Re: [Harp-L] Chromatics, no respect.




----- Original Message ----- From: "Jp Pagan" <jpl_pagan@xxxxxxxxx>
To: "harp-l harp-l" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, October 05, 2005 11:03 PM
Subject: [Harp-L] Chromatics, no respect.



I've been kind of peeking at the discussion about this
whole chromatic name-change thing. And I know i'm no
expert on the subject, but it seems to me the name is
not the issue - the instrument itself and the people
who play it is.
First off, I love the chromatic. Play mine all the
time (well, almost). But then again, i'm not most
people, neither are the majority of us on this list.
The harmonica has alot of factors that play into its
less-than-stellar public image. Sure, everyone loves
Stevie Wonder, and yes, there's harmonica in lots of
movie scores and some pop music, but show up at a jazz
jam with a harmonica, or tell someone on the street
you have a harmonica album they have to check out, or
go to the local music schools and ask about their
harmonica courses, and you're likely to see some eyes
glass over.

Perception!!!!!! JP, you've hit the nail on the head here and this applies to BOTH sides of the harmonica aisle here!!!!


I think there's a couple of reasons for this: for one,
not everyone likes the sound of the harmonica, even
when played well. It took me time to appreciate Toots
Thielemans and I actually play the instrument! And
some just haven't heard the harmonica played
beautifully. A friend who once played as a kid and
stopped, who laughed when I said I played harmonica,
begged me for my Larry Adler CD when he heard
"Rhapsody in Blue." Another big problem is the history
of the instrument itself. It has a history if being
intertwined with jokes, with "simple" folk, simple
music. Look at the image of bands like Borra
Minevitch's (i may have spelled that wrong), or look
at Bob Hope. There's a joke aspect to it, a novelty
aspect, one that, though we've fought it, we haven't
fought it well enough to win. I think we still
perpetuate it too, playing tunes in a novelty way
(more on that later). Too, the harmonica was popular
(or is) in music that's seen as simple - blues,
certain country tunes, early Beatles, but not later
Beatles.
What can we do to change the popular view that
harmonicas, all of them, are simple instruments,
novelty instruments, toys? It's been said a thousand
times to play it well. But more than that I think we
need people who make music that other people like with
harmonica in it. Alot of harmonica musicians make good
music, but alot of it, in my opinion, appeals to
harmonica musicians "look what i can do" or "haven't
you always wanted to hear this done on a harmonica"?
I'm looking forward to Stevie Wonder's jazz album of
harmonica music for just this reason. I expect it to
be a real jazz album, a real album of good music,
which he does with or without harmonicas. And there
are, in my opinion, many good musicians, who play the
harmonica, who don't try to get their music out to
people. They play for themselves, for conventions,
whatever, but they don't get together with other good
musicians to put together bands that will appeal to
people, that will play good music that doesn't focus
on instrumentation.

Very good point here!!! I find too many harp players bellyache about getting the Rodney Dangerfield Syndrome of no respect, but truth be told, if every harmonica player took a a good long look in the mirror, they'd see where the REAL problem lies, and that's themselves and the way they go about things. With the exception of Jazz and Classical nand full time professional studio gigs, most music genres you can get away with not learning to sight read, BUT one thing most harp players tend to be guilty of are:


a.) not learning even the most basic music theory, which is OFTEN confused with sight reading, which is related, but for most music genres, theory knowledge is MUCH more important;
b.) lack of understanding/knowledge of rhythm and groove, which are IMPORTANT foundations, especially if you're going to improvise;
c.) for the chromatic players, you rarely see them come out to an open jam because, quite frankly, many of them are far too afraid of having to improvise, which is a HUGE aspect in those situations, and when they have to musically think quickly on their feet (which is basically what improvising is all about,), they're scared to death of looking like a deer in a headlight, and if you don't get in the game to do it, you'll never learn how;
d.) for many diatonic players, lack of musical discipline;
e.) for players of both sides of the aisle: POOR QUALITY MUSICIANSHIP!!!!!!!! Why???? Harmonica players are absolutely NOTORIOUS for this and although there is a TON of this no matter what the instrument is, but because of the instrument too often percieved in the general public's eyes as mainly a toy, it is also, after vocals, THE EASIEST instrument in the world to frankly sound god awful on, and harmonica players too often seemingly think that because they play this instrument, it gives them a free pass for lack of the above mentioned skills, and the "don't blame me, I'm just a harmonica player" attitude, which to me, ticks me off and when players whine about the lack of respect aspect, I absolutely REFUSE to cut them any slack, because it is THEIR OWN DAMNED FAULT for it, and all they're doing with all the griping is not facing up to it and passing the freaking buck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
f.) as one person posting mentioned, many chromatic players just play vocal melody lines and don't embellish much of anything, and most diatonic players just wanna wail, and BOTH sides, if they just shut up, sit down with each other, and LISTEN, they can both learn so much from each other because learning melody and how to embellish in different ways requires a bit of discipline andf improvising needs both discipline and not being afraid to look bad in order to put something fresh out there.


Anyway, just my thoughts. Sorry it's long. I don't
agree that the harmonica, the chromatic in particular,
is dying out in popular music. I actually see more of
it out there now that in albums of a few decades ago.
I think we could learn from guys like Gregoire Maret,
Antonio Serrano, Stevie Wonder, William Gallison
(whose album with Madelein Peyroux everyone should buy
for their friends and family for Christmas!) and Bill
Barrett. And there's more who deserve more recognition
too. Everyone, keep playing - share good music with
those who will listen, drag your friends to harmonica
concerts, and try to make good music with others if
you can.

I can enjoy EQUALLY the playing of a great Classical piece like "Sonata In A-Minor For Solo Flute" by Bach, performed by John Sebastian, Sr., as much as then countryn stylings of a Charlie McCoy to the blues of Little Walter, The snobbery on both sides of the harmonica aisle, to put it harshly, which IMNSHO, to me is the harmonica equivalent of racism, people putting things down they don't understand and frankly haven't made the effort to do so.


Now, to do a Dr. Phil-ism for harmonica, changing the name isn't going to change anything else with the harmonica player, and if you have poor musicianship, and everything else that goes with it, absolutely NOTHING has changed, so why waste time with that!!! The ten biggest ways to improve this situation for ALL harp players:

1. suck it up and greatly improve musicianship
2. suck it up and greatly improve musicianship
3. same as above
4. same as above
5. same as above
6. same as above
7. same as above
8. same as above
9. same as above
10. same as above!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


ENOIUGH WITH THE CRAP ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
MP3's: http://music.mp3lizard.com/barbequebob/






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