Re: Confessions of a Gusser



I would call what you did "gussing". I think it was a display of etiquette
and class. You did right by a friend, who did right by you, and there's
nothing wrong with that Michelle. Good on ya!

> From: "Michelle LeFree" <mlefree@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Reply-To: "Michelle LeFree" <mlefree@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2003 11:49:53 -0600
> To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: RE: Confessions of a Gusser
> 
> 
> Ok, it's time for a confession.
> 
> I know that a "Gusser" is the anathema of blues harp players.  I've heard
> many a horror story about Gussers, not unlike the one just related to us by
> MN.  But, I want to tell you that there is ~another~ side to Gussing.  I
> myself am an inveterate Gusser.  Cain't he'p it.  I've always been an
> "active" listener to music that moves me.  And blues music MOVES me.  I find
> myself stomping, whistling, singing, clapping and various other modes of
> expressing the musicality inside me that is evoked by a good tune, even if
> I'm just listening to the radio.
> 
> So, how did I fall into my evil ways and get started Gussing?  It was when I
> first met my recently relocated blues harp teacher, Harry Harpoon.  He plays
> a killer blues harp and accompanies himself with slide guitar and a bass
> drum.  Since I had figured out that he didn't already have a web site, I
> approached him at one of his gigs and offered to trade him a web site for
> some harp lessons (www.harryharpoon.com).  It was a deal for both of us as
> we were both broke (and still are).  Life on the western slope of Colorado
> is highly polarized between the trophy ranches and movie star mansions in
> the ski areas and the ~rest~ of us regular po' folk.  Anyway, Harry, being
> self-taught was not a great educator in the classic sense.  He had a lot of
> trouble articulating answers to my questions, "how ~did~ you do dat?", when
> he would execute some neat riff or effect during my "lessons".  So, the best
> way I found to learn from him was playing alongside him and asking him to
> slow down and repeat when he got to a passage I couldn't duplicate or
> understand.  It was a natural progression from playing alongside him during
> my pivate lessons to playing alongside him during his gigs.  I asked him if
> he minded me doing that.  He said without hesitation, "that's a great idea",
> and that was that.  Evidently he wasn't bothered by the idea of me sitting
> somewhere off to the side of the stage playing an unamplified harp while he
> was going full blast with his amplified setup.  Plus, as you may know, the
> bond between "harp buddies" runs deep.  [You should know that I was a fairly
> competent harp player at that point, at least in terms of my mechanical
> ability to play the instrument.  I wasn't out there trying to learn how to
> hit single notes or bend, by any means.  Fitting in musically was my biggest
> challenge back then.]
> 
> That's how my career as a Gusser got started.  At first, I was super-self
> conscious about it.  I was most worried about interfering with the listening
> pleasure of the other audience members.  That's why I would find a spot off
> to the side of the stage and be relatively quiet with my playing.  But, in
> spite of my fears of offending, some interesting things began to happen.
> People in the audience would come sit by me or ask me to come sit by them so
> they could hear me.  To my great surprise, everyone from Harry on down was
> very supportive of my Gussing.  Go figure.  I still wonder about it.  After
> a few months of this, several things happened.  I'll speak to the advances
> it afforded me as a harp player in a minute.  Right now I am speaking of the
> reaction of the audience members.  Recall that Harry thought this was a
> great idea all along.  Believe it or not, I began to develop a little
> "following" of audience members who ~liked~ to hear my playing.  Folks would
> see me and come sit down next to me to hear better.  At the end of a tune,
> they would applaud not only Harry, but...  me!  I was astonished and still
> am.  It was a very interesting social dynamic the likes of which I haven't
> experienced before.
> 
> So, what payoff did this have for me as a player?  I can't begin to describe
> it.  The scenario provided me with an excellent opportunity for "OJT", at
> the same time as minimizing the "risk" on my part.  It was a gradual entry
> into a performer's mentality as opposed to the "trial by fire" of getting on
> stage cold, the first time ever.  What terrific experience!  Here are just a
> few of the things that I learned:
> 
> 1) How to determine the key of a song being played (before it's over  ;^).
> 2) How to "blend in" musically with another musician in a live setting.
> 3) How to comp to different rhythms.
> 4) How to be an accompanist; in other words, how and when to avoid stepping
> on the main performer.
> 5) How to anticipate chord changes and be ready for and able to execute
> turn-arounds tastefully.
> 6) Overcoming the fear of playing in public.
> 7) The rudiments of business and etiquette for a gigging performer.
> 
> In short, I became a blues harp player!
> 
> The point, I suppose, is that Gussing ~can~ be a positive experience (and
> not only for the Gusser) if done in a measured, respectful way.
> 
> Of course, I was never drunk and I never forced my way onto any stage.  I
> had the full permission and even the blessing of the performer.  Never
> played amplified.  Well, that's not completely true.  After a while,
> audience members began to get more and more insistant that I get on stage in
> front of a mic'.  And, kind and generous as he is, Harry let this happen
> too, from time to time.  Now that he has moved to California I am actively
> seeking a local blues guitar player so I can set up some gigs!  I'm ready,
> thanks in no small part to my Gussing!  Several of the managers at Harry's
> venues have asked me to do that, so I have the contacts, too.
> 
> There--I said it.  Now I feel better.  Beat me up if you have to.
> 
> Just don't start calling it "Michelling".  :^)
> 
> Michelle
> 
> 
> 
> 
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