I’ve had the most harmonicaest of times, and the least harmonicaest of times. Lately’s been the least harmonicaest of times, which is why I did not bring even one harmonica with me on my storytelling pilgrimage to Jonesborough, Tennessee. But when Penny and I went on the Bristol Caverns tour, and she suggested I come back the next day and record myself playing deep down in those caves, I knew she was right. She always is. So I picked up a Marine Band in C at Guitar Center in Johnson City, and the next day after dropping Penny off to gamble at the Hard Rock Casino, I made my way back to the Caverns for a video shoot.
Playing harmonica in caves is like playing in stairwells where it all began for me. Only it’s better, not just acoustically, but in every other way imaginable, simply by the mere fact you’re in a freaking cave, for God’s sake!
Another great place to play a harmonica is down by the river in Bryson City, where I met another visitor, named Red Blood, who plays guitar and sings. He moved down from Nashville, where it was too big and too loud for him. The Smoky Mountains suit him, and there’s free food down the street. Along the train tracks is also a terrific spot to make music.
That was the day Penny and I left the tri-cities to catch a Sean of the South show at The Dallas Theater in Dallas, Georgia. I threw a Tom Petty playlist together real quick, based on the song Drivin’ Down to Georgia. I knew right away there was no good way to play that song on my diatonic C harp. Too many notes missing on that type of harmonica. I didn’t have a chromatic with me, and it’s not the sort of instrument you’d want to run out and buy when you’ve already got one, even assuming you could find a music store that keeps them in stock. I improvised, badly, and went back to banging out hits like Heartbreak Hotel, Oh Susanna, and On Top of old Smoky.
Once home, I reunited with one of my chromatics, the CX-12. I keep a Chromonica 64 in the console of my car, in case I get stuck at an intersection. For those of you unfamiliar, which I assume is most of you, the CX-12 has twelve holes for a grand total of three octaves, whereas the Chromonica has sixteen holes for a grand total of four octaves. The CX-12 has a plastic body, while the Chromonica is metal. The CX-12 comes apart so you can easily replace parts that go bad, because they do. The Chromonica doesn’t come apart quite so easily, even though its parts also go bad. The last time my Chromonica needed repairs, I attempted to do them myself. I ordered the CX-12 while my Chromonica was out-of-state after I botched the reed replacement.
In theory, you can play any song on a chromatic. It’s got all the whole notes along with the half-notes, which you access by pressing a button on the side. That means, in theory, I can play Drivin’ Down to Georgia on the chromatic.
Had I applied myself fully, instead of recording myself practicing, then stopping to write all sorts of nonsense, I probably could have mastered the song by now. Still, I didn’t do half bad in the few minutes I devoted to learning the thing. It’s not all that hard. Just a handful of button presses that now come fairly easily.
If I keep on quitting the chromatic, I may never learn it as well as I’d like, but at least I can bang out a song or two now and then.
What’s something you keep quitting and coming back to?
I’m Louis Barney Katz, Boise’s #2 storyteller, wedding officiant, and mobile notary. What I most want to do is write and perform, but until I’m exceptionally unforgettable at my craft, I could sure use a job. If you know of anyone who wants a former IT business owner who’s good with words and people, please make a warm introduction or show them this story. You can reach me at 208.805.2740 or louis@lbkatz.com.