Re: Harmonica that ruins a song.

[Joel Fritz <jfritz666@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Steve Shaw wrote:
> 
> 
> <<<<<From: Will Vogtman <will_vogtman@xxxxxxxxx:
> 
>  > Dylan and Young are among the greatest harmonica players ever!
> 
> I strongly disagree.  When I say that I play harmonica, people assume 
> that I sound like a Dylan or a Young.
> 
> As a result, people assume I know no music theory.  People assume I am a 
> sub-standard musician.   People talk to me like I am an idiot.
> 
> 
>  > Though they were not amazing technicians, they have done quite
>  > much more than any harmonica player for the harmonica.
> 
> As alluded to above, they have done more to belittle the instrument in 
> the eyes of the public.
> 
> I have nothing personal against Dylan or Young.  They are wonderful song 
> writers, musicians, performers, and businessmen.
> 
> However, they have done nothing to further the legitmacy of the 
> harmonica as a musical instrument--not a toy.
> 
> Will>>>>>>>
> 
> I am with Will absolutely 100% on this.  Ambassadors for the harmonica 
> need to be consummate players.  Anything else merely gives the rest of 
> us more of an uphill struggle in getting the instrument taken more 
> seriously.
> 
> Steve
> 
> 
> 
> Want more than the blues?  Try Irish!
> http://mysite.freeserve.com/trad_irish_harmonica
> 
> _________________________________________________________________


Hoo boy.  Sonny Terry probably was the one who influenced me to take up 
harp.  OTOH, Woody Guthrie was definitely the one who influenced me to 
take up guitar.  I don't play much like either of them today.  Very few 
people would rank Guthrie as a guitar virtuoso.  He played just well 
enough to accompany his songs.  I think that starting to play is more 
important than who influenced you to start.  There could easily be some 
ten year old girl out there who just picked up a harmonica because of an 
  Alanis Morisette song who will grow up to a complete monster.

The best way to get the harmonica taken seriously is to forget about 
whether people take it seriously or not.  They can scent the fear.  <g>
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