|
Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
New to the harmonica
New to the harmonica
Page:
1
MxLass
2 posts
Jul 19, 2017
2:07 PM
|
Hi , im completely new to the harmonica, I've just bought a hohner blues harp in key of C and the absolute beginners book but what are the basics I need to start off with ?? Is it a hard instrument to learn ?? I've always self taught with all my instruments , I want to get good at this though and play all types of songs not as interested in the blues side. Any help would be good :-)
Thanks
Last Edited by MxLass on Jul 19, 2017 2:09 PM
|
Irish Soul
35 posts
Jul 19, 2017
2:49 PM
|
I am not the resident expert at this but I'd say you have to learn to keep time...counting the beats. Learn clear single notes and be able to move from note to note without leaking air into the next chamber unless it's on purpose....and learn to move air in and out of your harp with ease. That's very basic but seems to be commonly accepted as universal truth. Watch some YouTube of Adam Gussow, Jason Ricci, and Jon Gindick...Ronnie Shellist, too many to name....guys like that and you will see how they breathe, etc. But beware of the YouTube wannabes....they are out there too...a little listening will tell you.
Last Edited by Irish Soul on Jul 19, 2017 2:53 PM
|
MxLass
3 posts
Jul 19, 2017
2:57 PM
|
How do I not make it leak into the next chamber ? How do I move from one note to another smoothly but only blowing single notes at a time ?? You also only blow gently don't you ??
Thanks
|
Irish Soul
36 posts
Jul 19, 2017
3:06 PM
|
Well...if you watch you will see you need the proper embouchure...the most common beginner way is a pucker....almost like kissing the harp but you hold a seal with the inside of your lips around the chamber you want to play....say six blow....you don't want air getting to five or seven to play a clean note.
Blow gently ....well.....it depends. I'd say don't make honking noises and things like that...you don't want to stress it too badly but with experience you will learn. If you move too much air you can lock up reeds and such .....kind of a common sense thing on what a reed instrument can take and how your harp came gapped at the reed openings.
|
dougharps
1503 posts
Jul 19, 2017
3:13 PM
|
Since you are interested in all types of music and the beginner's book you have is not meeting your beginner needs, I would strongly recommend Winslow Yerxa's "Harmonica for Dummies" book. It covers information on learning harmonica from absolute beginners up to advanced techniques, and comes with a CD of examples. It is not blues specific. When I was teaching harmonica intro workshops I recommended this book to all students.
Beyond that, there are many free videos online. Our host at MBH, Adam Gussow, has free YouTube videos, Jason Ricci, Ronnie Shellist, Michael Rubin, and more have free videos available on YouTube. They also offer videos and lessons for purchase and may offer Skype lessons. David Barrett offers comprehensive blues harmonica lessons. There are lists of teachers online and one list is to the left in one of the blue boxes. You might also check in your area for local teachers.
I think Winslow' book is a good starting place. Some recommend getting a teacher from the start. I think that with following the info and instruction in "Harmonica for Dummies" you can get a good start on the general approach to harmonica, a start that is not blues specific. During that time you can try to determine what you hope to learn from a teacher. You should not have to spend hundreds to learn basic techniques and to play simple songs.
Good Luck!
----------
Doug S.
Last Edited by dougharps on Jul 19, 2017 3:17 PM
|
MxLass
4 posts
Jul 20, 2017
3:56 AM
|
Thank you for that that's really helpful :-)
|
snowman
273 posts
Jul 20, 2017
8:43 AM
|
practice in 10 min intervals--many times a day
if u set aside 10 minutes in morning etc afternoon etc after work etc --What happens is, u do more than ten
if u think I have to do an hour after, work and yr pressed for time-- you'll do nothing- if u focus on at least 10 minutes you'll do more than 10
thats how I practice guitar and harp leads-
|
MxLass
5 posts
Jul 20, 2017
12:19 PM
|
I have ordered harmonica for dummies book today so just waiting for it to arrive I've bought a few books just hope I get along with the harmonica now :-) , I collect it on Sunday
|
Tommy the Hat
605 posts
Jul 20, 2017
1:17 PM
|
I haven't read that particular book but those "For Dummies" books are generally all pretty good. Read it and practice and give yourself time and you'll be ok. Just give it time. Bending will probably be the worst of it at the start but don't give up. It will come but it takes a lot of practice. A LOT!
But don't get too caught up in all the dogma and the internet rules of "you have to do this and you have to do that." Just play...a lot! I'm very much an against the grain type of guy and if I spouted my ways here It would probably start an argument...lol. But the main thing is to practice. I have a harp sitting next to me right now as I type. I don't set aside "practice time." I just play all the time, all day, whenever I have time or the mood strikes me. I play as I walk around the house sometimes. I play to weird things too. This morning I was trying to copy/play to the opening segment of the news! You know that common theme song most news programs have? I have a harp in the car (key of C) and play to everything that comes on the radio no matter the key. I try to find notes on that C harp that fit the song no matter the key...even if I only find 2.
The trick is (for me) to know your way around the harp. Where the notes are. If you are playing to an unknown song you should kinda sorta know where you're going next almost before you hear the next note just by knowing the harps sounds and notes. To do this you have to know the harp and for that you have to play with it constantly even if for only a few minutes. Try all kinds of things. Test it. Work your dexterity.
Get your harp and get used to it. Everything else will come with time (and practice). Look for 12 bar blues backing tracks and listen to the rhythm and pattern. Hum to it, make up words and sing to it or make your own solos humming or bee popping...whatever. Get used to the beat and timing. The internet has a lot of info. Just don't get too caught up in rules. Do your thing and play.
I'm not suggesting not to study. I have my own ways and that works for "me." I'm only saying that while you read and watch videos, the most important thing (imo) is to play and play a lot. Learn your instrument above all else.
Have fun!
EDIT:
I just wanted to note. Make sure to learn from the book, proper embouchure and similar techniques so that when you practice you aren't committing to muscle memory wrong messages. Practice makes permanent. learn your way around the harp but use proper technique. Eventually...at least I do this and have taught this way (non music related)...make the technique your own. Then forget "technique." First learn it right though.
----------
Tommy
Last Edited by Tommy the Hat on Jul 20, 2017 1:32 PM
|
nacoran
9530 posts
Jul 20, 2017
2:06 PM
|
You asked specifically, "How do I move from one note to another smoothly but only blowing single notes at a time."
That basically has several possible answers. Since you say you've got some other musical background I'll dive right in with embouchure. There are 3 'accepted' embouchures (ones that I think everyone accepts as being real things worth discussing, we tend to get touchy about things like this!) And at least 2 more that I think have merit before you get into silly things like using your nostrils.
1. The Pucker- most players start with the pucker. It is a versatile, fairly intuitive way to play harmonica. It's basically kissing the harmonica and using the side of you lips to isolate holes. It's important to try to get the harmonica back farther into your mouth. You want the harp to be sliding along the inside, wet part of your lip. You will get thicker tone that way and will be less likely to get friction burns on your lips! There are times when you will want to thin your tone, maybe for a gentle sweet fading note, but as a general rule, get that harp shoved so that you aren't on the outside of your lips at all.
2. Tongue blocking- This is the other 'essential' embouchure. It's harder, particularly when you are starting out, to get bends this way, and maybe isn't quite as fast, but it lets you do lots of other great things, like octave splits and a host of other things you just can't physically do with the Pucker. To Tongue Block, start like you are going to Pucker, but keep your mouth open wider side to side. Put the tip of your tongue on the 2,3,4 holes and blow into the 1 hole. That's the basics. Generally speaking you are always going to be blowing out of the left side of your mouth, and sometimes the right too. (There may be rare exceptions). The idea is just to block the holes you don't want to sound. You can do all sorts of neat tricks. Howard Levy can play two separate lines at once, one out of each side. It's great for giving yourself a simple bass line out the left and a melody out of the right. It also tends to force you to have good tone because it forces you to put the harmonica fairly deep into your mouth.
3. U-Blocking- It's a hybrid, where you curl your tongue to create a slot for air to go into. Theoretically you can actually use it to get three non-contiguous notes with it.
4. Lip Blocking- Some people get angry when you talk about Lip Blocking. It's a subtle variation on the Pucker. With the basic Pucker you isolate holes with the hole between your lips. With Lip Blocking you sort of tilt your harp down into your lower lip and shape your lower lip to isolate notes. Functionally it's not much different than Pucker, except that it forces you to get the harmonica deeper into your mouth, and it reduces friction a bit. It's a good way to subtly pay attention to things going on in your mouth. When you have words for things you notice them more.
5. Air Column Blocking?- I hadn't heard of this, but I noticed I was doing it sometimes and started a thread on it. No one else seemed to do it much, and there were doubters, but a few people confirmed that they did it to, or at least could. You shape your tongue in the back of your mouth but keep your lips fairly wide open, across multiple holes and just sort of aim the air at the hole you want. Some people swear it shouldn't work, but it does. I can't comment on what it does to tone, but it's something I find myself doing, particularly on faster runs. I also, as a result, angle my harp side to side to 'aim' better, and keep my lips loosely touching the harp. It seems to be a way to avoid ripping my lips up so much.
You should play around with Pucker and Tongue Blocking. Both are pretty easy to use to get single notes. There are lots of ways to stop and start your airflow as you play. You can stop air with your diaphragm, with the the back of your throat (like you would drinking water) or with your tongue or lips. Try practicing scales. Learning to switch quickly from blow to draw and back again will help you master regulating starting and stopping notes. Expect there to be a bit of a learning curve getting single notes, and then another learning curve when you learn to play more than one hole but get just the right holes you want.
As for, 'Is harmonica hard to learn', it's not hard to learn to do simple folk stuff like Dylan, Young or Petty. They don't bend much, let alone overblow. It can be tricky to learn because you really can't see what you are doing. (You might want to try the app Harpninja, that shows you a harmonica on your screen and what notes you are playing.) If you are coming at it from another instrument, the weirdest part will be the 'missing' notes. You've got 3 octaves range, but to make it easier to play chords you only have one complete diatonic octave, from 4-7, first and third octave have missing notes that you have to bend, blow bend or overblow to get if you want to add them in.
And of course, most of us blues guys will be playing in second position instead of first. Positions can get confusing. If you know the circle of fifths you can use them to count around (counting the key you start on) and figure out what key you'd be in in different positions. 3rd and 5th are particularly useful for stuff in minor.
----------
Nate
Facebook
Thread Organizer (A list of all sorts of useful threads)
First Post- May 8, 2009
|
Post a Message
|
