- and what a beautiful sound they
> make!
>
> - Slim.
>
> www.SlideManSlim.com
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