Jim Rumbaugh
320 posts
Oct 10, 2010
4:38 PM
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Saturday night I had a rare experience. I played the Star Spangled Banner on harmonica at my 40th year class reunion. A member of my class and organizer of the reunion had heard me play it about 2 years ago and requested it.
Everyone was called to their tables. We then stood and did the pledge of allegiance to the flag. After the pledge, the Masters of Ceremonies announced, "we have a treat from one of our classmates, which will do The Star Spangled Banner."
He asked me if I wanted to use the microphone. I declined. The tables were arranged in a U shape. I walked to the center and played the tune I have done a hundred times. I was not flawless, but I was good enough. I could tell by the applause. They did not wait until the last note to applaud, but began shortly before the last notes. They were eager to applaud and you could hear the enthusiasm. I have heard "polite" applause many times in the past. This was not one of those times.
I was not flawless, but I was good enough, and it was a good evening and now a good memory.
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intermediate level (+) player per the Adam Gussow Scale, Started playing 2001
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Littoral
118 posts
Oct 10, 2010
5:02 PM
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Cool. I was asked years ago to do a Hendrix version for Little League opening day. I did and it went over great. I played the first half straight and gradually brought in more tone and inflection before the feedback improv and then the end. I wasn't sure how it would fly but they actually loved it. :)
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N.O.D.
257 posts
Oct 10, 2010
6:30 PM
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Greay Work Jimbo:)
I been going to jam nights on a regular basis i find it undaunting to play to a packed pub of drunken slobs, and walk of stage like yeh that was cool no Problems:)
Ok a week back i enter a Harp comp i got 3 judges in front of me and a 100 + strong crowd, i get up there do my thing with my Bro no Problems, as soon as i stop the applause hit me, i walked of stage Shaking like a Leaf ready to fall:) the mass applause shook me thats when i started shaking, i guess it was a bit ovewhelming hearing so many people applaude at the same time:)
Funny how things like that can shake your nerves but i was all Fun :)
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Cheers:)
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nacoran
2937 posts
Oct 10, 2010
11:16 PM
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I was going to play it at an open mic that happened to to fall on the 4th once. When I told my friend I was going up he said, 'You're not going to do anything cheesy like play the National Anthem' and I chickened out. I shouldn't have. The open mic hasn't fallen on the 4th since then, so I never did get a chance to play it out. It can sound great on the harp.
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Nate
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Last Edited by on Oct 10, 2010 11:17 PM
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harmonicanick
929 posts
Oct 11, 2010
1:34 AM
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Which harp key did you choose, and position, for playing SSB?
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toddlgreene
1879 posts
Oct 11, 2010
6:05 AM
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Good story, Jim. You shoulda really wowed them and played amped up and stuck the mic into the speaker for some Hendrix-esque feedback. Yeah, baby.
We have a local player named Smoky Greenwell who often gets asked to play the SSB for the New Orleans Zephyrs games.
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Crescent City Harmonica Club
Todd L Greene, Co-Founder
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Jim Rumbaugh
321 posts
Oct 11, 2010
9:49 AM
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@harmonicanick
Key C harp
Straight harp, first line= 6b,5b,4b,5b,6b,7b
When you end on the 10blow, everyone can hear it:)
@toddlgreene
Since my 20's, I always wanted to come back as a guitar player and do Purple Haze or Ina-Godda-Davida. So the idea of a Hendrix arrangment does appeal. But I believe the time has past for that to be apreciated by my peers. Maybe at the 50 year re-union???
@nacoran
a LOT of people like cheese........ thus the phrase.
Next time, play for the audiance and not your friend. (assuming, you want to please the most people)
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intermediate level (+) player per the Adam Gussow Scale, Started playing 2001
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nacoran
2947 posts
Oct 11, 2010
10:59 AM
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Jim, yeah, I really regretted not playing. I'd been working on it all month leading up to it. I think it would have been my first open mic on harp (I'd done a couple as a vocalist.) I was even considering ric-rolling the audience, asking them to please rise, and then play the first few bars of Oh Canada, before apologizing and going into The Star Spangled Banner. I'm not sure how that would have gone over. It sure would have put the pressure on to play it right!
edit: I skipped my reunion. It was our 20th this year.
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Nate
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Last Edited by on Oct 11, 2010 11:01 AM
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mercedesrules
31 posts
Oct 11, 2010
12:07 PM
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.....Wouldn't there be an F# in that song and key at "dawn's ear-LY light"
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Jim Rumbaugh
322 posts
Oct 11, 2010
4:02 PM
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@mercedesrules
I looked up some sheet music. YOU ARE RIGHT.
I have been playing it WRONG for a few years.
But I doubt if I'll change. I'll still do it wrong. I tried for a few minutes, but couldn't find an EASY position where I could all the "correct" notes.
By now, I've played that note F natural so long, it sounds OK to me. I probably get away with it because it's a passing note and I have not been in front of "good ears". My luck may run out some day.
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intermediate level (+) player per the Adam Gussow Scale, Started playing 2001
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mercedesrules
32 posts
Oct 11, 2010
5:12 PM
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.....I was fooling around with it today (as a 4-month beginner) and discovered that maybe one can play that part in the low register with bends, but I wouldn't want to try it myself, yet. I sounded like a cow. ;) In the middle register I guess it would be 5 overblow.
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nacoran
2956 posts
Oct 11, 2010
8:02 PM
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I think I play the same wrong note. It's notoriously hard to sing because of the range. It may just be that with only the middle octave there it's tough to play on the harp.
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Nate
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