You play very well and you have an excellent ear. You should get up from behind your desk, find an open blues jam and play some dirty blues with other musicians.
There is a whole other level of musical expression that involves interplay with other musicians. You unquestionably have the technical competence to do it and it is far more exhilarating and fulfilling than playing along with recordings. It may be a little scary at first, but that's why it's exhilarating and you definitely are more than capable of pulling it off.
Personally, I play better when I play with others. Frankly, i think of things to play that would never occur to me playing by myself. And then there's the whole groove thing that just doesn't really exist unless you are playing with a live drummer. Live performance makes the music come alive and is a great experience to be a part of--and the more you do it, the better (and more comfortable) you will get at it.
Don't worry about equipment, just bring a low z mic with an XLR cord at least 15' long and play through the PA board. Take at least 7 harps: G, A, Bb, C, D , Eb, and F (or more) and you'll be all set. Take the plunge!
Thanks for the info Barry. I'll definitely get one cos I'd like to have a go at mirroring a horn solo. I can get Special 20's pretty cheap at the moment in the UK for around £20 (30 dollars). They're probably cheaper in the States - we always seem to get ripped off with harp prices in th UK!
Eb is a must have harp IMHO, Gives you Bb in second position, F dorian minor in third position, G natural minor in fifth position, C natural minor in fourth position.
Try playing John Coltrane's "Equinox" in fourth position (6 draw=root). It lays out perfectly.
Btw, what eventually happened w/ your Danneker harp?
@hvyi Thanks for the feedback and the song you mentioned.
I'm going to post a new thread on this line requesting Eb harp songs.
The Danneker Blues unfortunately didn't work out for me. Tony Dannecker is a very nice guy and I wanted to do business with him but the harp I received wasn't quite what I was expecting. A lovely looking harp for sure, a sort of Meisterklasse hybrid, very weighty with a solid brass comb and a loud crisp tone. A pity really but no overblow on 4,5 & 6 nd 1,2 & 3 draw a lttle bit airy. In view of the fact that it was described as a customised harp and was pricey, I didn't feel inclined to remove the cover plates and gap the reeds like I would normally do.
I sent back the Dannecker and my favourite Harpmaster in c to him to show him the gapping I like (This Harpmaster has a cracking tone by the way - a great harp) and regrettably he didn't feel as if he could acheive that tight gapping on the Dannecker. So I got a full refund and my Harpmaster back! and didn't have to pay any postage, which is fair enough.
@Greyowlphotoart: I think Suzukis are great OOB harps. I've ever played a Harpmaster or Bluesmaster, but the Hammonds I have are excellent. I don't OB, btw, so i have no opinion about how good they are for OBs. But the response and compression of the Suzukis I've played (Hammonds, Firebreaths and ProMasters) is greatly superior to ANY OOB Hohner I've ever played.
@hvyi I have been happy with most of my Suzukis OOTB, with the exception of the Manji (just unlucky I guess) but I fixed it so all is well. The Harpmaster has a lovely creamy, crackly tone and I would highly recommend them and they are cheaper than Hammonds, ProMaster 350's and Manjis etc., Haven't tried the Firebreaths.
Also pretty happy with my GM's and Special 20's after a little bit of tinkering.
Hey Grey wolf and others... Drew here (long time reader, first time posting)I'm really encouraged by your story.... Similar to mine, I'm also in my church band and usually miss out on most blues jams due to timing, & prior commitments... so i got myself to my first jam recently... its an awesome experience..... although not in shot they got some footage here.... i'm playing at about 3:20. hope the link works... http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1479910008580
An interesting side note about etiquette, the singer running the jam, you may notice had to give the guitarist before me quite a few 'signals' to have him finish his go... he was a good player but reluctant to share the time around.... the organizer mentioned to me after, that he enjoys seeing more, a person who is expanding and pushing their ability, than a hotshot with no manners. Needless to say, it was a great night and all had a good jam with no hard feelings - its all about the jam... regards drew
