Re: Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Re: questions about high keyed harps



You know, there is a pattern language of western contemporary songs. It always seems to me that, if you learn one song, you've learned most of several others.

It is to the point where I, and I'm sure others, can play along wth tunes we have never heard and appear to the listener as if we know the song.

I was once was in Fiji and had an opportunity to jump in on a tune with some local players. I had never heard the song but felt I could handle it. I failed. Soon the guys were calling the changes to me.

Their standard progression changes/song structure are different than western popular music. I couldn't anticipate where their songs were going to go.


Sent from my iPhone


On Sep 17, 2008, at 3:53 PM, EGS1217@xxxxxxx wrote:

Gary Popenoe writes (snipped):

"Singing is the closest technique I have found to playing harmonica.
The main difference is that my vocal chords are  out there just in
front of my teeth."

...that's a great way to put it...and how I always think of playing harmonica too. To me it's always about 'the song' (even if it's an instrumental - in that case I simply think the melody), but always I sing the song in my head while using the harmonica to convey it instead of my voice, which means, of course..that I have to know the song before I can play it well, but that's fine since I seem to know hundreds upon hundreds of songs I hadn't before realized I knew. Must have just absorbed them by osmosis. :)


Elizabeth




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