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From: Ken Dean
Production: JHG2008
Date: 3/7/2008
Time: 4:53:45 AM
Chances are you have already listened to recordings of the Jew's Harp playing in the context you discussed. It seems that both presently and historically The Jew's Harp could move from a accompanying to a solo role, mostly depending on the skill of the player. Some factors to consider: A lot of times, the JH would be played without worrying about it's particular fundamental pitch - If what you had was approximately an F-sharp, you played it no matter what key anybody else was in. This still happens today. You might not like the results, but it would be authentic. Due to the above past practices, it can sometimes be difficult to get other musicians to trust you enough to play as an equal instrument. It helps if you play other instruments, or otherwise have a reputation as a player, but not much. I don't know how much experience you have as a musician, but certain things apply to a JH as they do to any other instrument. If you want to play Bluegrass, listen a lot good bluegrass players. Hear how they structure their improvisations and listen to what they do when they are in the background. Even if don't read music, you have to pay some attention to the chord changes. They will guide you pick the right notes to play, especially when backing someone up. Similar principles apply when playing in an Old Timey style. There is less room for improvisation, so you tend to bring interest to the tune by varying things just a little bit to make it yours. Listen to good players while reading along with the music if you can, to see what I mean. I hope this helps.