[Harp-L] harp roles in jam situations



Harp-L,

 

I have a theory/etiquette question I'm hoping will spark some
discussion.  Perhaps this has been discussed before, but I'm a beginner
so I'll hope you'll all forgive redundancy.  I joined up with the
Colorado Blues Society and their online forums and found a post
discussing jam etiquette.  I read through the posts and understand most
of it and found it enlightening.  The last thing I want to do is piss
people off while I'm learning (or at any point for that matter).
However, there was one comment made by the author of the post that I'm
having trouble absorbing.  I'm hoping you all can help me understand
what he means.

 

>From http://www.coblues.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=165:

"1) harmonica is not a rhythm instrument (at least at a jam)"

 

I discussed this with some friends last night, but we all came to
different conclusions.  In my reading and practice, one of the first
things I do to learn a song is follow the bass line to get a feel for
the song, but to me, that means I'm acting as part of the rhythm.  The
author obviously realizes that he made a comment that not everyone would
agree with, per his "Flame Away" comment, and I'm not saying he's right
or wrong.  I'm just curious what other harp players might think he meant
by it.  I just want a better understanding of where the harp fits in and
what is good practice when sitting in with new people in a jam type
situation.

 

Looking forward to your responses.

 

Nick





This archive was generated by a fusion of Pipermail 0.09 (Mailman edition) and MHonArc 2.6.8.