"Learning to control your rage will give you that killer instinct that really good musicians have. It's not about competition, its about confidence and dominance."
Exactly. Some of my best recordings have been made when I'd drunk just enough vodka or Scotch to release the inner Greatest Harp Player in the World. Dominance, not competition.
Actually, I don't know if it's always about the killer instinct. When I hung out with William Galison, he didn't have that. That's not where his art came from. Some great players have fairly weak egos, and it's the permeability of their ego-shells that lets the light blast out when they're in their music zone.
For me, the key thing is to really be completely in the moment. Sometimes that means getting suddenly upset or pissed off or fearful while you're playing, and letting the playing reflect that. The playing doesn't necessarily TRANSMIT that to your listeners; they merely hear strong feeling or vulnerability or some unexpected flavor.
Last Edited by on May 12, 2009 6:52 PM
If you want to play something soft, sweet and beautiful, how in the world can "rage" produce it. It would seem to me that you need to have whatever emotion that you want to express.
Maybe I'm not in tune to your definition of rage. I ain't to keen on philosphy. I'm too pragmatic. "Rage" means rage. I don't get the metaphor.
To me, rage is a high-energy, uncontrolable emotion that makes you lash out and destroy all around you without thought of consequenses. I can see that emotion working fine (minus the "uncontrolabe" part)in hard-drivin' music--like some blues, some boogie, some rock--but not in a ballad or mournful blues, for example.
gene, you make a good point. Though I think to be fair you can't box up slow blues as purely "non-rage" playing.
Ok I'm not sure if this counts as slow blues but it is Son House and he was known to be very primal and rage driven regardless of what tempo he was playing in:
Yeah, Zhin, we're on the same page. Especially with that first video. I'd call it hard-drivin'. Hard-drivin' to me means that the beat is really hammered into you, regardless of tempo.
Here's another example of rage, yet it's VERY slow. (Damn, I love this number!!)
Last Edited by on May 13, 2009 3:47 AM
My definition of rage is that it is uncontrolable. One of the intuative skills of the blues player or jazz or whatever is to have certain control.IMPULSE however has to be a factor.
Zhin: I agree "can't box up slow blues as purely "non-rage". There is a jazz standard I use to enjoy doing Cry me a River its a ballad ( its a bluesy base thing, slow ) That tune I could be sweet and caring with, but I would also with a descent rhythm section tear and rip it apart and scream.When you bring it out of the storm into the calm and play the head and out sometimes I would have tears rolling down my face.
There is a little trick maybe I can pass on to some of the Blues harp folk on your way up.The mistake is as I often see even top players doing. Ramming the audience ( Look at me, look at me look what I can do look at me)
No thats not it. You want people to love you dig you and get their attention.(Play inside of yourself and let the natural expression out.CLIMB inside of the music.Do that and you can be 90 years old and you will be fighting off attention from everyone including young attractive ladies for sure. Hey there is a reason to keep playing harp
Kudzurunner:"In the moment" Thats it for me as well I agree.
I think you react to whats around you at that given moment in time. Having said that If the band are in the right frame of mind you can deliver an OCEAN TO AN EMPTY ROOM.
Its amazing how the bands playing can pick up when there is a sudden injection of audience or you look out and if your straight,(depends your orientation) there are 7 or 8 attractive ladies sat at the front or stood at the bar checking out the music. To a pro it shouldn't make any difference but it often can.
It all seems to come back to one thing belief.Buddha says with the dancer first believe you can do it.
Last Edited by on May 13, 2009 3:56 AM
