It´s nice when ladies turn to the harmonica, but I see no reason the reduce the standards for good playing based on sex. I´d say she´s roughly on the same level as your somewhat below awerage blues jam guy -- but it´s interesting that they have a harmonica up in front and they are not playing blues, i.e treating it as a "real" instrument.
Martin, it's hard to tell what the top end is for a player's ability. She seems to be hitting all the notes she means to hit and it fits the song. I don't hear anything where she is struggling with technique. At that point it becomes more a matter of taste than skill. I like what she is doing.
I think that the harmonica is used to great effect in a style suitable to the music. Many average blues jams guys could not play this style of music well. I like the band a lot, and really like the fact that harmonica is part of their sound!
I wish they were playing at our CU Folk & Roots Festival next weekend. ----------
Doug S.
Last Edited by dougharps on Nov 01, 2016 3:36 PM
Nate, Well, no accounting for taste. I´d say her tone is thin and weak, airy, she could liven it up with a touch of vibrato and stronger cupping; the riffing in general is not terribly inspired. She makes no blatant mistakes, but she does not exude a whole lot of confidence in her playing. If a guitar player, say, had taken up the same amount of space on the same level of playing I think we´d been considerably harder on him/her.
Still, I´ve heard much worse.
What I do like is that she has the right clean sound for the music, i.e. not trying to "cover things up" with unfitting distortion etc.
Last Edited by Martin on Nov 01, 2016 5:43 PM
She is doing what we are always being told is the ideal harp playing: supporting the song rather than showboating. What a relief not to hear the whole bag of tricks being wheeled out on every song. As for the tone, it's the classic keening harp sound.
I don't especially like the song style myself, interesting lyrics though. But objectively isn't everything as it should be, musically?
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Nov 02, 2016 3:50 AM
Well, when I heard the harp, she made me stop what I was doing and Google up who it was. They're all over YouTube. I am surprised no one from down under has weighed in.
@MindThe Gap: The objectivity issue is a tricky one: even a player who makes mistakes can come out as more interesting than one who is doing things by the book. It´s a question of context and aesthetic preferences. She makes no mistakes but there ar other shortcomings, as I see it.
I listened again and I stick to what I said above -- and I´m not at all opposed to the genre etc, but I find her playing somewhat pedestrian.
It´s no bigger thing, and as I say, I´ve heard much worse. It would be intersting to know how long she has played.
I agree that her playing on this track is straightforward compared to some of the fireworks we routinely hear on MBH. I'm saying that I think that's right for this kind of song.
Same is true of e.g. the drumming. It's plain and restrained and just the job in context. You wouldn't want a Buddy Rich-style crazy solo in there would you? For all I can tell, he might be capable of doing it.
This may be extrapolating too far, but the fact that her warbles are nice and precise makes me think she would have good technique for more complicated things.
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Nov 03, 2016 8:00 AM
@MTG: Certainly would not want any fireworks here (they are often -- not always -- more self serving than serving the song) but here it´s more the weak tone and the rather banal riffing that stands out to me.
I would be surprised -- pleasantly surprised, mind you -- if you could find an instance where she shows "good technique". From what I deduce from this clip that´s not really within her capabilities. But I honestly don´t want to come off as Harmonica-Hitler here, it´s just that I think harmonica players settle for too little when it comes to judging fellow instrumentalists, and that´s one of the reasons why the instrument is looked down upon.
I get your point Martin, and we see on MBH every day examples where people are pushing the capabilities of the harp in amazing ways.
It does seem that the harp is an odd instrument in that it seems even professional musicians can get away with playing it not brilliantly, and no one minds. Aside from harp enthusiasts that is, they do mind. They wouldn't dream of playing any other instrument like that. You don't get someone picking up a trumpet and having a go at a few riffs. I guess that cements the notion that harp is an interesting novelty item, like a kazoo or similar.
I don't think this is an example of that though. Alles in ordnung. And I think she is playing a Lee Oskar so I feel even more on her side :)
(Maybe there is a Kazoo forum where people are saying the same thing about their beloved instrument!!!!)
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Nov 04, 2016 3:36 AM
My point, MTG, and we agree in the generalities and differ on the specifics. No big deal. And your example with trumpet is spot on: quite a number of performers would be laughed off the stage where they to approach that instrument with the same cavalier attitude they show the harmonica when they pick it up and blow a few crappy riffs in 2nd pos. But harmonica player tend to think, "That might be good exposure for the harp!" and thus accept substandard playing for some abstract reason, saying the world is a better place if more people play the harmonica. Never understood that; as little as I understand that if The Stolling Rones make an uninteresting blues record in their twilight years, then I´m supposed to think that that is "good for the blues" or whatever. It doesn´t work like that.
A kazoo forum goes beyond my scope, but some years ago a read about a jew´s harp convention. I believe it was here in Sweden. (Despite some masochistic traits in my character I made no plans to attend.)
I saw John Hiatt Thursday night in Shawnee OK. He played harp in a rack. He just inhaled and exhaled and chords came out. Terrible harmonica playing. It was great. I enjoyed it immensely. I don't recall lowering my standards. No discount was offered and I did not hear any apologies.
I bet if Joseph Richter had tuned trumpets we would be hearing a lot more home grown trumpet playing.
Ha ha :) But if you just inhale and exhale on a harmonica at least some harmonious chords come out. Try that on a trumpet and I think it's refund time!
parp.
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Nov 12, 2016 11:24 AM
Nice and easy harp playing, fits in with the music, and doesn't overpower the sound. Kind of like that harp in Barefoot Truth. I saw a couple of bands like this this summer around here in CT, I guess you would characterize them as jam bands/folkie/Dead music with harp players similar to this and others tending towards Popper/Ricci style. But never did they overpower the band sound as they were not the focus as with harp players in blues bands.
I thought she sounded great. I'm not hearing a thin, weak and airy tone at all. And I certainly don't hear any lack of confidence on her part. I think she's serving the song and complimenting the band perfectly fine. Sure there's no Whammer Jammer style pyrotechnics, but not every piece calls for that out of the harp player. She's in a supportive role here and doing fine.
I really liked the whole band, nice tune. I'm referring only to Fishermans Daughter as I didn't listen to the second video. One thing though, she's not really "fronting" the band on that tune is she? At least on Fisherman's, I'd say that song is being fronted by the chick on guitar. She's on backing vocals and while she's gets a little space on harp so does the dude on guitar. The songs clearly not all about her.
Last Edited by Honkin On Bobo on Nov 14, 2016 10:59 AM
She has a bit of a Mickey Raphael thing going, but based on this article, which doesn't include the word " harmonica" even once, it must not be her main "thang". http://nodepression.com/interview/australia-utah-waifs-become-active-again
Last Edited by Sundancer on Nov 15, 2016 11:45 PM
