robbert
476 posts
Jul 24, 2018
6:23 AM
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In my view, for an artist, the harmonica is as powerful an instrument as any other instrument. Just spend some time checking out professionals in various genres. Back to what I would’ve done differently? Become serious about it much earlier in life.
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Grey Owl
960 posts
Jul 24, 2018
7:57 AM
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Nicely put OnePalmJohn, that's as good a definition of the validity of a musical instrument. It might be a hard ask for a jaws harp or kazoo! I think I can hear them screaming with outrage on their respective Forums.
The diatonic harmonica is capable of producing such a soulful and emotive sound and the unique ability to bend notes play a large part in that.
YouTube
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barbequebob
3529 posts
Jul 24, 2018
8:25 AM
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As far as harmonica only in certain genres, I will have to disagree with that because that is flat out stereotyping the instrument. At one time, nobody believed the instrument could play classical music until Larry Adler CLEARLY proved people how wrong that was. The key to being able to do other things in different genres is first studying the genres itself and then constantly experiment and along the way, do something many of the very best players have done over the years, and that's borrow things from different instruments and adapt it to the instrument. At one time, a guitar wasn't thought of as a lead instrument at all, especially for jazz, but players eventually proved that to be wrong. It's basically accept the challenge and woodshed like hell to get it and NEVER buy into the argument of one size fits all and from my personal experience, buying into it is a FATAL flaw. Every instrument has unique qualities other instruments may find harder to produce but if you're diligent enough to work thru it and avoid buying into stereotypes, it CAN be conquered. Just think, until Larry Adler and Toots Thielemans paved the way, nobody thought of harmonica capable of playing jazz either. Think about it before you say anything!
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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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One Palm John
50 posts
Jul 24, 2018
10:21 AM
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@barbecuebob I have often wondered what the diatonic sound might be like in 20 or 50 years time, how it might be changed or adapted to doing things we obviously can't concieve of yet. What directions will it take?
I think your attitude there is probably the best one in terms of learning the instrument, well said.
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nowmon
179 posts
Jul 24, 2018
11:14 AM
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The tone of a fat honk harp blows the minds of people new into live blues.You can have a player who is all over the harp,but if his tone sucks,it don`t turn anybody on.spend time and assimilate the tone of these Chicago men.like the basic riff of hootchie coothie main... the main riff and for the solo 2d and bend it hard,hold it for a measure than shoot up to 6b. for a measure,than 3-4 draw warble.thats simple. but if you`re honkin` on that harp that will knock them out. have fun...
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outdoor joe
91 posts
Jul 24, 2018
11:17 AM
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I was just going to refresh this and read the new posts daily, but it has since turned into a different type of thread. I will post my .02 about the track it has since taken.
A line in the song "The Ride' recorded by David Allen Coe goes like this here:
"He said, Boy, can you make folks feel what you feel inside?"
If you are a "serious" musician, IMO, that's what matters; Whether you're playing the spoons, or a violin.
Thanks for the read, lads.
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kudzurunner
6494 posts
Jul 24, 2018
8:11 PM
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1) Remember that groove comes first. Notes are secondary. If the groove isn't there, it doesn't matter what notes you play; they'll all be lightweight and disposable.
2) Focus is key. You can't dig deeply into music, and your music, if you're only half-focusing on what you're playing or practicing.
3) Become aware of the feeling that tells you that a particular practice session is over. It's a close-to-empty feeling. Learn it; respect it. Stop when you feel it. I always do.
4) Follow your bliss. Work on what you want to work on. It's your music, not somebody else's. If you were made to be a jazz player, you'll spend a lot of time learning the scales and chord extensions. If blues is your thing, you'll focus on blues things. Trust your instincts. Otherwise you'll be living somebody else's life, not your life.
5) If you're trying to improve some particular thing, make it the focus of your practice, and have a multi-day plan. All it takes is very slight daily improvements and you'll make noticeable forward progress over time. So if you only learn one new thing a day, or only get incrementally better in one particular dimension, that's a great day. Rinse and repeat.
6) A little bit of playing in the morning goes a long way. You'll activate your mind, and your mind will be working on it during the day, while you're doing other things.
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Beyond the Crossroads: The Devil and the Blues Tradition
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SkullKid
129 posts
Jul 24, 2018
11:13 PM
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This thread has been extremely insightful and will certainly come in handy for me and other developing players in the future!
Thanks to John for starting it and everybody else for participating.
Cheers
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Spderyak
229 posts
Jul 25, 2018
3:46 AM
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Can't say I've read all the responses in their entirety, but I wanted to mention, when recording for practice, I would vote for a video recording, so you get some idea of what it looks like when you are playing....you don't want to look like some guppy fish coming up for air...
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kudzurunner
6495 posts
Jul 25, 2018
4:06 AM
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I realize that I didn't answer question #2.
The most curious part of my blues harmonica journey is that between the ages of 16, when I started playing harmonica and guitar, and 21, when I graduated from college, I was equally dedicated to both instruments--even, arguably, more dedicated to the guitar, since I went to a 7-week summer course in jazz guitar at Berklee. And, as a guitarist, I was equally determined to become a jazz guitarist and a blues guitarist. I loved both idioms.
But I just couldn't play jazz solos with any proficiency. I loved the complex chords. But I couldn't think jazz, in some basic way.
At a certain point, around 21, I basically gave up guitar. When I came back into the music at age 25 or 26 and started going to jam sessions at Dan Lynch (1983-1984), I decided that jazz guitar was beyond me and that the harp, more than the guitar, was where my talent lay. So I pretty consciously set the guitar aside.
The question is, was that whole experience of practicing jazz/blues guitar, and yearning to become a guitarist, a waste of time?
And the answer is a loud No! It was incredibly important to my eventual development as a blues harmonica player. The jazz stuff showed up as a willingness to take a few steps outside the classic blues harmonica box--so that when I learned overblows in 1987, I knew what to do with them. The funk guitar stuff that I learned playing in a college band helped me hear what Mr. Satan was doing, and it helped me eventually dream up "Thunky Fing." And the blues guitar playing really solidified my sense of how blues tonality worked. It probably also contributed to the fact that 90% of my professional playing, and 99% of my professional recording, has been in duos, where I'm teamed up with a blues guitarist. Alan Gross, like Sterling Magee, is a blues guitarist who has some jazz in the mix.
So the whole thing fit together. There were no wasted steps. The thing that I put aside, the "wasted" experience as a guitarist, wasn't wasted at all. It shaped the harp player that I am today. And I have absolutely no regrets having put the guitar aside.
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Beyond the Crossroads: The Devil and the Blues Tradition
Last Edited by kudzurunner on Jul 25, 2018 4:06 AM
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Andrew
1803 posts
Jul 25, 2018
6:56 AM
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"6) A little bit of playing in the morning goes a long way."
Let me have my coffee first.
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barbequebob
3531 posts
Jul 25, 2018
8:39 AM
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The very first thing Adam just said that the number one thing is THE GROOVE FIRST!!!! That's excellent advice and that's exactly what EVERY professional musician will tell you and those who just troll jams think it's the solos first but even the best solos that have ever been played will ALWAYS sound like total garbage if the groove is a mess, which means you DO you to learn to get your time right and the same goes for EVERY musician on the bandstand REGARDLESS of what instrument they play.
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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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AppalachiaBlues
204 posts
Jul 25, 2018
8:51 AM
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Building on both Adam's point (the guitar experience) and Adam/Bob's point (the groove): I learned to play drums as a teenager. Never played drums again after the age of 20. But... 30-some years later, I can say it was not a waste of time, given the influence it has made on my harp playing. Those lessons drilled into my brain and motor skills "one-e-and-a-two-e-and-a paradiddle flam-tap" gave me a sense of timing, rhythm and groove, which is still with me today.
Drum lessons: highly recommended.
Last Edited by AppalachiaBlues on Jul 25, 2018 8:52 AM
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The Iceman
3637 posts
Jul 25, 2018
10:51 AM
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A mini side trip into "GROOVE"...
Want groove? Do you know how to walk? Here's what you do...
Go for a walk around the block with your harmonica. Once you achieve a steady pace (normally, with walking, one doesn't speed up or slow down - in other words, you have a natural "groove" walk).
Then, practice your "Hut-ta's" as you walk, letting your walking act like a natural metronome. (Hut-ta's covered in many of my earlier posts).
After a few evenings of walking/Hut-ta'ing, you may find yourself with a solid groove at your walking tempo.
btw, I hardily agree with Adam and Bob regarding the importance of said groove.
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The Iceman
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SuperBee
5504 posts
Jul 25, 2018
2:27 PM
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I take my harp for a walk nearly everyday. Inevitably I end up playing at a tempo relatable to my walking pace but that’s pretty handy for many things
Sometimes I notice the playing slows my walking pace, not just when I’m walking uphill. (I live in a hilly town and walking uphill and playing the harp is a different story. I used to just stop playing but I found I could sometimes slow my pace and still have breath for the harp; if the breathing becomes ragged obviously it’s unlikely to benefit harp playing in a musical sense.)
I’ve also noticed that ‘walking’ on the bandstand helps my groove. If I can take a seat, like a drum stool, and keep time with both feet it’s pretty good, some songs more than others. ‘Walking Blues’ somehow seems to be a good candidate
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timeistight
2261 posts
Jul 27, 2018
6:56 PM
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Jeff Schneider: "Seven Things I Wish I Knew When I Started Playing Music"
1. DON'T BLAME YOUR EQUIPMENT
2. TIME MATTERS MORE THAN PITCHES
3. DEXTERITY DESERVES PRACTICE TIME
4. ANTICIPATE THE CHORD CHANGES
5. SECRETS OF SIGHT READING
6. EASY DOES NOT EQUAL BAD / HARD DOES NOT EQUAL GOOD
7. LAY BACK...WAAAY BACK
Read More here.
Last Edited by timeistight on Jul 27, 2018 6:57 PM
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John M G
229 posts
Jul 27, 2018
7:55 PM
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I wish I'd found some William Clarke music earlier along with George Harmonica Smith. I've only found them in the last 3 or 4 years!
I'd also have taken more time with the chromatic harmonica.
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