tookatooka
2008 posts
Dec 30, 2010
8:26 AM
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There's been a useful thread thrown up by Hondo about getting out of a rut.
It occurred to me that there are different harp players with different goals and desires from playing harp.
I thought it would be good to find out what category the harp players here fall into and how many categories there were.
As for me, I'm a leisure player who takes it quite seriously. I want to improve. I enjoy the challenge and I am in the pursuit of enjoyment through playing the harp solo.
What category do you fall into and what are your goals? E.g. One Man Band. Do you attend Jams with a view to joining a band one day? Singer/harper. etc etc.
Last Edited by on Dec 30, 2010 9:01 AM
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jonlaing
164 posts
Dec 30, 2010
8:34 AM
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"As for me, I'm a leisure player who takes it quite seriously. I want to improve. I enjoy the challenge and I am in the pursuit of enjoyment through playing the harp solo."
That pretty much describes me too. I sit in with bands when I can, but I'm more of a serious hobbyist than anything.
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eharp
1038 posts
Dec 30, 2010
8:46 AM
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i would guess the majority are in the tooka category.
i dont want to use the word "serious" for hobby.
maybe "dedicated"?
dedicated to leisure??
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captainbliss
372 posts
Dec 30, 2010
8:48 AM
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My website (such as it is) calls me a:
"player, student, teacher of the harmonica; entertainer, solo performer, singer, band member."
Category-wise: an aspiring pro with some way to go!
xxx
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Buzadero
677 posts
Dec 30, 2010
8:54 AM
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Serious Hobbyist.
I love the little things. I've been in love with all things harp since I was about 4 or 5 years old. The music, the artists, the instrument, playing, the gear etc.
My mother is a classically trained pianist who, in her 'heyday' could hold her own from Rachmaninoff to whorehouse honky-tonk. My father played saxophone and clarinet in jazz combos well into his 70's. I have a brother that graduated from Berklee, and another that has won bluegrass banjo competitions. I will never be a professional musician.
I like to play with others. But, I can entertain myself for hours and hours, day after day. I do silly shit like figuring out how to play entire songs that I find challenging. Weird stuff like Bohemian Rhapsody, William Tell Overture, Mack the Knife and dozens of others so I can astound and amaze for kicks at parties, front porches or on the street.
I go through phases professionally where I have to travel and spend periods of time in different locations for jobs. I have the goofy habit of wandering around big cities looking for street musicians to sit in with. Many times I have left feeling particularly proud of myself when some homeless dude with a wicked finger-pick tells me that my being there boosted his usual take significantly.
I am a serious hobbyist.
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~Buzadero
Underwater Janitor, Patriot
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toddlgreene
2369 posts
Dec 30, 2010
9:03 AM
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Good thread.
Unlike many others, I picked up harp by a combination of happenstance and necessity. It wasn't something I was curious about. There was no such thing as Youtube, or even the internet for that matter, when I began. I had recently joined a band as the singer, and on their song list was a song by The Romantics-What I Like About You. Everyone else had their hands full with instruments. The guitar player matter-of-factly said to me 'this song has a harmonica solo in it-you'll have to play it'. So, I did. Got the wrong key, or course, and quickly learned what 'cross harp' was. Well, that band lasted a mere 3 months, but I stuck with the harp-I was hooked! I taught myself, playing 100% by ear, and by listening to lots of different players. I knew no one else who played-and this continued for 19 years-until Harvey Berman posted on Craigslist looking to start a harmonica club here in New Orleans. Two years later, and I know damn near every player in town, and have met and/or played with many passing thru town.
So, I don't so much consider myself a hobbyist-I've been in bands with very little time in between for almost 22 years now. I've always played and practiced(albeit rarely) with the focus and end product being the live performance or occasional recording session. Sure, I've gotten self-gratification and confidence along the way, and I've always enjoyed the instrument. But, I think my main draw is the rush of playing live. I live for it. I feel empty when I go for a week or more without playing out in front of people. So, if and when I ever stop playing in clubs and bars, will I quit harmonica? i don't think so, but I will have to learn to enjoy being my OWN audience.
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Todd L. Greene, Codger-in-training
Last Edited by on Dec 30, 2010 9:05 AM
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Hobostubs Ashlock
1324 posts
Dec 30, 2010
9:09 AM
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I dont like to label or catogize things makes life to complicated;-)
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Hobostubs
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Buzadero
678 posts
Dec 30, 2010
9:13 AM
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So, you would classify yourself as an "Uncatagorizable Harp Player"?
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~Buzadero
Underwater Janitor, Patriot
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phogi
486 posts
Dec 30, 2010
9:16 AM
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Lets see...
I am a piano player who also plays the harp. I'm a leisure player, but I play a lot, and I go through phases of intense practice and total slackoffery.
My goals? My main goal right now is to line up a bunch of tunes I can play for people when they start asking "can you play me an Irish tune? Can you play me some canned heat? How about something from the band?"
I'd like to have a band someday, mostly I'd be interested in a singing guitar/harp duo.
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Hobostubs Ashlock
1325 posts
Dec 30, 2010
9:19 AM
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well no i go with the flow sometimes the water hits a damn sometimes it overflows with the mojo of the soul,I need a light my pipe went out;-)
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Hobostubs
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isaacullah
1319 posts
Dec 30, 2010
9:20 AM
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Aspiring Street Harpist Who Doesn't Really Have Enough Time To Play In A Real Band Or Practice As Much As He Should.
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 View my videos on YouTube!"
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hvyj
961 posts
Dec 30, 2010
9:25 AM
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I consider myself a serious hobbyist, but I have regular paying gigs with my band, and I work as a sideman with another band on a more or less regular basis. I also pick up other paying gigs here and there from time to time--occasionally playing in a pit orchestra for a play or a show, or playing with a blues band that wants harp for a particular show and other stuff like that.
When I am not gigging, I have standing invitations to sit in with quite a few bands, so I play out 2-3 nights most weeks if I have the time. I love to play my harmonica in an electric band setting.
My thing is playing live with other musicians. I really enjoy the give and take of performing with other musicians. It inspires me--I come up with things to play when I'm playing with others that I would never have come up with sitting around the house playing by myself. It's the group interaction with other musicians that motivates me to play (and to practice).
My current goals are to learn arpeggios in the 5 positions I play in regularly; to learn 12th position; and in general to learn to phrase in better relationship to the chord structure of whatever tune I'm playing.
Last Edited by on Dec 30, 2010 9:29 AM
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nacoran
3514 posts
Dec 30, 2010
9:39 AM
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I'm in the process of aspiring.
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Nate
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The7thDave
212 posts
Dec 30, 2010
10:00 AM
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Either "serious hobbyist" or "amateur" would be good descriptors for me, or at least for how I see myself as a harp player.
I play for fun, for the challenge, for the neurological benefits of being a musician, and for love of the music.
I've only played with other musicians a couple of times so far, but I'd like to do a lot more of it. Not interested in playing professionally, though.
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--Dave
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* BTMFH *
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tf10music
69 posts
Dec 30, 2010
10:33 AM
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I play to write songs.
What does that make me?
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boris_plotnikov
390 posts
Dec 30, 2010
10:51 AM
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I have a dream to have my main occupation playing harmonica on stage with as great band as possible. Now I have to teach (harmonica and not only), customize harmonicas, play stupid gigs with playalongs, but I do all possible to have an ability to give up all these odd jobs. I like customizing and some teaching, but not too much as now.
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Excuse my bad English. Click on my photo or my username for my music.
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nacoran
3515 posts
Dec 30, 2010
10:55 AM
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Tf, I don't know, but I'm in the same category.
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Nate
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Hondo
104 posts
Dec 30, 2010
11:10 AM
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@hvyj- "to learn to phrase in better relationship to the chord structure of whatever tune I'm playing".
Wow- that just about says it all doesn't it?
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tf10music
70 posts
Dec 30, 2010
11:34 AM
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nacoran: cheers!
what genre do you tend to write in?
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hvyj
963 posts
Dec 30, 2010
11:42 AM
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@Hondo: For me, it's a process of how I HEAR. It comes down to the difference between not playing bad notes and playing RIGHT notes. I'm consistently pretty good at not playing any bad notes. Playing RIGHT notes is a whole lot more difficult. Of course, this only happens when playing with others, but when you play the RIGHT notes in relation to the underlying chord, the music sounds so right and so tight--a perfect blend.
Actually, I'm getting much better at hearing when I'm NOT playing right notes in relation to the underlying chord than I am at hearing what the right notes are--but progress is improvement and it's helpful to be able hear what you are NOT doing right. But, actually, I am also starting to get better at hearing the right notes, too.
I am able to find the various notes I want on the instrument because I know where they are on the harp in each of the positions that I use. But identifying which of those notes are the RIGHT notes I should be playing as I am playing is not as easy.
And, you know, what you DON'T play can actually be more important than what you do play!
Last Edited by on Dec 30, 2010 11:50 AM
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nacoran
3516 posts
Dec 30, 2010
11:52 AM
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Tf, I'll let you know when I figure it out!
Actually, mostly bluesy rock, but I dabbled in just about everything I can figure out. I'm stuck on a classical sounding piece and lately most of my lyrics have been coming out country-folk, which is weird, because I don't listen to county at all.
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Nate
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oldwailer
1470 posts
Dec 30, 2010
11:56 AM
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I'm a guitar player who loves the sound of guitar and harp with vocals. I couldn't find a harp player that I liked to work with, so I took up harp myself. I fall into the catagory of "Pretty serious harp wanker."
I aspire to sound better than Dylan. . .
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Always be yourself--unless you suck. . .
-Joss Whedon
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Cristal Lecter
36 posts
Dec 30, 2010
12:02 PM
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Eternal Beginner
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Never try to be as good as someone else, succeed to be the best player you can be!
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Gig74
36 posts
Dec 30, 2010
12:09 PM
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I had no expectations when I first started earlier this year other than to try and learn an instrument (I've tried a couple over the years, piano, bagpipes and guitar and been bad at them all through lack of time or motivation).
Since then my expectations have changed, not only of what I want but also of the instrument. Before I started I would be have been happy playing Oh Susanna in my garden by myself. I had no idea of the blues really or what the harmonica was actually capable of.
Now that I passed my first goal and know a bit more I'm happy to keep learning and working to be better. I'd now love to perform in some capacity (eventually, it's some way of) whether that be busking, jam or gig.
I have some friends in bands and my secret wish is for them to out of no where require some harp playing, which of course I'd do flawlessly and then fly of and fix global warming and end world hunger :o)
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Gig74
37 posts
Dec 30, 2010
12:14 PM
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Hey Cristal, I've seen your youtube video's I'd love to be as good a beginner as you :o)
The eternal beginner is always pushing forward and learning.
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Aussiesucker
703 posts
Dec 30, 2010
12:31 PM
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I'm in the same category as Tooka ie "I'm a leisure player who takes it quite seriously. I want to improve. I enjoy the challenge and I am in the pursuit of enjoyment through playing the harp solo."
And, I love Cristels statement about being an "Eternal Beginner". No matter where we are at in our playing there is always something new and challenging to learn.
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jaymcc28
314 posts
Dec 30, 2010
12:33 PM
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Interesting topic as I think about this a lot. More precisely, I think about what I want to get out of my interest/passion of the harmonica.
At this point, I'm strictly a hobbyist with aspirations to be able to be able to break out my harp and feel confident to wail out a song (12 bars even) if somebody asks. Currently I'm strictly a 'back porch' player. I don't have (or, don't MAKE) the time to practice enough. I know I've improved a lot over the past 3 years that I've been playing but not to the point where I can just get up and jam with whomever. That's not a big problem since I don't have many opportunities to do so anyway.
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"I say stay long enough to repay all who cause strife."-L. Staley
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Cristal Lecter
37 posts
Dec 30, 2010
12:39 PM
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@ Gig and Aussie:
You've got it alright. This is not a question of being too much humble or anything, I understand that I know few things, and that I've evolved this much in 4 years, but the more the time is passing the more I know that in the end I know practically nothing, there's always a mountain of things that has to be worked on.
It doesn't prevent me to be more a musician, and less a harmonica player
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Never try to be as good as someone else, succeed to be the best player you can be!
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scojo
176 posts
Dec 30, 2010
12:51 PM
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Professional, OB/OD, play positions 1-5 and 12 regularly, play many different styles. Not sure where that leaves me. I'm also a singer and songwriter.
The main thing is I love music, both playing and listening, and truly enjoy learning from other players.
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bonedog569
184 posts
Dec 30, 2010
1:13 PM
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I played out in bands from the ages of 18 to 32 or so. Then kids plus day job made that less of a priority. After playing a few years 2-3 times a week (3 or 4 sets a night) I would also say I kinda 'got it out of my system'. I would not call myself a 'pro' - at best I augmented my income and had some good times. I never toured.
These days I am more of a 'project' musician - with a home studio and two bands I record and occasionally play out with.
I may start playing out a bit more again in the future - but for now it's not an urgent need as long as I have good buds to make music with - and outlets such as the youtube and CD baby to release material on.
Technically I am in my first period of real growth on the instrument in many years - plalying new positions, oberblowing etc. I also play sax, sing and write songs.
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snakes
605 posts
Dec 30, 2010
1:27 PM
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I reverently call myself a hack. I do get to play out and play at jams and open mics a bit. The day job and long commute keep it to a minimum. I mainly took up music again after being forced to give up my adult hobbies at about one month prior to my 50th birthday. I thought the harmonica would be much easier than it is, but by the time I found out how hard it would be to master (not that I'm anywhere near that) I was hooked. My claim to fame is getting to play at a venue for a two set Friday night gig where we were the only act - see attached poster.
See Tooka's version of pic below.
My goal is to have fun and see where I can go with this with no pressure implied for any "arrival" moment. I'm not too interested in nor think I am capable of making any kind of viable income from this endeavor. I just want to make folks enjoy the music I make and like Todd G. play live as much as practical and possible. Happy New Year everyone!
Last Edited by on Jan 03, 2011 2:36 PM
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snakes
606 posts
Dec 30, 2010
1:28 PM
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Sorry, how do I make that goofy thing smaller?
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nacoran
3517 posts
Dec 30, 2010
1:37 PM
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Snakes, open it up in whatever photo editing software you've got and resize it, then repost it. If you don't have a photo editor, there are sites that will resize them for you, or you could download GIMP or Paint.net software. You can do it with HTML, but it's easier just to resize it.
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Nate
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snakes
609 posts
Dec 30, 2010
1:38 PM
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Yeah, no editing software... I'll check out your other suggestions nacoran. Thanks.
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tookatooka
2013 posts
Dec 30, 2010
2:50 PM
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POSTED ON BEHALF OF SNAKES I'll leave this up snakes if you want to delete your one. I did this by adding the height and width as 512 in the image tag.
I reverently call myself a hack. I do get to play out and play at jams and open mics a bit. The day job and long commute keep it to a minimum. I mainly took up music again after being forced to give up my adult hobbies at about one month prior to my 50th birthday. I thought the harmonica would be much easier than it is, but by the time I found out how hard it would be to master (not that I'm anywhere near that) I was hooked. My claim to fame is getting to play at a venue for a two set Friday night gig where we were the only act - see attached poster.
My goal is to have fun and see where I can go with this with no pressure implied for any "arrival" moment. I'm not too interested in nor think I am capable of making any kind of viable income from this endeavor. I just want to make folks enjoy the music I make and like Todd G. play live as much as practical and possible. Happy New Year everyone!
Last Edited by on Dec 30, 2010 2:53 PM
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