March 13, 2008
Why do we love the harmonica? Why does it bring a crowd to life whenever a singer takes out the mouth organ and does a solo?
I'm at the R.E.M. concert and they're playing the song "Bad Day." Michael Stipe pulled out a harmonica, the crowd suddenly started yelling and arm waving.
I've seen it before:
Dylan
Neil Young
Jeff Tweedy
It never fails.
Why?
Probably for the same reason that crowds go nuts for guitar solos that feature the same note played over and over.
See: Clapton, Eric
I think because it's played with your mouth, so it's like an extention of a singer's voice. And there's an intimacy associated with it; you usually think of a harmonica played for a small group of people and not a stadium. And it's a "common" instrument; people seem to go crazy for kazoo-playing too.
i think it's the simplicity of its soul, its present moment magic and surrender
Jeff Tweedy made a comment about that when I saw him. He was playing "She's a Jar," which features a 6 or 7 note harmonica line that sounds like it was plucked from "How to Play Harmonic - Beginner Level." Every time I've seen him the crowd goes absolutely nuts when he plays it though. So this time he stopped and commented that his harmonica line is not and never has been worthy of applause. At least he admits it, still a great song though.
Kazoo is even more fun.
The harmonica, even played sloppily, gives a third line to a band that is guitar/vocals based. I enjoy that about it.
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