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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Harp Vs Guitar
Harp Vs Guitar
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CJames
89 posts
Dec 25, 2009
10:56 PM
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Amusing little story you may or may not get a laugh out of!
Harp Vs Guitar
Written by G.
This piece was inspired by a discussion on Harp-L of whether the harmonica was a good instrument to pick up and learn, and it was being compared to the guitar at some stage.
Act I, Setting the Scene
A lonely wind blew down the dusty way, blowing a lone tumble weed along its road to who knew where. The wind, it whistled and sung a tuneless song to no-one in particular, in a remote and hushed town.
---oOo---
Act II, character introduction
But wait ! In the very distance a tempo can be made out, the sound of chordal tongue slaps....
OUR HERO Harp struting confidently from corner to corner - his ten holes proud and clean from smegma, his chrom covers shiney and new glinting in the high noon sun. His reeds singing true to ev'ry blow & draw.
Who could challenge such a musical soul, who would dare to call a showdown ? Who would want to cut down such a fine young instrument near its prime .....?
All of a sudden as if from no-where, the strum of ill tuned strings rings horrid through the air. The Arch Nemisis Guitar jumps in front of our hero blocking Harp's way with its formidable bulk, dark & intimidating.
---oOo---
Act III, The Showdown
Harp involuntarily chokes on a reed, but spits out a 3-6 octave in disgust.
Guitar stares down twanging chords resounding in his fat belly. So a show down it is!
T'was Harp Vs Guitar
Naught stirred but the distant tumbleweed, even the wind seemed to die down in astonishment at this turn of events ... the madness and what it meant.
Harp's thoughts raced, to compare oneself against such a long standing instrument, a formidable foe, how would he compare ?
He lost in the popularity stakes, every man and his dog had a guitar.
In size he was but insignificant, ten of him would fit in the belly of such a beast !
What of the unquantifiable qualities, how would they compare ? The tone, the chords, expression and soul ?
But his thoughts were shattered as a G string snapped and stung him on the comb !
Guitar had drawn first blood and the fight was on.
Harp could do little but duck and weave as Guitar flailed at him with his six strings. His situation was growing grim.
For some time this went on, Guitar would strike and Harp would duck. He could only hope that his giant foe would tire, but his covers were marred, his shiney finish spoiled by savage scratches.
"Enough!" thought Harp. He blew a long sustained overblow (hole 1 if you must know) so true and proud!
And one by one, in different keys came the replies from his buddies. Until a full dozen rang out loud - a full chromatic scale solid and ruddy.
Guitar halted in his tracks, sure this was not fair. But as a chromatic stringed instrument he was on his own, and against 12 diatonic harmonicas the tables were turned.
The scene was heroic, worthy of legends, as harp after harp threw himself at the beast.
Bruising the wood, denting its finish, tangling his strings, until his neck was broken and his bridge a mess.
Guitar lay strewn on the dirt street, as a lesson to future instruments that the harmonica can't be beat!
http://www.angelfire.com/music/HarpOn/index.html
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pharpo
33 posts
Dec 26, 2009
7:04 AM
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CJames.......Simply beautiful
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Music is your own experience, your own thoughts, your wisdom. If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn. They teach you there's a boundary line to music. But, man, there's no boundary line to art. - Charlie Parker
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