I'm starting to look at a screw up in a more proper context I think. It can be as big a deal as you make it. I have heard some slight screw ups in songs recently that I didn't use to notice. If the player is able to get back in the game and do it smoothly. He or she is able to leave the listener wondering if they really did hear it. The tempo and rhythm of the song continue and carry the listener along with it.
Another oops kind of thing. That someone may be able to learn from, is this. on the song "what a friend we have in Jesus" there is a bent two hole draw at "oh" in "oh what peace...." First verse.
I had trouble getting the bend right without the volume being higher that what I thought sounded right in that part on the song.
The solution is something I had seen, heard and read in Jon's instruction. I didn't know how it fit or why you would do it. That is to tilt the harp up slightly. So the mouth side is lower than the back. This slight tilt allows me to block off the bottom half of the draw hole with the inside of my lower lip. This technique allows me to keep the volume very soft and get the bend to any level I want.
I'm sure this is an understatement to those of you that knew it. It may help someone.
Thank God this blunder was not on a stage. But it is good for a laugh. I remember John Gindick saying "to avoid the 3 blow" This has been a year or two ago. and I was looking for some hard fast rules. So I thought that since the 2 draw was the same note, I would condition myself to not use the 3 blow, ever.
This worked out good for a year or so. Then I heard a song I really liked and wanted to learn. It's done by a duo called Smith and McBride. Sweet Home Chicago is the tune. There is a sample of it on their web site at: smithandmcbride.com Worth checking out. Still love it.
The intro starts out with the blues scale down to the 2 draw/3 blow. Then goes into a rhythmic, repeating pattern for 4 to 6 bars, the guitar joins at that point. I had listened to it enough to know the notes he was playing, but could not figure out how he was playing the 2 draw for 6 bars. But I had heard him do it so I knew it could be done. If he did it, I was going to do it. Even if I passed out! Did the 6 blow down, to the 2 draw. When I got that far my lungs were 70% full and I still had 6 more bars of mostly 2 draw to go. After the second bar, lets just say the sound quality degraded substantially. I was up on the balls of my feet trying to get one more note when my vision started to go. Got that light headed feeling and started to black out. Had to give it up before I went all the way out.
At some point shortly after that I worked the 3 blow back into my mix. Jon said "avoid" the 3 blow. Not "never use it". You can get the same note and continue breathing. What a concept! McBride does it very well. check it out!
There is a Little Walter song "blues with a feeling". He does an intro on the harp, then the rest is fills and riffs. Rather artfully done I might add.
There must be some other "GOOF" stories out there!?
When I screwed up, not royally, but presidentially, I did exactly what you suggested.
Except, I wouldn't ask the band to start over. That's a no-no. It would be a negative to the performance.
Just jump in when you're ready, but let the band continue without stopping. If you feel you must, apologize to the band at the next break, away from the audience's ears.
No experience with that , but I'm practicing all kinds of background/rhytem patterns , so if I screw up, I know where I am in the song, and even if I don't know, I have something to fall back on.....going back to rhytem playing is pretty save I think...and of course......there is always " the trill" if nothing else works....
I'd like to hear from some of that have been on stage more than I have, on this one. Lets say you'r playing along in a solo and you blow it big time. I don't mean you did'nt do the three draw a full step. I mean you screwed up royally. How do you make the best of that? Do you find where you should be and keep tempo, jump back in when you can? Cry? Laugh it off? Ask the band to start over? I picture myself just trying to keep tempo, get back in when I can and try to go on like it did'nt happen. I have not played on stage that much, but in time, at the wrong time, it's bound to happen. Any funny stories on this topic may help lighten the mood and take some of the zing out of stage fright.
