I recently uploaded a new video with me playing a Sting's "Is Probably Me"
for some reason, the playing seems to strike a chord with lots of other harmonica players who have been asking me what I did to be able to play the way I do and what goes through my head when I am playing music.
To be good at anything requires lots of work, passion and dedication. To be great at anything requires the same but you must also have a little nuttiness to yourself. Every great musician I have met is a little "off" in at least one area not to mention being more on the "extreme" end of one spectrum or another. I've found the better I get at music, the level and depth of my emotions increases. Being an emotional extremist has many drawbacks but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I love living on the edge of creation.
How did I get to play the way I play? It's not as ifficult as it would seem. What I play is actually very simple and the technique I employ is within reach of everybody on this board. The most beautiful things in life are usually the simplest things. I'm all about what sounds good and what is musical rather than being flashy or demonstrating the greatness and depth of my technique. My goal is to play good music not to show people how good I am at playing music.
The difference between me and most is I listen to verything and anything. Some of my craziness comes into play here, if I don't like something, I will listen to it more and more until I understand what I don't like about it. There are rules to everything and I generally believe if you don't like somebody then its because you don't understand the rules for that song or person. And, once you figure it out, it becomes a thing of beauty.
So what goes through my head when I am playing? Everything is like a movie soundtrack and I just play what I think is appropriate for that bit of the movie. While you are laying, if you are grounded in the music and yourself, you can step out side of yourself and the music and direct yourself. When you do this, you hear everything and in a way it's actually traveling a few seconds into the future where you are actually creating the moment to be displayed to your audience. Creating music with others is to me, proof of a multi-dimensional universe where many beings and energy units can exist in the same space in time yet we are all having our individual moment of creation. Many voices converge to become one beautiful moment.
Hey, I like it. Really good thoughts but Im thinking I need to be more familiar with my harmonica to play what fits with whatever harp is at hand. I was just watching your video on 11th pos jazzy blues & planning to try doing that.
---------- ~Ryan Pennsylvania - H.A.R.P. (Harmonica Association 'Round Philly)
I initially got a black screen, both here and on youtube, but when I went on to another page then back to the youtube link it started loading and playing.
I don't call it restrained. Playing within the music is more of what I would call it. That kind of music doesn't call for harmonica acrobatics.
I think one of the biggest differences between harmonica players and musicians is...are you playing the harmonica or are you playing music?
I was just speaking with one of the people who was at the world harmonica festival. In the diatonic competition, the difference between 1st and 2nd place came down to who was playing music and who was showing off harmonica skills.
So when I was playing, I wasn't thinking about how can I show the audience how good I am at playing the harmonica. I was thinking about how I could make the song sound good. I've learned over the years, that nobody other than your peers cars about your technique, tone or equipment, all the audience cares about is how does EVERYTHING sound. ---------- ~Buddha Pennsylvania - H.A.R.P. (Harmonica Association 'Round Philly)
Yea that last few sentances Yep I dig that for sure. For me as a jazz sax player I coach ha, rephrase suggest 3 levels of impro. A good local pro works in 2 trying to push and dipping into 3.
International pro ha if their doing it right should be in level 3 mode all the time.
The way I can get it across to them sometimes is I ask them if they have ever had an out of body experience, Usually associated with trauma.
Ha ha it is not always a good tact and Iv'e usually made a resonable assesement of their character before I ask them this.
The odd one or two have had the experience.I had an out of body experience at age 10, so that gets the job done with them in understanding what MODE your trying to get yourself into.
The reasons should be fairly obvious.
A lot of folk might think I am talking C... well that's cool but like you I know where it's at for sure. Getting there is the tricky bit ha ha.
You can't from level 1 through into 2 or even touch 3 until you can hear, right.
Bottom line is you got to know your way round your chosen instrument first.
But yea man I really dig what you saying, nice one.Literally and metaphorically speaking.
"Because as we all know MUSIC is the real way of speaking,everything else is just filling in time between gigs"
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Last Edited by on Nov 02, 2009 11:11 AM
I saw this on your Youtube channel the other day. It sounds great. I almost commented on what a light touch you used on it. I still challenge you to play it standing on your head.
Very nice Buddha, I like to hear fluent and balanced music like that. The band kept their thing going along, never overpowered the vocals and played under each other when their solo came along. Most of all everyone played for the song instead of for themselves.
Now, the electric guitar player.... What the hell is on his head?? ---------- "Keep it in your mouth" - XHarp
AHA, Now it makes sense. He's a fine guitar player too. The licks you did starting about 2:50 is when I really started to appreciate the harmonica in there. I wasn't sure at first that it'd fit that well but you pulled it off brilliantly. It seems that everyone there was kind of surprised that you played as well as you do. Are they not regulars with you? ---------- "Keep it in your mouth" - XHarp
Last Edited by on Nov 02, 2009 2:06 PM
The Sonny Bono guitarist is a guy I had in my band about two years ago. The percussionist and vocalist, I had never met before that song.
The vocalist as it turns out, is one of the guys that brought Jewel to the mainstream folks about a decade ago. During the first break, he was very quick to get my particulars and made promises that he would find lots of places for my sound. Naturally I thought he was full of shit but then my buddy told me who he is and that he is the executive producer for a number of acoustic rock/pop acts.
We'll see....
---------- ~Buddha Pennsylvania - H.A.R.P. (Harmonica Association 'Round Philly)
Reagarding XHarps post, I love it when musicians genuinely appreciate and surprise each other on stage. It's then that the best of each comes to shine...
---------- germanharpist on YT.
Last Edited by on Nov 02, 2009 2:57 PM
Buddha, Make sure that you stay in touch with him too. If he has any connections you need to get your sound out there. I learned a ton just from watching that video about balance and tone control and respect for others in the band. As I progress in my latest project, I now realize more so, that I am going to work harder to control my tone and sound. Thanks for posting it.
