Harmonica in Bluegrass

[ken klein]

Why not? I am a harp player,please tell me why not...If it is played well and on time...

[Banjowills]

Well I never had given much thought about one till I played with Ken. You can see us doing Remington Ride together on Youtube. Just type in Billy Lee Cox and it should appear. Ken can play anything on that thing. He amazes me and we always look forward to jamming at Cabin Fever in Hampton, VA. Keep it up Ken you are the Best.
Billy Lee

[ken klein]

Billy, I do love your banjo playing and you are a joy to play with as well..Bluegrass should be fun.
few people dare to play a harmonica in Bluegrass because its not what Bill Monroe would do.. wish I had a chance to play with Bill maybe he would have changed his mind ....

[Kathleen Cox]

Well if you have harmonica's in each key it works. But too many folks show up at jams with the basic C harmonica and try to play along with every tune. It just does not work. There is a gal down in Memphis I can't remember her name but she carries a pack with about 10 different ones. Each in it's own key. No one has a problem with her joining in a jam. Oh it helps to know the tune before you join in. lol.

[ken klein]

Yes you are so right, I carry around 35 harps, and you must have sharps flats minors and be able to cross harp well and the most important thing is to wait for your break!!

[Roy Cornett]

A lot of it also depends on what style of bluegrass music is being played. Sitting around a campfire and pickin, I would agree with you, "Why not?"; however, if you are performing on stage in front of an audience that is expecting traditional bluegrass, then the answer would be no.

Since the harmonica is an aerophone and traditional bluegrass is played using only acoustic stringed instruments, then the addition of a harmonica would be creating a new classification.

I think where people would get rubbed the wrong way is if there is miscommunication on what is or is not expected. The Festival of the Bluegrass and Telluride are both called bluegrass festivals, but each has a very different genre of bluegrass music showcased. Neither is right or wrong, just different.

[ken klein]

I play in a bluegrass band that plays traditional grass and yes it does sound different,old time mountian music had a harp and that is the roots of bluegrass music ,yes I know Bill Monroe gave us the new bluegrass style.. "Thank God for Bill" and others that have tryed new stuff..they were brave souls.. I try to keep the sound fresh nothing wrong with traditional I just ad a twist and I find most people really like that..do you remember "Brother where out thou" I think started a revival in bluegrass ... no harp on that song...But I think there should have been...

[Martin]

My personal opinion is that your harmonica should be welcome in ANY type of music. Anyone who excludes ANY instrument from ANY type of music is just, well, anal retentive and does not understand music at all. Yes Kenneth, I think the harmonica can add a hair raising experience to any music if played relative to the other instruments. If you ask most people if they like accordian music, they would probably roll their eyes, but then listen to Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Those who don't follow bluegrass roll their eyes at a hillbilly banjo but then listen to Jens Kruger playing his Banjo with a 200 piece orchestra behind him. I listened to you at Cabin Fever playing with Ernie Bradley and The Grassy Ridge Band and thought your harmonica sounded great and actually in several songs, added a certain extra something. Hang in there and try and avoid musical anal retentives.

[Bill Beckner]

Why not harmonica? Good question Ken. Over the years I have played "bluegrass" music with several different people some playing with various non-typical "bluegrass" instruments. There are all kinds of examples of non-typical bluegrass instruments in classic bluegrass recordings by Bill Monroe, Flatt and Scruggs, Jim and Jessie, Osborne Brothers, Jimmie Martin, Reno and Smiley, The Dillards, Nashville Grass etc. Ernie Bradley and the Grassy Ridge successfully carried a harmonica player in the band for many years.

I have been playing "bluegrass" oriented music a long time because I have fun playing. I like being around other people that share my desire to make good music. Ken is a talented musician that makes his harmonica feel like a natural part of the "bluegrass" experience.

[ken klein]

Thank you Bill and Martin ..yes I love to play with good spirited musicians that makes it fun for all. you can't start a bluegrass fire with a wet blanket .And I do think there is a place for the harmonica in bluegrass .and no you can't please every one I just ask you musicians out there give the stranger a chance and give a listen and make up your own mind you may be surprised...

[Roy Cornett]

I hope I didn't come across as anti-harmonica because that certainly wasn't my intention. What I was trying to communicate was that it all depends on the genre of music a person is wanting to play. I agree with Martin that any instrument is welcome in any type of music.

With that being said, music is a pretty broad term and there are classifications of music, then sub-classifications, sub-sub-classifications, ad naseum. The tree of music that "bluegrass" belongs to includes country, old-time, folk, etc. Each have their own style and sub-categories.

Would it be wrong for a DJ with a turntable to play with a string quartet playing baroque pieces? Of course, not. Would it still be considered baroque music? Probably not.

Bluegrass of the kind played by Bill Monroe is undergoing a very similar transition that jazz music experienced 50 years ago. It is being defined, codified and, in my personal opinion, sterilized.

Personally I like the harp and would welcome anytime, I am simply commenting on the world in which Bluegrass is now in and where I think it is headed.

I would be willing to bet that in 25 years there will be a Bluegrass version of Preservation Hall. God willing it will be in Kentucky.

[ken klein]

Roy I did not think you sounded anti harmonica,I agree with you all music will evolve and should evolve...Like country music today is more pop or rock some like it that way.. I do not ,for me older country like hank williams has that sound I like...so if some musician played hank williams on a tuba and played it well I would still like it.."an old song with a new twist" that's what I do with the harp..
what I meant by a wet blanket is some musicians see the harmonica player as a joke.. some will just try to ignore the player while others will go out of their way to cut the player out of a jam all together by not given the player a break !! when they see a harp player comming some will just run away till they hear em play then they come running back to a hot jam..this is an extreme example

[Roy Cornett]

Well it sounds to me like most of your negative vibes have come when trying to jam with other musicians and that is very unfortunate. In my mind, the entire point of jam sessions is to have various musicians bring something to the table and try to create something unique and original.

I grew up around bluegrass and bluegrass festivals. When I was about 10 years old or so, I remember being backstage and listening to a very traditional bluegrass band warm up. After about 2 minutes I realized that they were playing Metallica. That moment was a turning point for me, when I realized that we categorize music but shouldn't ever categorize musicians.

Have fun and keep on playing!