Blowin' Hard

[Ron]

I've been lurking in the shadows long enough, so time to blow a riff
as it were...

Close to 40 years ago a co-counselor at a camp I worked at, who played
guitar, presented me with a Hohner Marine Band, showed me a few things
for a few minutes, and said take it away. He knew I was blues
keyboard player, and soon we were a duo entertaining the campers and
staff with some blues around the campfire. I continued along all
these years, never having had a lesson, or knowing the "right way" how
to do it, yet developed a technique and got out a lot of decent
blues. I suppose I was a saxophone wannabe, as I always tried to get
as loud a sound as I could from my harps, and it will come to no
surprise to you all that I kept destroying my harps, not knowing
better.

Now, after all these years, through the miracle of the internet and
this group, I now known that I must reform and break those old habits
and try to be kinder to my harps. It sure hurt when the 4th draw reed
of my pride and joy, a Hohner Meisterklass, bit the dust. Yet, when
the spirit moves me, and I get carried away in a Dionysian blues
ecstasy , I'm just sucking out a long wailing bending note, and
another harp is going to bite the dust. Oh well - maybe I might
learn one of these days.

It's like what my sister, a voice teacher, told me. She claims that
the blues singers who growl, like Koko Taylor for one, are ruining
their vocal chords. Yet I argue with he that that is part of the
expressiveness of the sound. She just won't accept that, and sticks
to her guns that one should not sing that way.

Maybe that's like blowing my harps to strongly....

cheers y'all!

Ron
http://www.myspace.com/thebluesgangband

[Zoran]

Bro, take one Hohner ProHarp, or Big River, that's the heavy duty harp. Try
it.
You are ful of passion when play harp. Hohner series, among that is Pro Harp
too have extra reeds.

See ya here on group. Regards, Z.

Post by Ron
I've been lurking in the shadows long enough, so time to blow a riff
as it were...
Close to 40 years ago a co-counselor at a camp I worked at, who played
guitar, presented me with a Hohner Marine Band, showed me a few things
for a few minutes, and said take it away. He knew I was blues
keyboard player, and soon we were a duo entertaining the campers and
staff with some blues around the campfire. I continued along all
these years, never having had a lesson, or knowing the "right way" how
to do it, yet developed a technique and got out a lot of decent
blues. I suppose I was a saxophone wannabe, as I always tried to get
as loud a sound as I could from my harps, and it will come to no
surprise to you all that I kept destroying my harps, not knowing
better.
Now, after all these years, through the miracle of the internet and
this group, I now known that I must reform and break those old habits
and try to be kinder to my harps. It sure hurt when the 4th draw reed
of my pride and joy, a Hohner Meisterklass, bit the dust. Yet, when
the spirit moves me, and I get carried away in a Dionysian blues
ecstasy , I'm just sucking out a long wailing bending note, and
another harp is going to bite the dust. Oh well - maybe I might
learn one of these days.
It's like what my sister, a voice teacher, told me. She claims that
the blues singers who growl, like Koko Taylor for one, are ruining
their vocal chords. Yet I argue with he that that is part of the
expressiveness of the sound. She just won't accept that, and sticks
to her guns that one should not sing that way.
Maybe that's like blowing my harps to strongly....
cheers y'all!
Ron
http://www.myspace.com/thebluesgangband

[Zoran]

Hi again, I'm on your myspace site and enjoy in music. Your voice is
perfect, one of the best I heard lately. In harp play I heard same problem I
have too, to much squize harp, loose up a bit, and play from the gut. But,
harp is OK in service of music you play. Nice organ on 'Help me' song, nice
intro, harp is cool here (ok problem's the same, but OK). On stage I play
like total beginer, every of my tone is trembel, I know how to play, but I'm
to bad on stage, a bit better at home in front of comp;))
You know how to play but relax when you play harp, only that and sound be
better.
Hope oyu aren't angry cause I told you that about harp.
See ya, Z.

Post by Ron
I've been lurking in the shadows long enough, so time to blow a riff
as it were...
Close to 40 years ago a co-counselor at a camp I worked at, who played
guitar, presented me with a Hohner Marine Band, showed me a few things
for a few minutes, and said take it away. He knew I was blues
keyboard player, and soon we were a duo entertaining the campers and
staff with some blues around the campfire. I continued along all
these years, never having had a lesson, or knowing the "right way" how
to do it, yet developed a technique and got out a lot of decent
blues. I suppose I was a saxophone wannabe, as I always tried to get
as loud a sound as I could from my harps, and it will come to no
surprise to you all that I kept destroying my harps, not knowing
better.
Now, after all these years, through the miracle of the internet and
this group, I now known that I must reform and break those old habits
and try to be kinder to my harps. It sure hurt when the 4th draw reed
of my pride and joy, a Hohner Meisterklass, bit the dust. Yet, when
the spirit moves me, and I get carried away in a Dionysian blues
ecstasy , I'm just sucking out a long wailing bending note, and
another harp is going to bite the dust. Oh well - maybe I might
learn one of these days.
It's like what my sister, a voice teacher, told me. She claims that
the blues singers who growl, like Koko Taylor for one, are ruining
their vocal chords. Yet I argue with he that that is part of the
expressiveness of the sound. She just won't accept that, and sticks
to her guns that one should not sing that way.
Maybe that's like blowing my harps to strongly....
cheers y'all!
Ron
http://www.myspace.com/thebluesgangband