What I said!!!!!
W

Walter Wood
United TV Service
501 Poplar St.
Pulaski Tn. 38478

--- On Thu, 7/9/09, skyak52 <skyak52@...> wrote:

From: skyak52 <skyak52@...>
Subject: [HarpTalk] Re: what key would you get? New Twist . . .
To: harptalk@yahoogroups.com
Date: Thursday, July 9, 2009, 9:59 PM

















--- In harptalk@yahoogroup s.com, walter wood <wwood_38478@ ...> wrote:

>

> Skyak, exactly my point, and why I have the full set of 12 diatonics plus the
low F and high G, and a few other specialty tuned harps just for certain songs.

> I play mostly 2nd position, with a smattering of 1st, and 3rd.

> I don't see the need to complicate my life any further.

> Let Howard Levy have at it!!!!

> Walter

>

> Walter Wood

> United TV Service

> 501 Poplar St.

> Pulaski Tn. 38478



Gee, Walter, ya don't want a "What Would Levy Do?" tee shirt?



Yeah, I like Diatonics for what do, how they sound, they have limits, and
there's good stuff in those reasonable limits of 1st, 2nd, third and a little
4th sometime. Trying to get too much more out of what seems natural to the
instrument is just kind of greedy in a way, or trying to make it be something
its not. When you go too far off what a diatonic can provide easily, that
"strain" shows up in the music. And after a point, harp just isnt the
instrument when the music has too many changes or is too chromatically
demanding. That's where you need to get "right tool for right job"...and take
up saxophone!!! LOL!!!



As for Chromatics, that is a "horse of another color" and has its fans, and I'm
just happen to not be one of them. And I don't mean to be putting them down. If
they float your boat, then sail away!!!To each their own.



I use to play a lot of complicated solo guitar. Great stuff, but a one hour
solo playing gig left me cross-eyed for two days. Finally took up banjo as the
antidote. Then the ambitious urge to be Bela Fleck crept in, and next thing you
know I'm doing ridiculous stuff on a banjer. Til I realized that the stuff was
a lot easier and more appropriately relegated to a strato-caster. And then I
could get back to enjoying the banjo again. (I had a "definitely NOT Earl"
Tee-shirt made for me).



When I turned to harp, I really tried to remind myself of some lessons learned.
Instruments have their essential nature, music they were born to hum. Let them
be as they were meant to be. And there will always be some virtuousos to show
us a couple new tricks and get really far out there with it. Its admirable. But
we don't ALL have to be that guy.



Harmonica has an essential nature, simpler, raw, rustic. Saxophone can be very
sophisticated and complex. There's sort of a line between them, and if you've
gone too far over that line, its time to take stock of where you are, and "right
tool for right job" (which is my annoying phrase of the week I'm going to run
into the ditch!!!!)



And that's my story and I'm sticking to it!!!!



Take it easy, Skyak.




























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