walterharp
1036 posts
Feb 08, 2013
12:21 PM
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Hi all,
I was wondering if others had silent harmonica exercises that they do in sort of dead situations where you could be making use of your time.
After seeing the Wilson video about his tongue warbles, I have been working on tongue speed with a closed mouth when in boring meetings.
Breathing exercises are also possible but people think you are weird if you are trying to work on diaphragm vibrato for some reason.
Any suggestions?
Walter
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nacoran
6476 posts
Feb 08, 2013
1:49 PM
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I don't have anything 'silent' but I have some near silent things, maybe not so good for a meeting though, but good enough for a cubicle?
I've seen someone suggest wrapping their harp in a towel, and sometimes outside I've noticed that with a good cup and winter gloves you can be really quiet! (Cheap harps like the Piedmont are pretty quiet compared to a higher end harp to start with. Their plastic, tight backed covers soak up sound. Sometimes I'll sit and see just how quiet I can play. It helps work on dynamics. For figuring out melodies by ear, at least the basic beginnings of it, as long as you can hear the sound you know if you are playing the right notes.
Also not silent, but tapping rhythms is good general music practice, and maybe the only one that could fly under the radar at a meeting.
Even just visualization can be useful. Think about a melody and how your mouth and hands would move if you were playing it. I remember seeing a study about learning. They had a bunch of kids practice basketball. One group just practiced. The other group spent half their practice time visualizing instead, thinking about how they were going to take the shot in their head. The second group actually got better quicker, even although they'd spent less time actually 'practicing'. You'll see lots of musicians doing it. Watch a trumpet player sitting in the audience at a show- they'll be moving their lips, eyes closed, eyebrows raised and have their right hand raised up just a little, fingering the notes. (I think it's easier on trumpet- their finger movements are more defined and less subtle in how far they move compared to the tiny movements we make to go from hole to hole, but the principle is the same. Piano players do it, drum players, guitar players... the trick of course, is to keep your hands away from your face, and keep it mostly in your brain while you are sitting at a meeting or people will look at you funny.
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Nate
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Pistolcat
367 posts
Feb 08, 2013
1:51 PM
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Have you checked your "silent warble" face in the mirror? I bet that looked kind of funny in the meeting ;P .
I do transposing between octaves and positions sometimes. I just don't think i can do technique exercises without harp...
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Pistolkatt - Pistolkatts youtube
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didjcripey
450 posts
Feb 08, 2013
2:08 PM
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you can excercise your throat muscles, as if you are doing a deep bend or throat vibrato
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Lucky Lester
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Moon Cat
149 posts
Feb 08, 2013
3:49 PM
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Studies have proven running scales and scale exercises in your head is better than actually playing them. Both groups with and without instruments were given time to run them (and also songs) both groups were judged later in performance, the group which had practiced without their instruments had better intonation.
Due to certain unfortunate events in my life I have had plenty of practice at this technique.
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paulbunyn
59 posts
Feb 08, 2013
4:16 PM
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OK.... since you asked, I'll admit it, I took the reed plates out of my "F" harp (Piedmont set) and practiced running scales and other techniques while my wife sleeps. You suck a LOT of air, but I think the muscle memory helped.
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BronzeWailer
879 posts
Feb 08, 2013
4:09 PM
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Very interesting point, Nacoran and Moon Cat. I remember reading about some kid who couldn’t practice piano during the Cultural Revolution in China (too bourgeois) so his Mom made him a piece of cardboard with the keys drawn in for him to use. He went on to become a classical pianist.
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My YouTube
Last Edited by BronzeWailer on Feb 08, 2013 4:22 PM
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RyanMortos
1381 posts
Feb 08, 2013
4:35 PM
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Sleep, rest, do something else and meditate upon all you're learning and practicing on the harmonica. Special mojo happens at night.
I do listen to blues and other harmonica recordings while I work this is probably good practice that won't bother anyone else if you use headphones.
When possible find a stairwell and practice for real otherwise focus on the task at hand and practice later.
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~Ryan
See My Profile for contact info, etc.
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Rubes
658 posts
Feb 09, 2013
4:32 AM
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seek out new music
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One of Rubes's bands, DadsinSpace-MySpace
Old Man Rubes at Reverbnation
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loveharp
1 post
Nov 24, 2013
1:47 AM
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@walterharp: You have mentioned some "...Wilson video about his tongue warbles".
Where I can find this video?
THX
Zvonko
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The Iceman
1293 posts
Nov 24, 2013
5:54 AM
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The Glenn Gould film (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108328/)
while also being required viewing for serious musicians also contains a snippet entitled (I think) "Practice".
Watching this will answer the silent practice question.
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The Iceman
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Frank
3369 posts
Nov 24, 2013
6:04 AM
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Music on many levels is a form of self imposed repetitive discipline - This discipline, in the end is the catalyst for the ability to improvise in a seemingly carefree and hopefully original manner...
Even a Pro- who may seem like a musical renegade, has taken the time to repetitively and systematically program a creative musical style into their brain, body and nervous system...Ultimately mastering it -and thus, they can convey it effortlessly.
The greatest musicians, the "best of the best" have "Mastered the Discipline" of practicing music in their head as if they were actually playing in real time.
That discipline is a form of CONCENTRATION which gives the player many advantages over someone who chooses not to take the time to explore this proven practice tool :)
The Centipide Saloon
Tip Your Waiter Please
Last Edited by Frank on Nov 24, 2013 6:15 AM
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FreeWilly
372 posts
Nov 24, 2013
6:12 AM
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The towel was my idea. Still do that very often. I found that I played to softly after practicing in an apartment for too long. The towel cured that!
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TheoBurke
516 posts
Nov 24, 2013
7:00 AM
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I actually sang blues solos , sort of scat singing, no words, just vocal intonations of notes in different blues progression patterns, hitting the tip of my tongue agains the roof of my mouth in order to get fast triplets. It didn't sound all that good in terms of vocal accomplishment--it was not Mel Torme nor George Benson--but singing the notes this way ingrained in me what scales sound like , in how blues and jazz solos are constructed, and what it was I supposed to do on the harmonica in order to make the music I wanted to. This wasn't exactly silent practicing, but it was without an instrument, done while I walked everywhere I went--I have never owned a car. I got so that I could improvise coherent improvisations on pop, rock and blues tunes at will. Or at least I thought I could. In any case, this patterns are pretty much a fixed portion of my nervous system now, and I am convinced that this was how I taught myself to play rapidly. And, of course, the goal is stay teachable and unlearn the bad habits.
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Ted Burke
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheoBurke?feature=mhee
http://ted-burke.com
tburke4@san.rr.coM
858 274 0882
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sonny3
91 posts
Nov 24, 2013
7:23 AM
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I do tongue things like ta ta, ducka shicka,ticka tucka against the back of my teeth.Also practice vibrato by inward coughing.It all helps.
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walterharp
1228 posts
Nov 24, 2013
8:38 AM
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the wilson on practice and tongue warble video is here
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2chops
201 posts
Nov 25, 2013
8:06 AM
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We have a "No Sounds" rule in my wing of the building. So I often run a song through my mind and tap out the time with my left foot. I also do the nucka tucka type exercises for chugging. I do a lot of mental rehearsing too. Like when I go to bed at night, often I'll be awake for an hour or so going through my set list song by song. Or visualise licks while "hearing" them at the same time in my mind. No wonder I wake up tired. I also use long drive times to mentaly work on new arrangements.
I did tons of mental training when I was a competitive martial artist. I know first hand how valuable of a tool it is. Makes my actual real time practice more productive.
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You Tube = goshinjk
I'm workin on it. I'm workin on it.
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loveharp
2 posts
Nov 26, 2013
3:51 AM
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Thanks a lot walterharp
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loveharp
3 posts
Nov 26, 2013
4:11 AM
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Kim Wilson is fantastic as always, but there is no clue in this video, how one can do the tongue warble. There is no problem if the holes are not side by side (i.e. 1 and 4, or 2 and 4).
But if the holes are side by side, this is a challenge for me. I can not find enough space for my tongue and always have only one clean hole.
Can anybody try to explain me how to do this?
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Gnarly
797 posts
Nov 26, 2013
4:26 AM
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Believe it or not, I am currently visualizing chord changes on the new Suzuki SSCH chord harmonica, since I don't have one of my own yet.
The first ones arrive in the US next week, and all six are spoken for.
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bublnsqueak
12 posts
Nov 26, 2013
4:54 AM
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In a previous life I was a flying instructor.
I would tell my students to 'fly your bed'
Using visualisation to make it cheaper for them and to make my lessons more productive.
Very effective method. The one important point was that they had a clear understanding and experience of the correct way to fly a manouvre. Once their imagination was working with memories of real experience and a good understanding then this technique paid dividends.
'Practise makes permanent' is another saying, so getting it right before using visualisation is key.
Paul
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Gravesy
7 posts
Nov 26, 2013
3:33 PM
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Visualisation Works! I'm no expert harp player yet by any means - long way to go but I'm an experienced Rock singer and have been for years. I often lay in bed, or the sofa, or sat at work and run through tracks in my head start to finish - note for note guitar solos n'all and I'm a crap guitarist (really crap, i don't play gtar with the band!)
This method of practice works. Our guitar player swears by it too and he's effin good!! If you can't run through a song start to finish in your mind with no mistakes then chances are you're gonna screw up at the gig!
Obviously some level of peace required. I struggle to practice anything noisy on a daily basis due to wife n kids. When the kids are in bed I still have to keep the noise down so its been a valuable mental tool or err... mentool.
I have been busted at my desk in a silent moment face gurning to Skid Row's Monkey Business. I felt like I'd been caught wanking. I probably looked like I was!?!?!
So, my advice - keep Visualisation Practising but mind your 'sex face' don't appear!!! \m/
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