Re: [Harp-L] learning to sing




Steve said: good slow air playing is the mark of a truly accomplished player of traditional Irish.

That's understated, I think slow air playing is the mark of a truly accomplished player in most styles of music. Its like a whole other talent which few musicians really develop. Not many people can do at the top level. Toots is a grand master at it - does it all the time (La vie en Rose, Its a Wonderful World, ...). Miles Davis can do it, listen to Autumn leaves on the Something else album, breathtaking. These are masterpieces.

Pierre.


----- Original Message ----- From: "Steve Shaw" <moorcot@xxxxxxx>
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, December 07, 2004 7:39 PM
Subject: RE: [Harp-L] learning to sing



>James Harman once told my friend (then, later, me too) that learning to >sing was the single >greatest thing you can do to improve your harmonica >playing.

DG

This will interest about 0.0001% of the list, but it's a fact. Most Irish slow airs have no discernible rhythm and are sometimes even notated without a time signature. But the majority are derived from song tunes, mostly from songs of a more reflective nature. If you know the words to the song and can visualise them as you're playing the tune on a harmonica, you play the tune so much more convincingly. That fast stuff, the jigs and reels, is much easier: good slow air playing is the mark of a truly accomplished player of traditional Irish.


Steve




http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/trad_irish_harmonica


Steve's CD of mostly traditional Irish, "Blowing Through The Reeds," is now available! Hear clips at http://www.gjk2.com/steveshaw/cd.htm


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