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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
How many harps are needed on stage?
How many harps are needed on stage?
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Philosofy
9 posts
Apr 20, 2008
9:10 PM
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Sorry to be such a pesky newbie. Besides being a harp player, I'm also a woodworker. I've got an idea for a harp case to be brought on stage. It would be like a small wooden book, lined with spanish cedar (the same wood used in humidors), and have cubby holes for harps, which will be held in place with magnets. The handle will be an old blown out harp. I just don't know how big to make it. Should I do 6, 8, 10, or 12 slots?
Adam, I'm particularly interested in how many YOU use on stage. (Hint hint.)
Thanks guys,
Phil
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Noblezadaxfan
13 posts
Apr 21, 2008
6:19 AM
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i would say 6-8 holes i myselfe wouldent bring more than that on stage with me
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Philosofy
10 posts
Apr 21, 2008
9:31 AM
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I made a little box for my car with spanish cedar, and it gives the harps a nice flavor.
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ChipperHarp
19 posts
Apr 21, 2008
11:35 AM
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I think you should consider who and how and what you'll be playing. I have this one guy I play with and he plays a lot of Gb stuff so I tend to use an F# and/or B on a lot of his songs. But he plays in a couple of keys, so with him, I could probably use about 6 harps and be fine.
With my old band, Hoodoo Revelator, I packed A, Ab,B, Bb, C, Db, D, Eb, E, F, F#, G, G-hi, and F-lo, a chromatic, and a bunch of spares. All the keys listed I used during the night! That's 14+ harps.
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ChipperHarp
http://www.myspace.com/chipperharp
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kudzurunner
38 posts
Apr 21, 2008
1:41 PM
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I write about this in one of the essays in Journeyman's Road.
It really depends what you'll be doing--who you'll be playing with--when you get on stage. If you're playing with your own band, it's easy: bring the harps you'll be using. If you're going to a jam session, and there won't be any horns there, you can get away with G, A, B-flat, C, D, and F. You probably won't need the B-flat, but it gives you a third-position option if the band kicks into a funk tune in C, or a slow blues in C.
If you're going to be jamming in a context that includes horns, you'll definitely need the B-flat and will also need an E-flat.
You can leave the A-flat, D-flat, and F-sharp harps home and will only get in trouble one out of 200 times. That's how rarely you'll be called on to play those harps (cross harp) at jam sessions or when doing a pick up gig with a band you've just met.
The E harp comes up occasionally. "Red House," "Midnight Rambler," "Walking Through the Park" are all in B. "The Thrill is Gone" is in B minor. I use an E harp on all those tunes. Other than that: rarely.
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"The will to win is nothing without the will to prepare."
--Juma Ikaanga, marathoner
Last Edited by on Apr 21, 2008 1:41 PM
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harpmonkey
19 posts
Apr 21, 2008
4:04 PM
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Just learn how to crawl across the stage like the Wolf when you don't have a harp you can comp with.
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oldwailer
27 posts
Apr 24, 2008
6:24 PM
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Thinking you could have too many harps at a jam session is like thinking you could have too much money in the bank. Of course, if you are playing in a band--you will already know the keys you need for tonight--but what qabout next month when you have three new songs in the act?
No matter what the instrumentation--if there are going to be vocals, the key has to change to fit the singer, since voices don't usually have that big of a range.
(Of course, come to think of it, back in the 60's or 70's (those years are all the same to me) there was this little chic singer with a band I played with that could sing off-key in all 12 keys--she had these great lips that--but I digress. . .).
It just seems to me that maybe some things get overthought--I think if you have ALL keys covered, that would be just right--of course, I'm still working on that goal myself!
Then, you have to think, "What if my A harp blows a 3 draw?"
so you would have to have a set of back-ups--so--make the box hold 24 harps--a mike and a cord, a cleaning kit, and a kit of small tools. Then--what if I blow a back-up 3 draw on the A harp? Screw it--now you got me overthinking!
Not that I'm that much of a harp player--but I've been playing guitar for a very long time--and I can't imagine saying sheepishly to the lead honcho "I can't play in that key!"
Last Edited by on Apr 24, 2008 6:32 PM
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