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Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2001 03:27:54 -0700
From: "Michael Polesky"
Subject: Re: Harp & Sax

Hi All,

When I was a youngster, many moons ago, I played woodwinds in the
school band, orchestra and jazz band. Usually these groups had more
than twenty members. Sometimes I was even encouraged to substitute
harmonica for one of the "horn" parts available in these groups. I
play currently with a group that usually has sax, trombone, trumpet
and harmonica in the horn section and have done lots of horn section
gigs. Most of the time, nothing "special" is done for the harmonica.
I just pick up the music and/or fill the role of a "generic horn". So
far this has worked a lot better than you might expect. I find that
harmonica works perfectly in horn ensembles and that the techniques
required are not as demanding as solo playing - because you are in the
background. This can be done working from written or rehearsed music
as well as on an improvised basis. The harmonica is not only more
than adequate for normal "horn lines", but you can also take advantage
of its unique qualities "on top" of an ensemble section. In the
middle, these sounds tend to get muddy because the other horns just
can't approximate them well! I guess they will have to learn to live
with their disadvantages.

However, you can't just throw any instrument in to an ensemble if you
aren't familiar with ensemble playing. The "tricks of the trade" for
horn players playing back-up or melody lines in an ensemble are
exactly the same for harmonica. Since it is rare for a harmonica
player to join the school orchestra, we don't discuss these aspects as
often as other instrumentalists do. There is a whole mind set that
goes with playing ensemble lines that differs from solo or small
"combo" playing. Ensemble players have a unique ability to hear what
their part sounds like within the context of the overall product.
They are able to listen to all the parts at once and know that they
are not only playing the right notes in tune, but also producing the
proper ensemble sound. Once you get used to doing this, ensemble
playing is incredibly rewarding. You get to be involved in creating
the fabric, or texture of the tune. A little like a rhythm section
player - but with half the sweat ;-). You begin to learn some respect
for these rhythm section guys who are playing all the time and making
other people sound good while doing it. Here are a few "rules of
thumb" to go by.

Horn players are generally taught to avoid vibrato when playing with
other horns. When you add vibrato, glissandos and other attributes,
it just gets that much harder to play well in a section. So, start
without these things unless specifically asked or marked on the page
if music is provided. No vibrato also makes it much easier to tell if
you are in tune and to control your volume level. You can always add
attributes over time if the ensemble has a chance to rehearse, but the
first time out reading or trying an ensemble section, the simpler the
better.

Volume, or dynamics is far more important than you might think -
particularly for the harmonica which is sometimes difficult to hear or
monitor in a large group. Know that when you are adding two or more
voices to what is going on "on stage" you are adding a lot of "sound".
Make sure you know what your real volume level is in relation to the
rest of the band. This means checking your monitors (hey, some
harmonica players do have them) and being sure you can hear every
player on the bandstand. You need to have a good idea of what the
overall product sounds like. In ensemble playing, a soundman can't
really adjust the level for you. You need to do it yourself. Don't
be afraid to play softly. Try to find that happy median between being
not being heard at all and being heard above everyone else. Sometimes
volume is everything. It is just as important as rhythm in sounding
like a "tight" ensemble. Horn lines generally have a "top voice" that
needs to come out more clearly as the melody. If the wrong voice is
loudest, the overall sense of the line is lost. and the ensemble does
not sound "tight" as if they are playing together.

Eye contact is a good trick to use whenever possible. In larger
groups where people sit in a specific place or orchestras where you
need on eye on the conductor at all times, this isn't always possible.
However, I have found that getting next to the other horn players
helps a lot. You can get your section sound in order without
straining to hear each other. Volume, intonation and affectations are
often easier to control as a result. If you can stand right up next
to them, you can get a much better sound. This is especially
important if you are working without music. For small horn ensembles,
I find that eye-contact is really helpful in achieving the same
rhythms amongst all the players. Sometimes, written music can only
tell you so much and often these little ensembles are somewhat
improvised. Getting the right rhythm, like getting the right volume,
is incredibly important. That is why it is necessary to hear all the
parts and often useful to take visual cues as well. If you can't hear
them, you can't mesh with them.

It always helps to be able to rehearse whenever possible with the
other members of the horn ensemble so you can adjust, volume, timbre,
intonation and other affectations as a group. Even if a lot of the
ensemble sections are improvised, it really helps to get the "feel"
for each other. Although some groups seem to just "get together and
do it", most of this stems from a rehearsed and practiced method where
the player starts with the simple things he knows "will work" and
moves forward from there. The only way to get used to ensemble
playing is to do lots of it. When I am working with written music, I
often ask the opportunity to go over these types of ensemble lines
with the horn section alone so I can get the overall feel of how the
ensemble should sound. I am rarely afraid to ask because it is
difficult to hear yourself when there are several other players
playing with you.

When you are trying to arrange or improvise these types of ensemble
lines there are also a few tricks upon which you can rely. For two or
three horns,start by using harmonies from the "tonic" key of the tune.
If it is in F major, harmonize with notes that show up in the F major
scale. Octaves is always a good place to start! Don't underestimate
their effect. They can be just great. Harmonize the "line" within
the basic key and not necessarily the "chords". Sometimes it would
seem more intuitive to use notes that are directly found within the
chord being played at the same time, but in fact, it is more important
to follow the line itself to make it sound coherent. Don't worry if
your lines don't have a lot of chord tones. Try to harmonize in
thirds (major or minor) and, even more so, in 6ths (inverted 3rds).
7ths and diminished 5ths are also good. Let the 'tonic key" (say, F
major or C minor) dictate the accidentals. Avoid 4ths and 5ths
whenever possible. 4ths and 5ths are liking stopping with your weight
on both feet flat. It takes more effort to get into motion than
remaining in mid-stride where your center of weight is only on one
foot at a time. Major or minor 3rds/6ths as well as 7ths and
diminished 5ths tend to move onward again. So, they are better "bets"
to start with than other intervals.

Now, if you follow all of my rules of thumb to the letter, you'll
probably get nowhere! However, if you start with them and move
forward with what sounds "right" there is a lot you can learn from the
experience over time. Ensemble playing is its own ball-game where
subordination to the ensemble sound is what it is all about. The
ability to get the right mixture of dynamics, timbre, intonation and
rhythm in a group is what makes even the simplest lines using unison,
octaves or 3rds and 6ths actually sound good. Time, practice and
experience will allow you to create some really unique things. I
often lament how rarely I get the chance to use the harmonica as a
generic "member of the orchestra". The harmonica is as beautiful in
conjunction with other instruments as any other and that sound has
been sorely under-exploited.

Michael