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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
I don't get it- a reflection
I don't get it- a reflection
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waltertore
50 posts
Jan 02, 2010
11:04 AM
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all this focus on harp modifying and gear tinkering. I guess one has to be of that kind of brain make up to persue this road. I started out with a stock marine band because that is all the music store had. 35 years later I am still using the same thing- stock marine bands. I also was flat broke for most of those years. Using the PA for my vocal/harp on the same mic has been my set up since day one- unless there was no pa then it was harp and vocals through whatever amp was around. I have tried a lot of other harps and if push came to shove, any of them would be fine. The same with gear. I have had amps, mics, but I started out playing acoustically and still do and the stock marine bands still grab me. the vintage 1923's are second on my list. I understand they are tuned different than the marine band. I really can't tell much of a difference to be honest. I just blow. Now the internet, like this site, many choices from harp makers, and lots of customizers of harps, amps, mics, has opened a new part of harmonicas. I still get endless joy, and have no way gotten to the end of the journey with my approach, so I stay with it. I learned from looking up great blues players and knocking on their doors. There wasn't any videos, seminars, like today. I feel blessed to have come in before this technology thing. I am not looking to be converted, just voicing my journey with the harp. I guess I am getting to be a dinasour........ Walter
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walter tore's sponotbeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing.
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=157137
href=http://www.youtube.com/user/waltertore
Last Edited by on Jan 02, 2010 11:11 AM
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nacoran
651 posts
Jan 02, 2010
11:59 AM
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It does get complicated. I'm glad to have the internet stuff though. I don't try to play with the insides of my harps just to get them to sound better, I do it because everyone makes it sound interesting.
When I was in school I hated memorizing formulas for things. The way I remembered things was by understanding how they worked. Knowing how to calculate the area of a cone wasn't interesting in of itself, but knowing why the formula worked was more useful than just remembering it.
I find that tinkering inside the harmonica helps in sort of the same way. I could just memorize the formula and figure out the size of the cone, but knowing why a bend works helps me figure out how to do it.
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waltertore
51 posts
Jan 02, 2010
12:11 PM
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I am glad for the internet too. I am especially glad that it all came about long after I was begining to play. I got with the net after I quit playing full time. Now I use it for communicating such things as this post. I am glad because if I was coming up now, I am not sure how I would react to it. I learned through self discovery. This has been a wonderful gift. I never did have much interest in someone showing me a technique. I learned from the old blues guys via just being around them. They never gave lessons in how to play something. I guess we all are born at the right time! Walter
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walter tore's sponotbeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing.
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=157137
href=http://www.youtube.com/user/waltertore
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Gwythion
49 posts
Jan 02, 2010
1:04 PM
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One of the great things about the internet is that we can chat with people on the other side of the world and see their performances. Unless you came to Wales I would never have heard of Spontobeat!
I tinker with harps because I always have liked taking broken instruments and gadgets apart and mending them. With Ebay I can buy a harp for a couple of pounds and clean and mend it. Not everyone likes to do stuff like that. But it's a big world.
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waltertore
52 posts
Jan 02, 2010
1:13 PM
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I agree Gwythion. the net has been great for connecting with others. Up until then, you had to see an act live or buy a record, which most of us never had to sell... That is cool when one likes to tinker. the point I was trying to make is I see guys chasing the end of the rainbow, so to speak, in getting an instant fix on mastering an instrument via all these custom harps, and gear offered today. IMO one should spend countless hours playing. That gets you there eventually, the gear chase never will. Walter
I play the weasel boy brewery tonight. It is a great gig for me. the owners dig what I do. Lori writes for the columbus dispatch and wrote an article about me last year. She said she did the article so she could meet me and get me in their brewery. They attract an artist crowd that actually listens to what I play. I can't put into words how thankful I am to have made it to this point. Today I have been reflecting on all my musician friends that are gone. I saw a mention about Red Archibald and that got me to drifting back. We played and hung together in Brussels back in the early 80's. Then there is Gary Primach, who I did lots of gigs with in Austin. Jimmy Carl Black, my longtime drummer, and the list goes on......... Those were great times, but always a financial and emotional struggle with trying to "make it". Now it is easy finacial times and very little concern about making it. These are the good old days for sure!
It is going to be below zero tonight and light snow, so I am taking our honda crv instead of the mini van. Around 1979, I named my band in northern california - the below zero blues band. Now I am really going to get the meaning of that number. It is about an hour to the gig. I am thankful to have some people supportive of what I do and the gigs I get seem to trickle in at just the right pace. Anyone in the Zanesville Ohio area is invited. I am bringing my video camera along. Walter
I have to wear a sharp suit-just a knee jerk thing with me and gigs. I have a full length mohair coat, scarf, and gloves. I am going to wear my good to -70 pajar boots and change to my patent leather shoes once inside. We never had this problem in Sonoma county, California! It has gotten me to thinking about all the chicago great bluesmen of the 50's. I wonder how they dealt with all that cold and snow and ice and their cool suits?? Walter
http://www.weaselboybrewing.com/wb/
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walter tore's sponotbeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing.
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=157137
href=http://www.youtube.com/user/waltertore
Last Edited by on Jan 02, 2010 1:21 PM
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