Re: [Harp-L] Reading Music

[The Iceman <icemanle@xxxxxxx>]

Did he tell you the story about bragging at a party that he could play "Rhapsody in Blue", not knowing that a young Mr. Gershwin was standing next to him at the party? I believe at that time he didn't read music. When challenged by Gershwin to play it, Larry did, by ear, thereby starting a friendship.


I either heard this story when Larry was at a SPAH convention, or else had a really vivid dream and thought it was real....





-----Original Message-----
From: MundHarp <MundHarp@xxxxxxx>
To: harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wed, Feb 2, 2011 5:26 am
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Reading Music


 
Hello Angus,
I had a long telephone conversation with Larry Adler, on the telephone... I 
 was going to drive him from his home in London to the National Harmonica 
League  Festival, in Ely, UK... it was just a short time before he died... We 
chatted  about his book... Well it was more of a magazine style publication 
than a book,  that was published some time  before world war two. In it, he 
explained  embouchure... And there were some drawings showing tongue 
blocking, it also  represented music... In standard notation. 
Well, Larry Adler explained that he was not a great sight reader... And  
that he himself was essentially a "pucker player". OF COURSE.. He tongue 
blocked  for octaves and such..... But in his instruction book he had  simply 
explained the percieved "correct way" to play  harmonica...
He also told me he mostly simply "heard the music in his head and  played 
it." I guess that meant that he... Mostly... Played by ear... As do  I.
 
Sincerely,
John "Whiteboy" Walden.
English.
But educated in Ireland,
and just now in the Philippines.
 
 
In a message dated 2/2/2011 8:28:54 P.M. Malay Peninsula Standard Ti,  
amaccana@xxxxxxxxxx writes:

Thanks for this John and for explaining  the "urban mlyth"
Beannachtai
Aongus Mac  Cana