I am conducting a quick survey. Simply put, does.......
a) Your spouse, significant other, or friends GENUINELY appreciate your harmonica playing, yes or no.
b) if you play the harmonica AND another musical instrument(s), does your spouse, significant other, or friends seems to appreciate it MORE than your harmonica playing, yes or no.
Thanks!
-Carl
Last Edited by CarlA on Apr 30, 2013 7:16 PM
a) Yes. My wife is the most complimentary and appreciative audience I play. Part of it is that I was well into music and harps when we got together. Part of it is my being gone from home a good percentage of our relationship.
b) I've indulged my curiosities and dabbled with other ways of musical expression plenty. She has been encouraging to the point of getting me an American flute. Suicidal on her part. She regrets it. I have a love/hate, must dominate relationship with the cursed flute.....and, I'll never quit.
A. Yes, to a point. Eventually I get the hook for some outrageously awesome tv show that must see. But I play to much, and portly am a nuisance. B. No es---------- Sun, sun, sun Burn, burn, burn Soon, soon, soon Moon, moon, moon
A: Spouse is sorta over it at home .Especially practising those high bends^.But on the stage yeah she and my friends seem to be appreciative. B: not too fond of my CBGuitar. If i ever want a divorce the violin would do the trick.
A) My next wife (I haven't told her yet) says she likes me to play. She says it makes her sleepy. She hears harmonica and it means I am home, and that makes her feel safe. I don't think that's quite the same as appreciating my playing. But, she doesn't complain about my repetitive practice, not even blow bends and not even my pathetic fruitless attempts to overblow. She said "I don't mind if you do that, sing, dance, bang on the walls, its ok". She applauds when I play Lovesick Blues, Easy, Summertime. Yesterday she is less keen on...she frowns. The cat complains if I play anything higher than a Bb harp. Sombat (the missus) just puts the cat outside when that happens. Am I dreaming? B, I play guitar some. No one likes that. ----------
Last Edited by SuperBee on Apr 30, 2013 10:25 PM
Well, she's not annoyed by it (I think) but for the most part I think she likes it simply because I am all enthusiastic about it and it makes me happy. She does tease me about all the amps in the basement.
She likes to bring friends to my gigs, so there's that. She is kind of blown away by how many music people I know and how many friends I have when we go out to clubs. And we don't even drink...
A Yes my wife really loves it now. There was a time when I practised scales, arpeggios etc. & used to go blue in the face with practising bending and listening to blues. She hated it & me. Now she is often singing along and enjoying my practising which is mostly Country, Folk, Bluegrass & Celtic styles. Music which I also love.
B It was a similar situation with our group of friends. Most of whom are supportive , interested in, and appreciative of my playing. I wait to be asked and when I now get asked ,I make sure I don't overplay.
I was never much into blues which could be as a result of A & B & simply a matter of tuning in to what others close to me like as opposed to what I might have originally wanted to do. Weakness for the sake of a peaceful life? Can't complain as I'm loving it with my principal outlet being regular Bluegrass Jams & the occasional gig.
I can't answer the second question; all I play is this humble 4 inch piece of metal. I pull out my big one once in while-- it's 7 inches and has a button on the end.
But.. the first question begs to be answered. I met my current wife BECAUSE she loved my harmonica playing.
Back in the day, 21 years ago, I was playing in a 4 1/2 piece band. Drums, guitar, keyboards, harp and a robot drum machine-- every weekend for two years.
I was fresh out of my first marriage. My future wife was fresh out of hers. After a decent period of mourning, her sisters took her out to the bars to cheer her up. "Let's go hear some live music!" was the cry.
The sisters took her to their favorite bar one hot summer night. They were on foot in our small town. On the way, they passed the bar we were playing in. The front doors were open because of the heat. My future wife heard the music. "I want to go in this bar", she said. They went in.
The sisters came back every weekend for a month and danced up a storm. When I thought she wasn't looking, I stared at the youngest and most beautiful of the three.
It turned out the love of my life loved harp, and liked my playing. Eventually, her sisters figured that out, and made a point of introducing us to each other. We got together a month later, and have been together since.
After we got together, she told me soon enough that it wasn't my good looks, it was the harp. An old Muddy Waters lyric springs to mind; maybe somebody can remember and quote it.
Yes, but high notes are no-no (tinnitus) and whooping frowned upon. She knows enough actually insane people not to want to hear a facsimile in the house. She gets me gear for my birthday which must mean something.
She introduced me to RL Burnside (metaphorically).
Other instrument is human voice. She likes that probably as much but it is distracting when she is working on her book (final editing stage now so things are .... tense).
I can't complain. She sometimes gives words of encouragement like "sounding good."
If I can sound like Son of Dave I'll get full marks. She sometimes asks why I'm not practicing with the loop pedal.
I'm so lucky, my wife has never complained and is always encouraging. I don't know whether she actually likes it though.
Last Edited by tookatooka on May 01, 2013 4:42 AM
You can add me to the "No" column. She'd rather hear me play sax. And if she goes out to hear live music, she'd rather hear salsa. But she is fully supportive, which is good enough for me! ---------- ---------- /Greg
1. Yes, repeatedly. Especially the x-wife and my kids. I sat in this weekend and before I did I overheard a guitar player (that I think is excellent) rave about my playing to another player. Unsolicited praise is really nice.
BUT my 2 cats launch out of the room to the sound of my harp case opening. Hilarious.
Last Edited by Littoral on May 01, 2013 8:26 AM
1) Wife gets annoyed hearing my practice, and acts like she doesn't like my harp playing sometimes, but I often hear her humming or singing one of my tunes after I've been playing it.... Most of my friends really do seem to like my harp playing, but again, they don't have to hear me practice
2) Almost ditto for my other instruments (CGB, Uke, Slide Guit, Didj, Melidica) ----------
My wife loves the blues, and seems to think I'm good at harp. But my dog hates it, especially when amped, and my wife makes me quit practicing when the dog runs out of the room.
My wife is a musician, she plays bass, guitar and is an excellent singer...She loves"melody"....I love harsh, raucous,nasty, dissonant grindy blues harp. I love what she does musically, she hates what I do...Thank God for basements :)
Interesting I have teenage twins-both are musicians
My daughter and her boyfriend love my playing ( drums, harp guitar). They come to my gigs bring their friends and think dad is cool as hell ( really)
My son who is a better guitarist than me thinks my guitar is adequate-harp is dopey but loves me to play drums.
My African Grey loves harp and keeps the beat by bobbing his head. He has better timing than me. He also loves hand drums. My dumb ass Conure just squacks A casual girlfriend loves guitar, hates harp and loves hand drums ( she is Cuban)-she told me harp is the instrument of the clown in Cuba
My workmates love my harp playing - I practice on down time and folks have come from all over the airport to hear me and believe me I am not that good compared to whats here on this board. I amazed how many people tell me they love blues but never hear traditional blues and I work with a lot of 25-35 year old urban black dudes. I have even done tracks for them to sample on their beat tracks. How freakin weird is that? Oh yeah-my biggest fan -the airport shuttle bus driver ( from georgia) lets me practice on the quiet bus and he will come just to pick me up with an out of service bus if I will just play boogies and train beats
Sorry for going on too long- but thats why I keep playing-not the for the crappy $75 a night gigs, drunks and creepy club owners for sure.
Last Edited by Goldbrick on May 01, 2013 11:24 AM
a)no I live alone.. and my pal Romeo can't bear to be in the same room. Too bad really. I don't think it's because I play badly, or anything like that. It just hurts his little kitty ears. Which are waaay better than mine. But it could be....ha! SO I constantly strive to make my practices more musical and pleasing to the layman ear...as if not really practicing... The more annoying no-matter-what-you-play, higher register is more risky.
b) playing drums as a side hobby has earned me excellent reviews. But a national survey has concluded....as far as a career choice. And I would agree. I play harp (and sing) slightly better. Though, I sure love playing the drums.. ----------
A) Yes (kind of)She will often enjoy the finished song depending on the genre. Anything involving me practicing for hours drives her crazy, but in fairness to her I'm with her all the way on that one:)
B) She prefers me playing guitar, flute and even hesitated when I asked how about the recorder which was a bit disappointing. Harmonica is my best and favourite instrument and yet.......:( ---------- My MBH Profile Grey Owl YouTube Grey Owl Abstract Photos Website
Last Edited by Grey Owl on May 01, 2013 3:58 PM
A) SONGS, yes, be they recognizable tunes or catchable melodies. Practice, not so much. The baby loves any harmonica noise, and often 'plays' and dances.
B)We've got a keyboard which I've only ever used for interval practice. Again, practice gets no praise.
My wife hate to hear most harmonica players besides me and tells me that I have best tone around. Actually she have a taste for harmonica tone after living with me and she prefered amplified over acoustic but not heavily distorted amplified tone. In general she don't really like my woodshedding, but sometimes asks me to play one of her favourite melody or to learn a new melody she like.
She also always tells me that I sing like crap and mostly dislike my singing. My guitar playing is ok for her. ---------- Excuse my bad English. Click on my photo or my username for my music.
Last Edited by boris_plotnikov on May 01, 2013 10:20 PM
I've worn out my family's ears ... Years of tweaking harps, testing response, OBs, high bends ... they're not subtle about it either; "shuuut uup!" ... "pleeeez!!" " Not now!" It's a Hz- thing I guess, like the bass player's right ear after 500 gigs can't stand the high hat and the cymbals ... Doesn't matter much if I play or practise ... gigs are appreciated though, (partly 'cause I get money) ---------- The tone, the tone ... and the Tone
Last Edited by S-harp on May 02, 2013 12:49 AM
@mojokane: I've got two little furry pals as well... One of them doesn't mind the harp at all (indifferent), but the other one hates it with a vengeance! lol! Strangely, the one who doesn't mind the harp, really really really hates the clicking noise of the timer on the toaster oven! :) ----------
Thanks for the kind words. I think one of the beauties of harp is everybody can relate because they had one -but they rarely encounter anyone who can even half ass play one.
I sent my 85-yr-old Mum in Canada a CD I had cobbled together. A few months later I talked to her on the phone. Had she listened to it? "No. I'm sure it's fine." I was more than slightly peeved at hearing this. Then she came out to Oz. She danced around in her shuffling 85-yr-old legs to Work Song at our café gig. She also hung with my busking duo for a couple of hours on the night-time streets. She says she remembers the gigs fondly. Probably sounds better in her imagination ...
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