i chanced to hit the blues radio show yesterday in time to hear a sonnyboy II song. 9 below zero. it reminded me of something very important: sometimes very minimal, simple, single notes, are best. sbII was a master of that process. he would take a single note and do everything he could with it, and move on to the next single note. he knew about using the space BETWEEN notes also. that space is a definite part of the music, it builds drama, it lets the notes one DOES play, breathe a little. sbII also used the bottom end of the harp- the low notes- as a master of the instrument. when i began doing this it got noticed. i'm no sbII but i have learned from his style.
another idea to change up how you sound is to try different positions on a given harp part that you usually play in say, second position. try a first position part there, or a third position part instead. or just play less. pack more into less actual playing. believe me, i have hit that particular wall many times, esp in situations where we played the same songs repeatedly over time. at jams or in a band setting, if new material isn't introduced, it can be a curse or a blessing. a curse if one stays in the box, a blessing if one tries some of the above, which will breathe new life into old standards. i have also become comfortable with different subgenres of blues and into country and folk also. try some swing or jump. try some dylan. some johnny cash. listen to some funky horn-supported music and try to emulate it. put some trash disco from the 70's on and play along. it used to drive me crazy when i'd hear willie nelson't harp guy, mickey rafeal, playing, because i couldn't figure out how he did that! he had broadened his base of knowledge by listening to- and playing to- many different kinds of music. different positions, different styles of music, a different view of what the harp can be in a given situation.