DaveR
1 post
Sep 08, 2015
8:16 PM
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Hey, kind of a newbie here. I'm a long time guitarist that picked up the harmonica over the last year after our harp player quit. I've had a Hohner marine band harp for years that sat around gathering dust. I would futz around with it but never really tried to learn how to play it proper. So last winter I decided to try in earnest to learn. I took the time to figure out what notes were what, developed a U block embouchure and do a proper blow and draw using my lungs. Then i had to figure out how to play it without gobbing it up with my spit and muting notes as result. I figured out some blues riffs and also have practiced a lot of major scale melodies like old christmas carols, dixie, classical stuff, etc. So Ive gotten to the point of being able to playing on three or four blues songs live with the band, with encouragement from the guys. Gotta say, its a lot of fun! I've been using my vocal mic (EV967) straight into the PA, and it has worked well. Would love to try some old mics and amps sometime but I'm afraid of getting bitten by the gear bug. I've spent enough on my guitars and amps. Makes me wish I didn't sell that old Gibson skylark practice amp back in the 90s.
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Mirco
305 posts
Sep 08, 2015
8:50 PM
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Hey, Dave. Nice to meet you.
Interesting thing about harmonica is that a lot of the amplified players use the same amps as guitarists. If you have a Fender Bassman, give it a shot. A good, cheap starter mic would be the "Bottle o' Blues"... or save up and get a JT-30.
Harp is a lot of fun! If you're looking to get serious with study, Adam has a ton of great lessons to the left in the link marked "The Store." You'll probably find some songs that you already play with your band, and it would be easy enough to drop in a 12 or 24 bar harmonica solo.
Or, if you're in this for the long haul, I recommend Dave Barrett's bluesharmonica.com. It'll get you tongue blocking and help you find that sound you hear on all the great Chicago blues albums.
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Marc Graci
YouTube Channel
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jbone
2025 posts
Sep 08, 2015
9:16 PM
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Long time harper here Dave. Mostly self taught. Ironic but for years I tried to convince myself to learn guitar and have yet to do much at all. I did realize recently, I will never make chords on a guitar like 99% of players. I just can't hold a guitar like that! I bought a bar like the lap steel guys use and have experimented on a couple of open tuned songs like Roll and Tumble and another one. Mostly though I will be singing and blowing harp.
I've had several different amps over many years. Bassman was great but heavy. Blues Junior pretty good. Silvertone 1482, pretty good. Currently using Fender Vibro Champs with my partner in our duo. I use a modded dynamic mic, or a little Astatic 332 crystal model, or mostly a Shure 585 I got cheap and like the sound of. But if one hones their sound enough a p.a.'s clarity can be a good thing! Shure sm57 comes to mind as a good p.a. low impedance mic for harp. Up the bass, drop treb and gain, ease in some effects.
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http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000386839482
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbTwvU-EN1Q
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DaveR
2 posts
Sep 09, 2015
5:53 AM
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Thanks for the replies. I tried using the normal channel of my Fender deluxe reverb and it sounded OK, but I liked thru the PA better. Seemed like a challenge getting a good tone from the DR without being on the edge of feedback (even when EQ'd for harp). I've used a SM57 sometimes as well. I find the EV 967 works well because of the flat grill.
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Scotty16
25 posts
Sep 10, 2015
2:32 AM
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hello a good man to look up on youtube is Dan Gage he inspired my to play harmonica with his funky thing harmonica duo video. his channel is 12gagedan. keep harpin
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jbone
2026 posts
Sep 10, 2015
4:15 AM
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Impedance is a key feature to make sure of. The older crystal and controlled magnetic elements like in bullet mics are high impedance as are many tube powered amps. SM57 is low impedance.
Greg Heuman can give good counsel and works on/sells mics also. Top notch artisan.
First and foremost though, before any amplification, it's a good idea to get some basic chops together and find good deep tone acoustically. Think James Cotton, Little Walter, Carey Bell. Sonny Terry, the list goes on. Adam, who runs this joint, has plenty of tone his own self.
Wife and I play on the street acoustically when it's nice out. This really impacted the quality and basic volume for me. You learn a lot of slick little nuances and tricks with hand flutters and muting when you play acoustic.
Expect to blow a reed here or there. A lot of us do, it just gets exciting and we overdraw a note and the reed fails. Repairs can be made and some brands have replacement reed plates.
Feel free to check out some videos we have on youtube.
Some acoustic, some amped up.
On the face of it, playing harp is pretty simple but that is not to say, easy. It's been said that it's easy to figure out how to basically play and can take a lifetime to play well. The journey is a rush.
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http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000386839482
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbTwvU-EN1Q
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DaveR
3 posts
Sep 10, 2015
2:32 PM
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I think jbone jinxed me with the last post- I blew my first reed today, lol! Can anyone suggest a good vendor for replacement reeds? Its a SP20 (the older version)
One area I need to improve is my technique for making the acoustic effects with the cupping hand.
And a bonus for playing guitar is i can create my own backing tracks to practice and record over.
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GMaj7
762 posts
Sep 10, 2015
2:39 PM
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Mike Peace has a pretty good thing going.. for economical replacement reed service
mmpeace@cox.net
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Greg Jones
16:23 Custom Harmonicas
greg@1623customharmonicas.com
1623customharmonicas.com
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jbone
2027 posts
Sep 10, 2015
3:16 PM
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As barbequebob says, breath control is key! It's a new player habit to put too much air across a reed, usually a draw reed. it may not be inevitable but I'd say it's fairly common.
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http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000386839482
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbTwvU-EN1Q
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