I've been spending some time daily with patterns, playing different leapfrogs or backtracking routines with the blues and pentatonic. I've been working my speed and accuracy up and down the harmonica.
Do you think that audiences "get" this sort of playing, on either a subconscious or conscious level? Do they hear fast pattern playing and (a) think the player is just mindlessly playing some garbage quickly, or (b) do they catch the feel of the scale? ---------- Marc Graci YouTube Channel
I don't think audiences have any clue about patterns, scales, or anything like that. If it sounds musical or interesting, they'll like it. Otherwise, not so much.
---------- Jim McBride Bottle 'O Blues microphones www.bottleoblues.com
Jim's right. How it sounds to the listener is all that matters. Sometimes audiences go crazy over pretty simple playing. On the other hand, if I show someone a Youtube clip of Jason Ricci, they are nearly always impressed. But they would never say its due to fast playing, good timing, and good note selection, built on scales. That would just say it sounds good.
I'd say "Go for it". Anyone who's listened to Jason, or better yet seen him live will be inspired to work on making their playing faster, more precise, and intricate. The key is to hit the "sweet spot" of blending impressive playing skill with expressiveness, and maintaining a killer groove. Whenever I discover a new riff or flourish, I often think about where it came from. Am I imitating something I heard a guitar player do, or the piano, or the horn section. One of the cool things about harp is how it borrows from each different instrument in the band, connecting them with a common thread. Plus, your mouth, throat, and hands give it the ultimate whammy bar, vibrato, and tremolo. As a listener, what bores me is when the harp player does nothing but a lifeless repeat of the common riffs everyone has heard over and over, or solos for too long, in a way that pushes the rest of the band into the background. An entertaining player, as part of a tight unit, draws the audience in with look, sound, and feel, causing them to move with the groove and jump to their feet clapping at the end, begging for more. If you see chicks dancing up front, you're on the right track. Try to give a little something to everyone from the chick who wants to dance to the harp head analyzing your technique.
Last Edited by Garlic Breath on Jul 04, 2017 6:12 AM
If you look at any advanced method book for training at a higher level of musical competency, Arban's for brass it the one with which I am most familiar, you will see exercises of the type you describe. If these kinds of exercises are useful in the development of proficiency on other instruments, it seems reasonable that they would help in the acquisition of proficiency on the harmonica, even if they are not used in performance.
I did just hear a wonderful solo by Matt Tropman on the euphonium last week at the SDSMI staff recital that used many of these fast runs and large interval skips to beneficial effect. There was also a fascinating performance by Todd Rewoldt on the alto sax playing a piece based on Jimi Hendrix’s Purple Haze, in which he used virtuosity in inspired and entertaining ways, not unlike the musician he was inspired by.
Learning the techniques is a good thing, learning when to use them, and when not to, is also a good thing.
Last Edited by STME58 on Jul 04, 2017 11:53 AM
A local harp player and a local guitar player come to mind. They each play loud, fast and flashy, generating a lot of energy and excitement. I get bored with listening to it after a couple of tunes because it gets repitious and has no emotional content except excitement and not much musical sophistication except strength of technique. But the audience goes wild and absolutely loves them and talks about how great they are. So, yeah, you certainly can get popular appreciation playing that way.
I agree with hvyj in regards to no emotional content - and boring pretty quickly. Even the audience, after being impressed with the virtuosity, will eventually lose interest.
Best to mix it in with solid and creative linear ideas, good note choices and lots of quarter and eighth notes. Don't forget to inject "silence". Play those rests as notes with no sound and use them effectively.
I'm not a fan of pattern playing, as it quickly becomes too predictable to my ears. ---------- The Iceman
Josseph Allessi wrote the current forward to the Arban's method book I mentioned earlier. This is neither blues nor harmonica, but I think it a good example of some high level show-off technique done in a way that is not deviod of emotion. Just before the 5 minute mark he is demonstrating the full range of the instrument (something a bit rare among harmonica players) and at about 5:20 he is up to lightnining speed.
Last Edited by STME58 on Jul 04, 2017 5:18 PM
I agree with everyone here. Nobody really pays attention to the technical side of playing. I consider this topic similar to my days of going to concerts. One group that comes to mind is Van Halen. When Eddie Van Halen went into his solos, nobody gave a hoot about his equipment, or even how much he'd be practicing. All the fans wanted to hear was a great musician playing for the people.
I tend to believe The harmonica is an instrument---Not just a blues thing--- 10 holes not just 6-With the possibility of draw bends-blow bends-overdraws- overblows-etc
There are a few famous players who tend to play holes 1-6 primarily--occasionally a blow bend, then quickly jump back down- not a series of notes down- but a jump -guitars players,sax, trumpet players do both the jump and or a series of notes that TIE THE 2 TOGETHER SMOOTHLY--THE HIGH WITH THE LOW END
I met sugar blue on a blues cruise-really nice guy--my thinking toward speed runs is "a little goes a long way"-BUT BE ABLE TO DO IT-hE does a lot them- I agree with the other posts-to many speed runs and it loses its effectiveness-leave them wanting more
drills, scales ,patterns, leapfrogs in your practice etc will only help-Break them down as well--take triplets out of a run and learn it on the high end and low ends---take part of one pattern and tie to another etc hope this helps as well
Last Edited by snowman on Jul 05, 2017 9:17 AM
a well placed note played with the right attack, articulation, and expression/emotion is better than 100 fast notes with none of the above.
I'd usually rather hear a good long tone than a note cluster. The harp is so good at long tones.. not that many other instruments can sustain a tone and vary the pitch and volume and tone as the note unfolds the way the harp can.. guitar players need an ebow!
that bruce lee phrase comes to mind about 1 kick vs 1000 kicks.. ---------- 4' 4+ 3' 2~~~ -Mike Ziemba Harmonica is Life!
Last Edited by slaphappy on Jul 05, 2017 10:04 AM
