belfast_harper
373 posts
Feb 01, 2015
5:25 AM
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All the open mic nights in my local area seems to be geared for singer-songwriter acts. Although I have played one or two with a guitar player I am going to take the plunge and try a few solo pieces.
I think it could be a tough crowd as think most people there would rather listen to a singer than solo harmonica .
I will be playing songs like Careless Love, Easy, Walter's Boogie, Key to the Highway, Blue Midnight etc.
I am interested to know if anyone else plays solo harmonica at open mics and how it goes down with a non harmonica loving, non blues loving audience.
I can't sing at the moment, I think if I could learn to sing a bit I would be able to come up with a few solo songs that would be more interesting for non harmonica fans to listen to.
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Kingley
3825 posts
Feb 01, 2015
5:44 AM
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I suspect my answer is probably going to sound quite harsh. That's not it's intention though. It's intended to help and to point out some things. Here goes.
There's no such thing as "I can't sing". Ok you may not sound good or sing in key, but that's probably because you don't practice enough at it. If you can talk you can sing. It's as simple as that. How often do you seriously practice singing every day? How often do you do vocal breathing exercises for singing? How often do you run scales for singing? I'm going to guess that it's nowhere near as much as you practice playing harmonica. If so then how are you going to get any better at it?
My advice would be practice your singing and then do some songs solo with harp and vocals. Buy a 365 or an SBS and practice something like Bye-Bye Bird where you can almost talk the vocal line. It's pretty easy to learn and is much more interesting to an audience than some guy playing an instrumental. Aside from that just keep on practising your singing and learning songs. Then when you're ready and know at least a couple of songs inside out and are confident you can perform them, get out there and do it. Until then though just keep practising.
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FreeWilly
458 posts
Feb 01, 2015
5:50 AM
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Why would you do something in front of an audience if you think they won't be bothered to hear it?
Do you believe that what you want to do is interesting? If the answer to that is: YES! Do it. Otherwise.. Meh, practice and find a way to love yourself before getting up there.
Work with the feeling that drives you to want to go up there. It will take you somewhere!
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belfast_harper
374 posts
Feb 01, 2015
6:12 AM
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I am working on my singing at the moment with exercises from Roger Love's book/cd, it is just going to be a while before I am ready to go public.
I think it is essential for harp players to be able to sing, so that is my focus for this year. I am also trying to learn a bit of basic guitar as I think that will help with both the singing and harmonica playing.
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FreeWilly
459 posts
Feb 01, 2015
6:21 AM
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Sounds good. Good luck!
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FreeWilly
460 posts
Feb 01, 2015
6:21 AM
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Sounds good. Good luck!
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belfast_harper
375 posts
Feb 01, 2015
6:22 AM
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FreeWilly,
The main reason for wanting to play at open mics is that I think it could be a good way to network and find other musicians to play with.
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Kingley
3826 posts
Feb 01, 2015
6:24 AM
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Sounds like a good action plan. My advice in that case would be to wait and go public when you're ready. In the meantime just go to the singers nights and play some harp behind one of the other singers. It doesn't have to be blues. Just listen to a regular that you know, record them and then work something out to some songs they do. Then ask if you can get up with them. That way you'll get a good feel for live performance and be honing your stagecraft at the same time. The best advice I can give you if you go down that route, is don't look to play the solo. Work on playing behind them doing fills, brass riff, etc. Learning to play in the service of the song will get you asked back more often than just playing a good solo will in my experience and will get you a lot more respect from fellow musicians.
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walterharp
1589 posts
Feb 01, 2015
6:26 AM
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i have done it once, i was at an open mic and asked if the guys behind the board knew anybody who wanted a harmonica to accompany them, they said, we don't do that, so i said put me on the list.
a few hours later my name came up, so i got up and rapped a monolog and just did an improv train sort of deal with funk stuff thrown in.. only played for like 6 minutes total, and got down.. i got a huge hand and a few minutes later the sound guys came over and said actually.. we do have someone who wants to play with you. but by that time i decided to go out on top and just drink. i can see their point.. oh shit a stupid harmonica player.. but once i showed i could play....
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jbone
1874 posts
Feb 01, 2015
9:09 AM
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Many years of playing, and about 20 of singing as well, I CAN do a capella harp and vocal stuff but I usually don't. Wife discovered a couple things I wrote 20 some years ago recently and I may dust them off. It's hard at a loud bar to get peoples' attention just on harp solo or harp/voc solo, they have been hearing bass, drums, guitar, keys, whatever and that's what they are listening for.
Kingley and I think much alike on this, work your chops at home vocally, get to a point where you are somewhat comfortable with how you sound, and take the plunge at some mic nights, work behind a guitarist. Later on try the solo harp/voc thing once you have gotten some muscle memory on how to proceed.
I know too, busking on the street helped me and challenged me to develop good sound and good volume by forcing me to learn how to use my air column and relax what needed relaxing. When you can project in a relaxed way, and you know your "good" vocals keys, you increase your odds for a good response from the audience.
You are correct, jam nights and open mics are a great resource. And the harp player who doesn't sing is more likely to be regarded as a side man, with vocals one gets to pick songs and get out front.
Take your time! Using a lesson plan is a great beginning. Just move forward and keep expanding. The student mindset allows us to stay teachable.
Incidentally, I turn 60 in a week but I know there is still much to learn!
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https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000386839482
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbTwvU-EN1Q
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LittleNigel
7 posts
Feb 01, 2015
10:22 AM
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Go to a folk music club!
They'll listen attentively, respond well to your playing and they might even give some words of encouragement.
BTW, I would be quite happy to play solo harp at an Open Mic event,
After all, I'll heard solo guitar pieces at OM evenings e.g."Classical Gas", "Anji" and what have you.
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nacoran
8240 posts
Feb 01, 2015
10:37 AM
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If you have good tunes to play they will go over well. If I'm at an open mic without my band I usually do a mix of harp and harp and vocal tunes. And you're right, it is a good way to network.
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kham
24 posts
Feb 01, 2015
7:06 PM
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I do it all the time and now have a few gigs with other players lined up. Usually people who can actually play the harp get a lot of cheers, especially if its an attentive crowd. If its a bar with background talkers it can fall on deaf ears like the rest of the music.
I say go for it. Easy is a great song as is a train or some Sonny Terry(blowin the fuses).
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BronzeWailer
1597 posts
Feb 01, 2015
10:32 PM
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All good advice above. I was going to say, "you don't sing... yet," but you're taking the plunge, which is great. I would do a solo harp thing at an open mic, and have. I also got picked up by some poets when I was solo busking once, and did the solo harp thing at their slams, opening for a Mongolian throat singer once, and even won one of the slams with my solo harp and vocal song about a guy who collected cans on the street and his pet rat (met him while busking) - controversial circumstances, because hey are not s'posed to have music, but one of the organizers asked me to play harp, "because it sounds so dreamy," she said.
BronzeWailer's YouTube
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belfast_harper
376 posts
Feb 02, 2015
4:22 AM
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Thanks for the suggestions. I have a folk guitar player that I have worked out a few things with, I think I will just play with him for now and then maybe stay on for an extra solo piece to see how it goes down.
In the mean time I am going to devote half my practice time to singing.
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Kingley
3831 posts
Feb 02, 2015
7:22 AM
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Sounds like a good plan. Remember though you can sing anywhere anytime. You don't necessarily need to cut into your harp practice time to do it. For instance you could practice singing on the ride or walk to work, in the shower, when taking the dog out (if you have one). going to the shops, sat watching tv, etc, etc.
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STME58
1167 posts
Feb 02, 2015
8:34 AM
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I have done a few open mics on solo harmonica. Sometimes it has gone very well. Minor tuned harps seem to get an audiences attention as it is a different sound than most people expect from a harp.
If you are playing unaccompanied, and are not singing, you don't have the words of the verse to change things up. Playing a song through 3 or four verses and choruses can get monotonous. I will sometimes create a cadenza between verses to change things up. Changing octaves and switching between playing the melody in singles tones and adding chords also helps.
I spend quite a bit of time sitting out in public spaces playing. It has help me gain a sense of what works and what doesn't, without the risk of completely bombing when all eyes are on you.
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