After a couple of months here in Rome, I have had the opportunity to busk a few times and it has been a blast, learning something new every time. Something else I have learned: There will almost always be someone else out there ready to show you how it's done.
The last time I was out, this couple approaches me and the guy wants to play some of my harps. I am a bit hesitant to let my family play 'em, so I did everything to discourage him from wanting to play one of mine: I told I had a cold, told him I was sick... nothing worked. He just wanted to play. Anyhow, this guy was super persistent and did not back down, so I looked into my gear for one of my cheapest ones, a big-honkin tremolo that cost all of 10 bucks, and let him use it. I eventually let him play a chromo and one of my diatonics. It definitely was not blues, but he played the heck out of some classic Italian jigs. Come to find out, he is a musician over here. We traded phone numbers and plan on getting together soon for some lessons (him teaching me of course). I still have not cleaned the harps. Any tips on cleaning them after a stranger plays them?
Here are some clips.
---------- -- "The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but to irrigate deserts" -- C.S. Lewis
Take 'em apart and wash 'em in warm water with some mild cleaner (human safe, of course), and then disinfect all parts with rubbing alcohol, and rinse. Anyway, it's what I do with any used harps I buy.
you dont want to put the windsavers on the chromatic thru the same wash and rinse that you might with the diatonic and tremolo. i think someone once suggested spritzing rubbing alcohol on the windsavers.
Hi Steven: Glad to hear from you. We met at Hill Country. Hope school is going well. Sounds like it is if your in Rome. Keep Harpin Man !!! ---------- And I Thank You !! KCz Backwoodz Bluz
I do not share my harps with "the man on the street" TB don't just stand for tongue blocking.
I adhere to the strict policy, "if you call yourself a harmonica player, you have one with you". Telling this to the "man on the street" often will completely alter the situation.
Sweet deal! This dude plays 2 minutes and slobbers into your harp, and your left with +1 hours of disassembly, cleaning, and reassembly. All this to fulfill a random dudes need to show off in front of his girl and play(IMO) some horrendous sounding harp. You, my friend, should be the patron saint of harmonica players!
I have to say I agree with you. I am not sure I would call myself a harmonica player yet but I am already to the point where I don't feel fully ready for the day unless I have a harp or 2 (or 3 or 4 or 5) in my pocket.
Perhaps the message I see on mechanics tool chests might go well on a harp case "I make my living with these tools, please don't ask to borrow them!" Well, I could not honestly put that on my case, but some of you could.
KC: great to hear from you. All is well. School is great. Life is greater. God is greatest.
Thieven': What a practical comeback. That's going into the storage files in the ol' dome for future use.
Carl: Good point, but at the end of the day, it's only a $30 dollar harp. What I learned was worth more than that. It clearly was not blues. If blues is the only genre you play, then anything outside that realm will seem terrible. Often, we learn the most from the things we like the least.
Yeah, I know, I really did cave in, but that was after a long discourse of attempted dissuasion. Anyhow, I learn something every day.
I actually ran into him about 3 weeks after this was recorded and we talked a little bit. He had his harp and we played in the street. He told me that he had carried his harp with him every day since then and had looked for me every day since then at the same place.
---------- -- "The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but to irrigate deserts" -- C.S. Lewis
i wanted to make sure this wasnt you, gad. imo, the playing wasnt very good. but, then, i dont know any italian jigs.
i keep at least 1 cheap harp in my case for such instances.
theiven'- was told something similar at my first buckeye convention. if you always carry a harp with you, it is a hobby. if you are a harp player, you always have at least 2.
Here's what you need to do..., But a few of those $4 Chinese harps and the next time someone asks to borrow your harmonica, reach into your case, pull one out and say, "hear ya go, blow my Johnson".
gad: You're definitely having the busking experience as I know it. Once you're in the public square, out on the road, all bets are off. It teaches you many useful lessons. It teaches you what you're made of and what "they" are made of.
