John95683
147 posts
Apr 22, 2014
9:32 AM
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How many songs (not blues solos) should an intermediate be able to play from memory? How many does an expert player know?
How important is it to know a lot of songs?
When I tell people that I play the harmonica, many will ask "do you know xyz song" If I can knock out "Yesterday", for example, most people will be impressed. It seems most people like to hear recognizable tunes.
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Buzadero
1190 posts
Apr 22, 2014
9:48 AM
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Not sure if there is some magic number of how many. But, if you're busking you'll do a lot better stringing together recognizable melodies than belting out your carefully crafted and technically proficient chops. That's just human nature. If you're working a sidewalk for instance, you have a few seconds as the pedestrian is approaching into your sound limit to grab their appreciation. They will be much more inclined to loose the sheckels if they hear a snappy Me & Bobby Mcgee than your hard earned split octave, tongue slap, triplet shimmer, behind the back S-block.
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~Buzadero
Underwater Janitor, Patriot
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STME58
781 posts
Apr 22, 2014
10:02 AM
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I'll second Buzadero's comment both on there being no magic number and the importance of playing things you audience recognizes. You don't have to know the whole tune, just enough to be recognizable. It can also be helpful to have a stock of interludes at the ready to use to string the fragments together or to drift into when you forget the intended melody.
The more you know, the more fun you will have playing. I was very glad I had several Beatles tunes and "God Save The Queen" down the other day when a couple of cute young British girls stopped to chat.
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2chops
235 posts
Apr 22, 2014
10:19 AM
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Popular TV show themes are good choices too. Or a well known movie song or two.
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I'm workin on it. I'm workin on it.
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CarlA
492 posts
Apr 22, 2014
10:26 AM
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It depends! If you're Chuck Norris, you don't need to know ANY songs/melodies. Rather, the songs/melodies know you!
(Sorry, I couldn't resist!!)
Last Edited by CarlA on Apr 22, 2014 10:29 AM
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STME58
782 posts
Apr 22, 2014
10:46 AM
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Hymns are easy to learn and can be effective at the right time. A couple I have used also fit the movies song idea mentioned by @2chops. "Farther Away" was used in the movie Winters Bone and "Leaning on the Everlasting arms" was used in the remake of True Grit. Both have a strong emotional impact when played well to an audience that knows them. Other songs I have gotten unsolicited positive feedback on are,
Jesu Joy
Over the Rainbow
If I only had a Brain
Both Sides Now
Where Have all the flowers gone.
Beethoven's 9th (excerpt)
New World Symphony, Largo (excerpt)
Blowin in the Wind
It may be just the way I play it, but Blues tunes do not get much recognition from passers by.
I would also say that a person who carries an instrument with him at all times should know how to play happy birthday, and at least one song appropriate to any holiday party you are attending. (Auld Lang Syn, Christmas carols, Danny Boy, etc.)
Last Edited by STME58 on Apr 22, 2014 10:46 AM
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nacoran
7695 posts
Apr 22, 2014
2:57 PM
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I just suddenly remembered some study I saw about how fast people walk in different states around the country. I imagine, if you live in a state where there are fast walkers, and lots of street noise you could get by with just a couple. In a quiet city with casual strollers, you might need more.
I'm only half joking. I think the key is you don't want to run out. If you are sitting where people will be sitting around, you want enough to last as long as they will be sitting (lunch break?) but if they are just passing by and there is no room to stop and listen, you could get away playing one song if you play it well and you are only standing there one day.
Like Stme58 says, you need occasional songs too. With Happy Birthday in particular, if you want to play, make sure you are the one leading the song, otherwise someone will pick a key you don't have in your hand, and it's so short you may not get the right harp out in time.
Most songs, if you learn a bit of the melody, it repeats enough times that you just need an arrangement. A notebook that says, "'Song Name' 'Key' verse, chorus, verse, chorus, chorus," can let you fake your way through a lot of stuff.
A couple weather related ones may fit too. Singing in the Rain or Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Head, Good Day Sunshine, Here Comes the Sun or You Are My Sunshine, Let it Snow...
Auld Lang Syne is almost a must. I second TV theme songs too. I can play the MASH theme, Brandy Bunch and a few others. Probably should brush up on some more recent ones. The Jeopardy theme isn't hard and can get a laugh if deployed at the right moment. At a certain point though, you'll be able to pick out melodies for songs you 'know' but don't know on harmonica. (I just did that for the Jeopardy theme in a few seconds.) The more you practice picking out new songs quickly the less important the total number of songs you know becomes.
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Nate
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Jim Rumbaugh
979 posts
Apr 22, 2014
7:01 PM
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To stay on topic, here's something off the top of my head.
beginner...... 5
intermediate.. 50
professional.. 500
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theharmonicaclub.com (of Huntington, WV)
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John95683
148 posts
Apr 22, 2014
10:25 PM
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Wow, that's a lot of songs, Jim. I've got a lot of work to do :-)
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rockmonkeyguitars
64 posts
Apr 22, 2014
10:51 PM
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It isn't memorizing tunes, It's being able to figure out how to play them. If you have to use tabs to figure out a song then you are a beginner. If you have to look up the key but you can then figure out how to play the song in 5 or 10 min I would consider that to be intermediate. If you don't even need to be told the key and/or you can make it work with any of your harmonicas that is an advanced skill.
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John95683
149 posts
Apr 23, 2014
9:07 AM
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If the rockmonkey is correct, it looks like I'm doomed to being a beginner forever. There is no way I could figure out a song in 5 to 10 minutes.
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HarpNinja
3858 posts
Apr 23, 2014
9:11 AM
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How many songs (not blues solos) should an intermediate be able to play from memory?
Like note for note melodies? However many needed to play the gig.
How many does an expert player know?
The same.
How important is it to know a lot of songs?
IME, not very important at all. A good ear and the ability to improvise are much more important. Personally, I am to the point where I can quote or elaborate on the hooks of most the songs I am asked to play. Those songs aren't instrumentals, so I don't need to use harmonica to cover the main theme through a full song.
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Mike
My Website
My Harmonica Effects Blog
Rock Harmonica Lessons
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HarpNinja
3859 posts
Apr 23, 2014
9:14 AM
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"To stay on topic, here's something off the top of my head.
beginner...... 5
intermediate.. 50
professional.. 500"
I cannot play a single entire song note from note from someone else's recording and I do just fine improvising and supporting blues, rock, and country tunes. If I need to learn a hook, I learn it, but I can't think of a single time I've been asked to play a scripted song note-for-note in lieu of a vocal or instrument part that encompassed the whole song.
An example would be a song like Chitlin's Con Carne. I can play the head, but 90% of the song would be improvised. Unless you are doing jazz or bluegrass standards, you need to be able to follow a song's harmony, generally, more than the melody.
Almost every time I am asked to play with someone, I am being asked to improvise over different styles. That ability is what gets me gigs and compliments. I get directed when to play and when to comp and when to solo and when to not solo, but I can't think of a time where I was playign clubs and was asked to play something ultra specific regarding a melody of anything more than a measure or two.
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Mike
My Website
My Harmonica Effects Blog
Rock Harmonica Lessons
Last Edited by HarpNinja on Apr 23, 2014 9:21 AM
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barbequebob
2531 posts
Apr 23, 2014
9:49 AM
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Personally, learn as many melodies as you can because you just never know what the situation could be asking for. If you were to do a GB gig (general business gig, meaning things like corporate functions, weddings, barmitzfahs, etc.), knowing the actual melody is quite helpful and there are going to be times rather than just riffing, your improvisations need to be based much more on the melody for sometimes close to the entire time. You don't often see harp players do GB gigs but a big part of the reason is too often the lack of ability to play melodies and reign in the flash because in those gigs, you are NOT the star, but whatever the function is all about, so essentially you're background music rather than the center of attention.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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mr_so&so
815 posts
Apr 23, 2014
10:06 AM
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Personally, I like to learn songs. Maybe I'm more melody-oriented than most, I don't know. When I learn a song I learn the lyrics and the melody, then I arrange it to work as a solo piece if I can. So I add rhythmic stuff, harp solo based on improvisation around the melody mostly, and I learn to sing it. I learn songs that I like, that mean something to me, so I can play and sing them with conviction. When I learn a song I write down the lyrics on my Google Drive account and also record myself playing it, so I can go back to it later if I haven't played it in a while. When I revisit a song after a long break, I usually have something new to add to make it better. It's a lot of fun. My list is about 30 songs now.
HarpNinja's comments are aimed at a band context, not a solo context. If you are all by yourself and somebody says, "play us a song", you have to provide the melody, and improvise around that, or people won't recognize it at all. For blues, you'd better hang your riffing on a recognizable structure (e.g. 12-bar progression) or you will get boring pretty quickly.
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Last Edited by mr_so&so on Apr 23, 2014 10:29 AM
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STME58
784 posts
Apr 23, 2014
10:19 AM
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I have not been able to log on to MBH from home. I think it has tagged me for a spammer from my home network. This thread has gotten interesting since I last logged in. I appreciate the differing views but don't see them as contradictory. The question is open ended and has a lot to do with the situation. Improvising is great, in fact essential to harmonica, but knowing a lot of melodies can fuel your improvisation. Being able to play a 20 minute piece note for note, like would be expected of a top notch classical violinist, is probably not as essential to a harp player.
I had an opportunity to do a GB gig as @barbecuebob describes. It was solo background at a restaurant. I sat down and listed the songs I could play and came up with about 40. (that puts me at nearly intermediate on Jim Rumbaugh's scale) That was enough for me to play a couple of hours without repeating. I have found it is important to keep that list handy. Without it my mind can blank and I can not think of any but the last 5 songs I have played.
"it looks like I'm doomed to being a beginner forever. There is no way I could figure out a song in 5 to 10 minutes."
Don't despair John, most of us started out with that feeling. Eventually you get familiar enough with the harp that if you know the song well enough to sing it, you can play it. I have found that if I can't play a song on the harp, it is either because it has to many notes that are not on the harp (Chromaticism) or more likely, I really don't know the song. If I take the time to learn to sing the song first, it falls out easily on the harp. Learning the words helps get the melody down more solidly. This does not go just for harp. I have watched my son's youth symphony conductor ask the musicians to put their instruments down and sing the part in order to learn it more fundamentally. Sometimes, before you can sing the part, you need to break it down further and just clap the rhythm.
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CarlA
493 posts
Apr 23, 2014
10:29 AM
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"Jim Rumbaugh
979 posts
Apr 22, 2014
7:01 PM To stay on topic, here's something off the top of my head.
beginner...... 5
intermediate.. 50
professional.. 500
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theharmonicaclub.com (of Huntington, WV)"
Sounds like WAY too much work for me. I am happy being a mediocre musician-lol
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Buzadero
1191 posts
Apr 23, 2014
10:31 AM
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"That was enough for me to play a couple of hours without repeating. I have found it is important to keep that list handy. Without it my mind can blank and I can not think of any but the last 5 songs I have played."
I have to echo what FiddyAte is saying. Personally, I can do very recognizable renditions of between a hundred and a hundred-fifty songs. These get exercised with more regularity than my interactive jam chops, simply because my personal circumstances limit me to traveling a lot, not having access to a regular group to play with, and enjoying street busking as a hobby. In my case, as with STME58, I have to have a List handy or I will draw a blank after about five or ten default standards.
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~Buzadero
Underwater Janitor, Patriot
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John95683
150 posts
Apr 23, 2014
10:38 AM
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Mr. So&So is correct. I do mean if you are by yourself, and somebody says "play us a song", you need to play a recognizable melody. Otherwise, people will think that you can't play the harmonica (or guitar or piano). Playing some blues riffs will not count.
Right now, I can play about ten songs from memory, like Scarborough Fair, Yesterday, Summertime, Born to Lose, and so on. I learned these songs from tabs, and then memorized them. Most people I know think that I can play the harmonica. I guess that I have them fooled :-)
I can play another 30 or 40 songs reasonably well with the help of the tabs, but most people don't care whether or not I'm reading from tabs, just like they don't care if a piano player is reading the sheet music.
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timeistight
1552 posts
Apr 23, 2014
10:42 AM
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"If the rockmonkey is correct, it looks like I'm doomed to being a beginner forever. There is no way I could figure out a song in 5 to 10 minutes."
The more melodies you learn, the easier it gets and the faster you'll be able to do it. You're only doomed to being a beginner forever if you give up before you start.
Start with tunes that are already in your head: Happy Birthday, Pop Goes the Weasel, Greensleeves, Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, etc.
The more melodies you figure out, the better you get at playing what you hear. Improvising is ideally creating new melodies in your mind and finding them on the harp.
If You Can Sing Happy Birthday…You Can Transcribe Your Favorite Solo
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STME58
785 posts
Apr 23, 2014
11:28 AM
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"Start with tunes that are already in your head"
I find this to be really good advice. At first you may find tabs helpful but if you stick with songs you know well, you will soon find you don't need the tabs. After you have master getting the songs you know in your head to come out on your harp, you will want to learn new songs. Remember to get them in your head first, before you pick up your harp.
Last Edited by STME58 on Apr 23, 2014 11:29 AM
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walterharp
1367 posts
Apr 23, 2014
11:54 AM
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if you are really a pro, you should be able to play any melody that is already in your head. maybe not sound really great at it, but passable. If you do not play chromatically, that is somewhat limited of course.
You see this in "head cutting contests" If one player plays a series of notes, the other is expected to reproduce that, even if they have not heard that series of notes before...
one nice thing if you have lots of melodies in your head, then one might fit and you can quote a different melody during a song, like the one with Ricci Ramsey and Gruenling a bit ago where they did Flintstones, Jingle Bells, and Smoke on the water melodies.. or whatever those were...
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MP
3171 posts
Apr 23, 2014
12:39 PM
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Just take your time and learn as many melodies as you can. I think Three Blind Mice is kinda fun.
One problem w/ a heck of a lot of harp players is that they don't know any songs. Nada. I don't mean blues songs either. Their entire style relies solely on blues harp licks. This can be very boring to listen to in a solo context. It's a great way to clear the room. :-)Almost as bad as putting on an Ornette Coleman record.
I get a lot more compliments for playing a snippet of Bach or something by (I'm shuddering) Billy Joel than playing Big Walters incredible solo from Jimmy Rogers 'Walking By Myself.'
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Last Edited by MP on Apr 23, 2014 12:40 PM
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STME58
787 posts
Apr 23, 2014
12:59 PM
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"I get a lot more compliments for playing a snippet of Bach"
More than once I have gotten the comment " I did not know Bach could be played on the harmonica.
I have also enjoyed hearing players like Boris Plotnikov quote Bach in a blues context.
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Jim Rumbaugh
980 posts
Apr 23, 2014
6:46 PM
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5, 50, 500
Here's what I was thinking.
A beginner may have about 5 tunes.
After you practice a while you get enough tunes where you can go out and do a 3 to 4 hour gig. You need about 40 to 50 tunes.
If you are an "expert" you play a lot more than the weekend player. I figure a factor of 10 will give you enough tunes to get you through most gigs.
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theharmonicaclub.com (of Huntington, WV)
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CarlA
495 posts
Apr 23, 2014
7:10 PM
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@jim
"If you are an "expert" you play a lot more than the weekend player. I figure a factor of 10 will give you enough tunes to get you through most gigs."
Do most "expert" or professional musicians play 500 songs in one gig?!?
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mr_so&so
816 posts
Apr 23, 2014
7:43 PM
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John95683, I wasn't sure how long you'd been playing. I recall how long it took me to learn my first few songs from tabs, so I understand where you are coming from now. Definitely, the advice above to learn to play "by ear" is excellent, with the goal of learning to play what you hear in your head. It has taken me a long time to get close to that goal. Once you do though, it's easy to learn new songs. I found it useful to keep playing one or two songs that I had painstakingly learned, over and over, until I got so good at them and so bored with them that I could start to change them up. That is where improvisation skills start.
Also, as boring as they are, scales have been helpful for me to lock in to the safe notes. For example, learn the major pentatonic scale in second position. It's a little challenging in the lower octave to bend the 3d full-step bend to pitch (major 2nd), and the 10b half-step bend is really tough (major 3rd) -- or you can just skip that one. But once you know the blues scale and major pentatonic in 2nd position, you can play a lot of songs, and be starting to master 2nd position. You'll soon find yourself able to "bluesify" major key songs for effect. Also go nuts on bending between 3d and 3d''. That's where country music lives.
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rockmonkeyguitars
65 posts
Apr 24, 2014
3:50 AM
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""it looks like I'm doomed to being a beginner forever. There is no way I could figure out a song in 5 to 10 minutes."
Don't despair John, most of us started out with that feeling. Eventually you get familiar enough with the harp that if you know the song well enough to sing it, you can play it. I have found that if I can't play a song on the harp, it is either because it has to many notes that are not on the harp (Chromaticism) or more likely, I really don't know the song. If I take the time to learn to sing the song first, it falls out easily on the harp. Learning the words helps get the melody down more solidly. This does not go just for harp. I have watched my son's youth symphony conductor ask the musicians to put their instruments down and sing the part in order to learn it more fundamentally. Sometimes, before you can sing the part, you need to break it down further and just clap the rhythm."
I couldn't agree more, and if you do this enough you will quickly find that it is easier to learn by ear than by tab. This is especially true for songs that haven't been tabbed very well. If you go to a site like harptabs.com and look up a song like wild rover you will see many different version all calming to match the Dubliners version and all of them are wrong. When a song isn't quite right it'll make it hard to play because you will subconsciously know it's not right.
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The Iceman
1600 posts
Apr 24, 2014
6:22 AM
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I will teach beginners the major diatonic scale in first position in the middle of the harmonica.
Then I will challenge them to discover how many simple folk songs, children's songs, americana tunes "live" in this major diatonic scale.
They learn early on that scales are just note choices and can be considered melodic lines when played as such, making the transition to understanding how to pull simple melodies out of the harmonica easy.
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The Iceman
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CarlA
496 posts
Apr 24, 2014
7:35 AM
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There is no doubt that the more versatile your repertoire, the better. Yes, Bach tunes, show tunes, pop songs etc are great, but appeal to people who really know nothing about blues.
For example, if you are at a gangster rap concert, the audience won't give two hoots what you can play on the harp, even if you belt out Bachs "Toccata and Fugue" in D minor without hands.
If you pay money to see Kim Wilson, knowing who he is, you will be real pissed if he played classical music and show tunes all night.
The overwhelming majority of patrons that visit "blues bars" will get unnecessarily excited by Bach and show tunes played on the harp because they can relate to them. They will tire quickly of outstandingly played blues standards because they are unfamiliar with them.
It really has nothing more to do with it than this IMHO. Everything can be made to seem more complicated than it really ought to be.
-Carl
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Jim Rumbaugh
981 posts
Apr 24, 2014
9:35 AM
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CarlA asked "Do most "expert" or professional musicians play 500 songs in one gig?!?"
Great comment, that proves a point. The better you are, the less you have to do. Once you have a name, you may only do a 45 to 75 minute set.
In my failed attempt to be a full time musician as a young man, my group hit the road with about 40 to 50 tunes. But we were canned by the booking agency after playing two weeks near Nashville with too few country tunes in our show. The agent said, "boys, you're just not professional"
So in my book, if you only have 50 tunes down, you're a solid intermediate, but no pro.
Does anybody else have numbers they want to suggest??
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theharmonicaclub.com (of Huntington, WV)
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kudzurunner
4661 posts
Apr 24, 2014
7:24 PM
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This is a great topic, and crowdsourcing has helped this thread arrive at two or three key themes:
1) Even if you're a hardcore blues player, it's good to broaden your range--that is, if you have any hopes of (or an actual practice consisting of) playing for the "general public."
2) Write down a songlist; don't trust your memory. (And make sure to woodshed the less-often played melodies and songs from time to time.)
3) The more you've got in the larder, the higher your comfort level will be on any given gig.
I trust that I fall into the pro category when it comes to your typical blues pickup gig; I wouldn't have much trouble working that range. But that's my sweet spot. I'm not a country guy, or a jazz guy. Somebody like Rob Paparozzi can always come along and steal gigs from me, because he can walk into a jazz gig and pull out the chromatic. He's got more range, period. Range is good--in fact, it's essential--if you're trying to make a fulltime living as a musician. It's less important if you're not.
4) If you're busking, especially solo, it's a really good idea to have a broad range that includes pop songs, Christmas songs, a few jazzy numbers, whatever. A country song. Rock. I can't count the number of times somebody has come up to me when I'm soundchecking before a gig and, liking the sound of the harmonica, has said, "Can you do any Doors?" Or Skynyrd. Or Blues Traveler. If I was a fulltimer, I would be keeping a notebook and would be writing down those requests and making sure that I knew them for next time around.
Speaking of which: I'll send a free copy of The Blues Doctors's album to the first person here who posts a video (your own, I mean) of a decent harmonica adaptation of Pharrell's "Happy." THERE a song that will earn a street harp player some money.
Here's a pretty good version--vocally it's very good, in fact--but the harp isn't carrying much weight and he doesn't have the guitar harmonies quite right. Still: if this guy wants to busk this, he's gonna make some money:
Last Edited by kudzurunner on Apr 24, 2014 7:32 PM
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STME58
789 posts
Apr 24, 2014
8:50 PM
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@CarlA's sentiment above about the importance of knowing your audience and delivering want they want, was expressed with brilliant comedy in the country bar scene of "The Blues Brothers" Movie.
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CarlA
497 posts
Apr 24, 2014
11:37 PM
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@kudzu
"Speaking of which: I'll send a free copy of The Blues Doctors's album to the first person here who posts a video (your own, I mean) of a decent harmonica adaptation of Pharrell's "Happy." THERE a song that will earn a street harp player some money"
The ironic thing about that song "Happy" is that it makes me really angry everytime I hear it. By far one of the worst tunes ever conjured up by the already horrendous mainstream pop music industry.
Last Edited by CarlA on Apr 24, 2014 11:38 PM
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Aussiesucker
1380 posts
Apr 24, 2014
11:40 PM
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If you play by ear then your options are endless ie you will be able to play almost any melody. But for busking you only have to know 10 tunes as you have a constantly changing audience.
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HARPOLDIE’S YOUTUBE
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BronzeWailer
1257 posts
Apr 25, 2014
4:33 PM
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I started busking solo with maybe a dozen partial songs. Which I played very poorly. I can now do three hours without repeating any (in solo or duo format).
Definitely agree a list is a must. Many times I have gone out busking and then kicked myself when I realized I forgot to play X. Another reason to expand the repertoire is that: a) you don't bore yourself, and b) bore the residents (if you play the same place frequently). One of my guitar guys used to have a (technically good) flamenco busker near him who played the same ten songs over and over. Drove him nuts.
Don't forget singing. People relate to a human voice rather than just instrumentals. I have started to learn some non-blues songs through my singing teacher and my own volition.
Now to try to learn that Happy song...
BronzeWailer's YouTube
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JustFuya
98 posts
Apr 25, 2014
7:00 PM
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Most bands I've worked with go into a gig with a list of 40-60 songs taped to the lead's guitar. We add more during practice. If we all smile after a good one it gets added to the list. In my world it is never played the same way twice. Perfect. Not always well done but perfect.
The gauntlet has been thrown. I think we can learn a lot from Pharrell's video. There is a parade of myriad happy people throughout, including the artist. No deaf ears there.
In a busking situation, it's your duty to bring the parade to you. At appropriate times you have to flirt, commiserate, enhance a mood and many times flip them off musically without anger.
I look forward to more "Happy" offerings. I might even have one myself.
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Destin
71 posts
Apr 26, 2014
4:29 AM
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I always wondered how many solos do pro's no, just from studying other players over the years.
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Destin
72 posts
Apr 26, 2014
4:29 AM
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I always wondered how many solos do pro's no, just from studying other players over the years.
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Sarge
398 posts
Apr 26, 2014
6:59 AM
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All I play is songs, beginning to end. I'm not much of a blues player with different riffs memorized. I play strictly by ear, but seem to have no skill at improvisation to where I could just start playing something to a backing track. Wish I could.
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Wisdom does not always come with old age. Sometimes old age arrives alone.
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Aussiesucker
1381 posts
Apr 26, 2014
1:43 PM
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Sarge, I can relate. I also know many hundreds of songs & providing the tune is in my head I have no difficulty to play. I play entirely by ear & have only recently resorted to tabs because I am woodshedding on Chromatics & need reminders on when to push the button! But improvising and remembering licks is another obstacle I have not yet overcome. I regularly attend Bluegrass Jams and have no problem in taking solos on the fly even on tunes I am unfamiliar with as long as the lyrics and chords are in front of me. What I can do (others tell me) is provide good back up to vocalists with call & responses. I think it comes from playing by ear and knowing the lyrics & in making up a suitable lyric(in my head) that I can play as a response.
For anyone wanting to add tunes to their repertoire I would recommend Bluegrass Jams. We play tunes from basically 2 manuals each containing ca 300 tunes many of which are old standards. Harmonica at bluegrass jams is only lightly tolerated but once accepted (as a player) then it is loads of fun with opportunities to solo and offer support on every song/tune. There are many attendees at our bluegrass jams who do the rounds of blues & country jams as well.
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HARPOLDIE’S YOUTUBE
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colman
301 posts
Apr 26, 2014
1:50 PM
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If you can sing and carry a beat,you can play blues by yourself and do the honk and whistle on the harp.melody in blues is not europa songs.it`s sail on muddy waters untill i hit the deep blue sea.if you got all sides covered you don`t need twinkle,twinkle !!!
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Barley Nectar
368 posts
Apr 26, 2014
8:40 PM
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How many songs, all of them and more. This only applies if you are like me. I am a jammer. I do not play solo. I play with others that know the songs/words. My job is to make them sound better. In this scenario all that music in your head suddenly comes to your lips. I play back ups, fills, harmonies, and leads as needed. I am amazed how the mind can retain music that has not been heard in years yet you still remember the progressions, stops and phrasing. Playing with accomplished musicians in a must. My guess is you know way more songs that you realize. Don't worry, go play...BN
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mr_so&so
821 posts
May 05, 2014
10:21 AM
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For those wanting a little help in taking up kudzurunner's "Happy" challenge:
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MP
3198 posts
May 05, 2014
10:41 AM
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Last night I made $175 dollars. Ate rack of Lamb, Ribeye and Oysters. These were just the appetizers. The adult bevies were top shelf from the whiskey to the vodka.
this wonderful munificence was all due to my knowing
a heck of a lot of melodies. Had trophy wives doing fertility dance though Easter (Ishtar) is over.
I though being a harmonica player (hopefully in Muddy Waters band) was a good career choice.
The real money is being a periodontist. A median priced home here in Honolulu is $800,000. To give it perspective $500.000 is half a million dollars
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Affordable Reed Replacement
Marks Harmonica Tune-up
Click user name MP for contact info
Last Edited by MP on May 05, 2014 10:49 AM
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mac1012
11 posts
May 06, 2014
2:22 AM
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I guess for me I am only just starting out , but having learned other instruments I think it goes like this you start of with a lot of enthusiasm and a care free spirit learning melodies , jamming along to songs (some of it ) then you start to look into it a bit more and see comments of being people able to do things way beyond where you are now , I enjoy playing melodies and read the tabs but when I picked up harmonica I said to my self I wasn't going to get frustrated and disheartened and look to far forward it is what it is and for me just playing a simple single note melody gives me great pleasure and a stress relief I would like to go busking when I get better with popular tunes but if I have 50 tunes and can play them well reading the tabs on my music stand that's fine by me 8-)
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