RE: [Harp-L] What to play off the cuff

["Chris Michalek" <Chris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I play the Rolling Stone's Miss You lick and then end with a lighting
fast chromatic run.  Something they've heard and something they
haven't :-)


>
>
>
>---- Original Message ----
>From: martinoldsberg@xxxxxxxxx
>To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: RE: [Harp-L] What to play off the cuff
>Date: Mon, 2 May 2005 12:41:26 -0700 (PDT)
>
>>
>>
>>This isn4t something that keeps me awake at night, but occasionally
>I reflect upon what is the best thing to play when asked to perform
>something impromptu, just a bar or two in case you have a harmonica
>at hand and someone ask you for a sample of how it sounds. (Generally
>I do not recommend carrying around a harmonica at all times, that
>seems just to encourage abuse and further confirm the publics low
>estimate of the instrument. The  portability of the thing is too
>often confused with some supposed widely felt need to listen to a
>harmonica every now and then. You never see tuba players terrorizing
>pub crowds with recently acquired skills.)
>>
>>  As a diatonic player I use to opt for a blues riff of sorts. Many
>would settle for a scale, but that4s a bit dry. (Howard Levy had an
>interesting take on the scale theme when he performed on the Garrison
>Keillor show (who said he couldn4t play octaves?). I4ve also seen
>Toots on a TV-show when asked to play something on his odd
>instrument just rush through all three octaves chromatically at
>lightning speed. He had heard that question many times.)
>>
>>  Your national anthem could be something, but they are generally
>rather boring (envy the French with that great song; works reasonably
>well in 2 pos). A Beatles tune  but which one? Stardust?  one of
>the ten most recorded songs of the last century I read someplace.
>(But tricky: starting the refrain in 1 pos you have to pull off an
>overdraw on 7D; probably the most difficult note on the diatonic. To
>risky. Starting an octave lower it tends to get a bit mushy.) 
>>
>>  The point is not to show off  but still somehow show you can
>play.
>>
>>  Nowadays I tend to pull off something jazzy/bluesy in 12 pos,
>going through first two octaves in major pentatonic and wailing a bit
>on 6D - but I think a recognizable tune is to be preferred.
>>
>> As I said, no big thing but it would be interesting to see some
>suggestions. What do you chose? Oh Susannah? Love me do intro?
>Eine kleine Nachtmusik? Rule Britannia? 
>>
>> 
>>
>>Cheers,
>>
>>Martin
>>
>>
>>__________________________________________________
>>Do You Yahoo!?
>>Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
>>http://mail.yahoo.com 
>>_______________________________________________
>>Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
>>Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx
>>http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l
>>

Chris Michalek

www.michalekstrone.com
CD Available
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/michalekstrone