Date: Fri, 06 Jul 2001 01:33:07 +0200 From: funha~wn.de Subject: An die Freude - L.v.Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven:
"O Freunde, nicht diese Töne! Sondern lasst uns angenehmere Anstimmen und freudenvollere!"
"Oh friends, not these tones! Let's tune up the more pleasant And the more joyful instead!"
(I hope my translation is not too bad)
No, this is not Beethoven's comment on the efforts of some harmonica players to play his Ode To Joy on a diatonic in 2nd position...
but those are his introducing words to the Ode To Joy (Lyrics: Fiedrich Schiller). After the "chaotic" 4th movement of the 9th symphony he uses the human voice (single and choir) as the coronation of his work to express the will for joy and the belief in divinity.
Okay maybe it's a simple melody to play. In 1st pos. on a diatonic, or on a chromatic harmonica. But I'd never choose to play it in 2nd, 3rd - 12th pos. on a diatonic. Nevertheless: for PRACTISING it's useful. I often play "simple" tunes with necessary (over)bends during my practise time. This way I can recognize much easier how bad my bends are and that I have to work on it to come closer to a more satisfying result.
By the way: I think it would sound terrible if a classical singer, say a tenor, was forced to sing the harmonica of "Juke" or ANY other blues or jazz or rock-harmonica solo.....really terrible at least to my ears
