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Joe Riggs
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"I want to play harp like Kilby Snow. I knew
it from the first time I heard
his music. I pick with my right thumb and forefinger, with home-made
brass picks, on a custom Orthey, left-handed harp, with ten bars, in
D, A, C, and G. There are five sets of doubled strings, since in those
four keys, five strings were left over. Fingering is identical in all
four gears, which necessitated adding a second G bar. I cannot read
music nor comprehend music discussions. Those who have heard me play
harp have no trouble believing that!
Using the white felt pick included with my first
harp, bought in 1981, I learned to strum some of the songs that I knew
the words and melody to, and a few months later, I ventured out to the
public library and searched the music department for "autoharp."
This turned up two albums, both produced by Mike Seeger, one called
Country Songs and Tunes on the Autoharp, with Kilby Snow, and the other
called Mountain Music Played on the Autoharp, with Neriah ("Mr.
Cub") Benfield, and his son Kenneth, Pop Stoneman, and Kilby Snow.
That was it for me. I thought if I could just learn to play like those
grand old masters played, I would be happy for the rest of my life.
When my daughter once heard "Coming around the Mountain,"
by Kilby Snow, she looked over at me and said, "Gee, Daddy, it
doesn't sound like that when you play it." I told her that I was
working on it. After all these years, it still doesn't sound like that,
but what a journey the quest has taken me on!
My musical journey moved along a few steps when I
joined the Charlotte Folk Music Society (NC) in the early 80's, went
to their spring festival, and participated in an autoharp workshop with
Ivan Stiles. Through this society I made many lifelong friends, and
continue with the Charlotte Folk Society to this day. I ordered two
Bryan Bowers LPs, and every time Bryan would come to Rock Hill, SC,
I went to hear him and to buy his new music. I used to pretend I was
on stage with him, singing "Bad Boy" and "Zen Gospel
Singing." I first saw Mike Seeger, Drew Smith, Evo Bluestein, and
Mike Fenton at festivals. All of them knew Kilby Snow and had had personal
interaction with him.
Through Mike Seeger I found Ellen Hudak and Mike
Hudak, who gave me the string and bar setup I still use (AQ, 1989).
I ordered my first Orthey chromatic sight unseen, in the mid-80's, as
I began working on a biography of Kilby Snow. I interviewed Kenneth
Benfield, who told me up front that they used to play the harp flat,
on the lap or on a table, adding,"That's why a harp has feet on
it!" I also met a heroine of mine, Patsy Stoneman, who has faithfully
carried on the family tradition of recording music, playing harp, and
story-telling.
I established contact with Jim Snow, Kilby's son,
who has carried on the traditional Snow music, with its signature drag
notes below the bars, which Jim accomplishes using his right thumb,
pushing away toward high strings, below the chord bars, on a right-handed
harp. Jim and I have been close friends since we met. I completed the
Kilby biography, and it was published in AQ, 1990. Kind, encouraging
comments from listeners have kept me going over the years.
A friend told me one time that my playing style limited
me too much, keeping me from playing different kinds of music. I replied
that I already play all the music I want to play, and play it below
the chord bars, for that is the sound I love. It is true that you will
never hear beautiful color chords off my harp (I don't know what they
are, even, and neither does my harp) nor "Over the Rainbow",
but you will hear "Deep Elm Blues," "Old Gospel Ship,"
and "He Will Set Your Fields on Fire." A contest judge at
MLAG who had been listening to me play for fifteen years told me not
long ago, "I love your playing, Joe, you have a good old-time sound.
Still don't sound like Kilby Snow, though." I laughed. He was right.
Hope I never do, because then what would I have to work toward? "
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