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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
One year in
One year in
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Gp
1 post
Nov 17, 2013
9:09 AM
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I started playing harp a year ago and have been lurking on the forum for about the same so thought it was about time to join and introduce myself. My name is Greg and live in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin (heard all the beaver jokes). Originally from Minnesota and transplanted out here 20 yrs ago. HarpNinja, hope to hear you play sometime, I get over to Faribault to visit family and am a MSU alum.
I fooled around with the harmonica yrs ago and last yr came across my old hohner c in a drawer and started playing, and decided at age 55 its time to learn how to really play this thing. I bought some cheap piedmont blues harps, started blowing to what ever caught my fancy on the internet and 2 weeks later found myself at an open jam. All guts and no real technique, other than being able to play Heart of Gold I sucked! The saving grace was the jam host is a friend and he encouraged me to keep playing and coming to the jam.
Fast forward to today. I've been practicing at least 3 times a week and playing at open jams 3-4 times a month(bluegrass and rock, occasionally will get a few blues songs in there). I replaced the piedmonts with variety of harps, sp20s, los, suzuki bluesmasters, hammonds, and a couple of manjis. The host band at the rock jam invited me to play at a gig they have next June at the Grateful Friends Fest in Gay Mills WI.
I still have a lot to learn, but you cant beat having fun and I'm having a blast. Wish I would have pulled that old harp out of the drawer sooner, but at double nickles I'm not getting any younger so there's no time like the present.
Thanks to Adam and all the contributors on this site, I have learned a ton. I'm more of a lurker than a contributor, but will try to post if relevant, and I'm no stranger to sarcasm so I think I'll fit right in :)
Greg Grandprey
Gp
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Frank
3299 posts
Nov 17, 2013
9:18 AM
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Would love to hear your harp "heart of gold" version :)
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The Centipide Saloon
Tip Your Waiter Please
Last Edited by Frank on Nov 17, 2013 9:19 AM
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SmokeJS
184 posts
Nov 17, 2013
3:14 PM
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Gp, I'm a bit older than you but been playing more like a year and a half so maybe that balances out our experience. I've got lots of 'how to play' information but didn't start to make noticeably quicker progress until I recently started getttng some lessons with a local pro player and teacher. Can you tell us how you managed to progress so quickly to be able to play at the jam? Was there another harp player who showed you how to fit in as an accompaniest? Where did your first solo come from? Was it something you memorized or was it off the top of your head? What did you do for the next chorus?
Any insights would be most appreciated!
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Gp
2 posts
Nov 17, 2013
8:07 PM
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Frank, no recordings yet, I will try and have someone video it next time I play. Funny story, the second time at the jam first song I played was "Heart of Gold", and stank up the joint not realizing they tuned down a half step. I mumbled through it and didnt play until they stepped down and opened it up to other players who tuned up to 440. Next time I was prepared with Ab Db Eb F# in my bag thanks to Amazon.
Smoke, I think my previous musical experience has helped immensely. I started playing trumpet in grade school and played tuba in high school and college. Still play at family gatherings but its a lot easier to carry my harmonica bag then lug a tuba around!
I dont have a set practice regiment but do focus on the basics; tone, intonation, articulation, and dynamics.
I can see the benefit of taking lessons from a teacher and tailored to you. So far I have only done internet lessons, the freebies and one of Annie Raines courses.
As to learning specific songs, I will download them and play along. Not a big fan of tabbing as they give you a road map for the blow/draw sequence but not the timing. It takes me too long to convert into sheet music so if there is a specific solo I will put the song through audacity and slow it down to learn the phrasing.
As to being able to fit in and accompany theband, I try to keep it simple. There are parts that are usually not covered - piano, horns, strings, counter melody so I try and find a spot thats missing. When I solo if there is no specific harp part I will follow the melody line the first pass and then variate it the second pass. Call and echo works well too in some songs (think Road House Blues by the Doors). Another key is listen & observe, and don't step on the guitar solos or it will limit how long you play. The only exception to that rule is when they are 40 bars into a solo and they still think they are going someplace then step on them hard to wake them out of their trance :)
The more I play, the more I realize I have much more to learn, but thats part I like, it means I need play more!
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