Re: [Harp-L] RE: no standards of harmonica accomplishment

[Gary Mulholland <g.e.mulholland@xxxxxxxxx>]

I don't really get this no standards thing , If you're good enough then you're good enough. I play weekly gigs and have never had anyone talk down about harmonica players. Sure if a player really stinks people will say so but no more than if any other musician stinks. I also play the Irish Bodhran and it has a so called bad rep as well ( anyone can bang in a drum right ? ) but played properly it's a wonderful instrument , I'd say it's a waste of time worrying about how people in general  view harp players, worry about being good enough on that stage instead then blast those misconceptions right out of the room !! :-)
Gary

Sent from my iPhone

> On 9 Jun 2014, at 08:34, Rick Dempster <rickdempster33@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
> An example of simple technique, but good musical ideas. The humble harp at
> its basic best:
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-PdIyV0LTg
> 
> 
>> On 9 June 2014 15:29, Joseph Leone <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>> 
>> Nail this to a plank of teak, take it to the bank, place in safety deposit
>> box. Value? priceless.
>> 
>> smo-joe  (who once told Jimmy Hoffa: "Don't go to the diner". Yes, he IS
>> the most unforgettable character you will ever meet. )
>> 
>> 
>>> On Jun 8, 2014, at 3:01 PM, JON KIP wrote:
>>> 
>>> the reason for all this is that the harmonica, in specific, the diatonic
>> one, but to a reasonable degree the chromatic, as well, is that those
>> instruments have some easily accessible and somewhat musical things that
>> are built-in to the instrument that aren't found in other instruments.
>>> 
>>> People wishing to play harmonica can buy some, and fairly easily learn
>> how to make some music and to have some fun...... satisfying the main
>> points for most people to take up an instrument.
>>> 
>>> Counter this to almost any other instrument, where years of practice
>> have to happen before a presentable musical experience (to the listeners,
>> and the student) can be achieved.
>>> 
>>> Yes, I know the clarinet has built-in sounds, but we call them "squeaks"
>> and frown on them.
>>> 
>>> SO, there's a big pot of people wanting to have the fun of making music,
>> and, for them,  the harmonica, to get to the first few levels  of music and
>> enjoyment, takes very little time or effort.
>>> 
>>> Some of the people, most, it seems, start having fun, and mostly stay at
>> that level. Others, wanting to put more effort into the project,  and
>> having different personal goals, chose to challenge themselves a whole lot
>> more, and , in theory, they get more out of the experience. This doesn't
>> make the first group of people silly, or lazy, they've set out to have fun,
>> and have fun. That sounds like successfully reaching a personal goal. Cool.
>>> 
>>> Rather than retype my site, take a look at my site, the page LESSONS and
>> some of this is explained almost coherently.
>>> 
>>> jonkip.com/lessons.html
>>> 
>>> I suspect that few harmonica players actually put in the time that
>> professional, say, oboe, or clarinet players have to do just to get
>> "comfortable" on the instrument. Those who do, end up being Howard, Tommy,
>> PT, Slim, or whoever.....Those who don't, have just as much fun, better
>> family life, and far less frustration.
>>> 
>>> NONE of this says that playing harmonica at, say the level of a
>> professional woodwind player  is easy... I only play chromatic and at the
>> level that I'm aiming at, it's right up there in difficulty with oboe,
>> clarinet, sax, flute...and believe me, I really know that first hand.
>>> 
>>> And NONE of this presents those who chose to NOT spend all day
>> practicing as being less in some way.
>>> 
>>> At times, I think they're the lucky ones, this chromatic instrument is
>> really difficult to play.
>>> 
>>>> On Jun 8, 2014, at 7:58 AM, harp-l-request@xxxxxxxxxx wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Phil Duncan is right. The fact that anybody can teach him or herself
>>>> harmonica means that there is no standard of accomplishment. This is a
>>>> serious problem for acceptance of the instrument.
>>> 
>>> jon kip
>>> http://jonkip.com
>>> 
>>> player of music, mostly written by dead people and played on a toy that
>> everybody's Uncle except my nephew's has the good sense to keep safely out
>> of sight in a drawer.
>> 
>> 
>>