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beginner forum: for novice and developing blues harp players > Jerry Portnoy's harmonica Masterclass
Jerry Portnoy's harmonica Masterclass
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SuperBee
3874 posts
Jun 21, 2016
5:42 AM
Just wondering if anyone here has use the JP harp lesson CDs?
I bought the set years ago, when spending $90 on harmonica related stuff was kind of a big decision to take.
I honestly could not remember if I'd learned anything.
I think I was happy to hear JP speak, but I didn't want to have to listen to him every time I wanted to recall the exercises so it put me off. I'd have preferred a book. I do remember feeling disappointed the book was not comprehensive or even set the exercises out. So I think I didn't use it much. It's all a long time ago.
Well, today I put on cd2 and listened to it, and I wrote out all the exercises. I think These were included under a long (10 minute) track called 'bending' or 'bending exercises'.
I'll digress for a moment...I listened to the whole of cd2 and several times I noticed the similarities to the things Jimi Lee taught me.
These bending exercises are actually licks...really useful licks which involve bent notes. They are bent notes as actually used in playing Chicago style blues..such as that for which Jerry is known.. And as such I believe they are very worthwhile...
Which is why, as soon as I realised what he was telling me, I wrote them down.
Can you believe this...I have a dvd of Jerry with muddy waters' band in 76, and I actually was watching Jerry take a solo and trying to note his licks...of course, they are all these 'little circle' exercises he describes. Some are the same as JL prescribed for me...
He has these for blow bends also. Great stuff.
You know, jp advocates lipping from 3 down, tb from 4 up...I don't do that but maybe I could learn to...I just feel it's hard to bend properly without tongue blocking, but I also know I used to do it so I can learn to do it again...
Anyway..it's not all or nothing. Listening on I found the 'double and triple tonguing' lesson in which he gives an exercise I now recognise as the opening 4 bars of Jr wells' famous 2nd position solo from messing with the kid...from Chicago the blues today recording. I like the way he suggests to learn this and other technique like vibrato, to do groups of 3 or 4 repeats and gradually build up strength. Add repeats until you can sustain the effect.
I liked his section on vibrato...
I think when I bought this, I probably didn't know how to practice or was too impatient to work through it systematically, wanted to get it all at once. Listening to it today I can recognise there is a bunch of really good advice. But it is not something to try and do all at once. Treat it like a progressive program, focus on topics and put in the work, and I think probably a very good resource.
Now, where'd I put my notes?
Killa_Hertz
1618 posts
Jun 21, 2016
5:01 PM
This CD set is BOSS! There's so much good stuff in there. The triple/quad tounging, the vibrato, ghost notes, etc. It's just lots of Good stuff.

I loved it. I was going to sell it when i was done listening to it,but I'm keeping it.

I hate books. This was the best way i could learn. Listen in the car.

Matter of fact I'm going to listen to it again tomorrow


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SuperBee
3877 posts
Jun 21, 2016
6:23 PM
It's great to be able to hear the demonstration but no notes is the drag for me...I don't want to have to find something to play the cd on all the time. I don't practice while driving. I practice at the bus stop or when I'm walking or while I'm waiting...I'm so slack I just want to flip open the page with the exercise and do it...not find the cd and put it on and push the buttons to go back and what he do there again? Play that again...just bugs me...so I need notes...
I'm like that with video too. I watch them the first time but I find it really de-energising to watch videos repeatedly..whereas if I have notes I can just see it at a glance and I'm good.
Which is why I like Barrett's stuff...I watch the video, and then I've got the track, the exercise notes, and a study track to work with. If I missed something I can go back and watch again, but mainly I just use the paper.
No big deal, this is a good set. I just have to make my own notes.
One of the really exciting things that happened back in 2010 I remember Dave B told me he had asked Jerry a question on my behalf...about the full time blocking versus Jerry's approach of transition to lipping at 3 to 1, tb at 4-10...I wondered why JP thought that was best, and Dave asked him...his answer was that he thought tha tonguing it all the time caused him to develop an asymmetry in his embouchure so he stopped doing it. He also said don't worry about it if you don't feel it's a problem; do what you're comfortable with.
...I could hardly believe I was getting personalised answer from Jerry Portnoy. Now I understand many of the great players are really quite approachable, but at the time that spun me out.
SuperBee
3884 posts
Jun 22, 2016
6:12 PM
Ha, and I just realised this: the backing tracks are designed for you to use an A harp...in 3 positions.
So the tracks are in E, A and B.
I alwAys thought B was a weird choice but I see now it is done so you can practice playing an A harp in 3rd position
Jim Conway, the Australian pro player, recommended this course to me back in ... I dunno... Maybe '09...Jim told me he had learned a lot from it...this was coming from him after a pro career of 30-40 years, so it's likely something you can keep learning from over a long period.


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