Littoral
290 posts
May 10, 2011
5:29 AM
|
When I meet new players I have a #1 one rule for learning to play. It always seems like an odd thing when I tell them but here it is:
Buy a new one when you lose it.
That's it.
Why?
1. You know they'll lose it and they certainly can't learn if they don't have one. That's pretty fundamental.
2. I believe some people are chosen to play harmonica but if they don't have one, and spent some real quality (painful) time with one, they never find out.
...and, how many times have I heard, "I used to have a harmonica".
My #2 rule is to learn to articulate single notes (TB AND LP)
Last Edited by on May 10, 2011 5:30 AM
|
Diggsblues
769 posts
May 10, 2011
5:47 AM
|
Be on time for your lesson and you gotta give me
24 hours to cancel. No cancellations the day of the
lesson. A no show still pays for the full hour.
Non payment and I drop you.
----------
Emile "Diggs" D'Amico a Legend In His Own Mind
How you doin'
Last Edited by on May 10, 2011 5:48 AM
|
jim
816 posts
May 10, 2011
5:54 AM
|
To have internal motivation. If you don't have it - I'm not a truck to drag you.
----------
Free Harp Learning Center
|
5F6H
658 posts
May 10, 2011
6:01 AM
|
I was told "PLAY the music...don't *play* at playing it"...hmmm, makes more sense when you hear it said with emphasis, rather than just see it written ;-)
|
ElkRiverHarmonicas
676 posts
May 10, 2011
6:57 AM
|
Learn how to play rhythm.
----------
David
Elk River Harmonicas
Elk River Harmonicas on Facebook
"It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato." - Lewis Grizzard
"Also, drinking homemade beer." - David Payne
|
7LimitJI
495 posts
May 10, 2011
6:58 AM
|
You don't learn during the lesson,you learn when practising at home.
----------
The Pentatonics Myspace
Youtube
"Why don't you leave some holes when you play, and maybe some music will fall out".
"It's music,not just complicated noise".
|
Oisin
794 posts
May 10, 2011
9:10 AM
|
Don't try and sound like someone else.
(and OT ...never let your brother give you a tatoo)
----------
Oisin
|
waltertore
1323 posts
May 10, 2011
9:19 AM
|
I tell people this: I don't charge for my teaching because I really can't teach you anything. I can show you some things but you will have to put in the time to make it happen. Walter
----------
walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year.
" life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
2,800+ of my songs
continuous streaming - 200 most current songs
my videos
|
5F6H
660 posts
May 10, 2011
9:21 AM
|
@ Oisin "Don't try and sound like someone else."
...or, try all you like, it'll probably never happen anyway ;-) If you do, it'll probably be more by accident than design....to work at sounding like someone else, well that's kind of beyond the scope of the vast majority of players (& indeed teachers) who would be involved with lessons.
When learning the mechanics of playing an instrument, you generally need datums, pieces to play that reinforce the techniques that you are earning...you're going to play other people's music, whether originally on a harmonica or not.
|
gene
754 posts
May 10, 2011
9:37 AM
|
It seems to me that trying to sound like somebody else (or better yet-like a few different people) would be a good idea in the beginning. Doing that will help you learn HOW to sound like this or that...getting familiar with dynamics, vibrato, different articulations, etc. You can figure out how to sound like YOU when you've develpoed the tools you need to do so.
Last Edited by on May 10, 2011 9:38 AM
|
Oisin
795 posts
May 10, 2011
12:50 PM
|
Edit: Don't end up trying to sound like someone else.
Have your own sound?
----------
Oisin
Last Edited by on May 10, 2011 12:51 PM
|
12gagedan
34 posts
May 10, 2011
2:26 PM
|
Practice your ass off.
|
shanester
371 posts
May 10, 2011
4:03 PM
|
Have fun.
----------
Shane
1shanester
"Keep it coming now, keep it coming now,
Don't stop it no don't stop it no no don't stop it no don't stop it no no..."
- KC and the Sunshine Band
|
Hobostubs Ashlock
1518 posts
May 10, 2011
4:11 PM
|
I dont teach cause im a learnin but I would say buy a guitar enstead you will thank me latter.
----------
Hobostubs
|
bluemoose
542 posts
May 10, 2011
4:56 PM
|
@Oisin (and OT ...never let your brother give you a tattoo)
I got 3 brothers! I'm crackin' up thinking of the upside down, misspelled tattoos I could give them. :)
MBH Webbrain - a GUI guide to Adam's Youtube vids
FerretCat Webbrain - Jason Ricci's vids (by hair colour!)
|
Jehosaphat
54 posts
May 10, 2011
5:03 PM
|
I;m not a pro but over the years people have approached me after gigs asking for lessons.After a few too many guys who wanted to be able to play the Blues in two weeks(with no practicing)I set my No1 rule:
Buy a Harp and learn 3 simple melodies on it and then come back to me because then i'll know that you are serious and are willing to do the work.
Only one guy ever did and in a year he was showing me stuff.;-0
Have to add that i wasn't charging any money for this so i could afford to be a little bit picky.B e different i guess if you were trying to make some additional income out of teaching.
|
garry
52 posts
May 10, 2011
5:18 PM
|
it's the hours, not the years. it'll take both, so get to it and don't stop.
|
Seven.Oh.Three.
62 posts
May 10, 2011
7:29 PM
|
I'm still very green when it comes to harmonica. But I'm guilty of this. Don't underestimate this instrument. Yes, it's small. Yes, it's seemingly basic. But there's a lot going on in there. It takes just as much, if not more, work to get the hang of it.
Over the years I probably bought 3 or 4 harps thinkin I'd learn it on my own in a few weeks. Haha.
7.0.3.
|
Fewclothes
6 posts
May 11, 2011
5:13 AM
|
Keep persepective!. Don't let your frustrations (from trying to play like someone who is better... or should I say MORE PRACTICED than you are)make you give up trying to learn. Learn at your own pace, then practice, practice, practice.
|
