AlexMC
3 posts
Apr 01, 2017
7:33 AM
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I've been playing blues harp for around 6 months, primarily learning from Adam Gussow, Jason Ricci and Jon Gindick youtube videos.
Last night a friend visited with his acoustic guitar... we spent an hour jamming - my first time playing with another person, and also the first time I played with a microphone.
What I learned:
1 If you play acoustically into a stand-mounted mic set too low, you have to lean towards the floor... resulting in lots of saliva running out of your mouth and blocking reeds.
2 If you play with a stick mic cupped into your hands, it feels completely different performing warbles by moving the harp back and forth because of the added weight of the mic. Head shakes are more effective!
3 At first I was really tense, with tight embouchure and breathing from my throat rather than my diaphragm. I was also blowing and drawing way too hard, choking some of the notes completely. My tone was thin and I struggled to play clean single notes. Then at a certain point I CLOSED MY EYES, played waaay more softly and just started to feel the groove as if I were playing alone.
My tone got thick and warm, my bends tighter, and I was able to introduce some dynamics into my playing, with lots of spaces between licks. Once I felt more comfortable with my technique and tone, I was able to focus more on my note selection, and cute little runs just starting pouring out of me.
Two other friends came into the room around this point and at the end were pretty blown away by what they had heard.
So... lots learned, and I can't wait to do it again!
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