[Harp-L] FLAT!! But Maybe Not??--Happy accident



True story: Back in 1979 when i was just starting to play, a guitar player friend of mine who owned a music store (and who was a very, very good player, but drank to excess) brought me to sit in with a duo consisting of a drummer who in his younger days had toured the world with bands represented by the William Morris Agency, and a keyboard player who had fronted his own touring bands for years. Both of them sang, but the keyboard player was an extraordinary vocalist. He played a Hammond B3 through a Leslie, a Fender Rhodes suitcase piano and played bass with his left hand on a Fender Rhodes piano bass (like Ray Manzarek of the Doors used) run through a Kustom bass head and two Kustom bass cabs, one on either side of the stage. These guys ROCKED and put out more hard rocking well played music than most quartets would be capable of. They also played ballads that would bring tears to your eyes. Very high level of of kick ass musicianship, and great R&B style grooves.

Anyway, for some reason, even though i was clearly a novice, they liked my playing. After i had been brought around to sit in a couple of times by my hard drinking guitar player friend (who would get sloppy drunk most of the time), they took me aside as quietly told me that i didn't need to be with him in order to stop by and sit in. Needless to say, i was enormously flattered and gratified, so i started sitting in with these guys regularly. We became good friends and over time I learned a ton of practical music stuff under their guidance.

One night, the keyboard player calls a tune in Bb, so i grab an Eb harp. Actually, he had made a mistake and called the wrong key. The tune was actually in F. But since it was only me, him and the drummer, we all just played without realizing the error. I thought something was wrong--I was able to sound okay, but i had to play differently than i was used to. At the end of the tune the keyboard player apologized for his screw up, and asked me what harp i was playing, commenting that it sounded pretty good anyway.

And that's how i learned how to play in Third Position (F on an Eb harp). At that stage of my development i has heard of Third Position, but was too intimidated to actually attempt it until after this happy accident. Live and learn.

JP






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