I've been loving this forum for quite a while now. I've never contributed much but the wealth of information/inspiration/entertainment and laughs from everyone's posts has been invaluable.
I'd had a few drinks last weekend and made a little video of myself improvising on harp with my tambourine kick pedal. I had intended to post it here for some feedback, but when I was sober again the next day, i'd lost my nerve. I'm always pretty critical of my own playing, and it wasn't particularly technical or anything, just jamming out what came naturally. But i've had a few again tonight (not condoning excessive drinking) and decided now or never.
I don't play in a band, and this is the first time I've ever shared my playing in a public forum, so any feedback, criticism, tips, or anything would be very much appreciated.
I love hearing peoples playing, so maybe any others like me who haven't shared with the forum might wanna stick something up in this thread, just to break the first time nerves.
Sorry for the long post. As I mentioned, I've had a few.
Cheers and thanks!
---------- Pom
Last Edited by on Mar 12, 2012 1:58 AM
You kept good time -- never give up and the creativity will follow, it must....or you'll bore yourself to death, Congratulations on the video post - you did good POM.
Last Edited by on Mar 10, 2012 4:09 AM
but you gotta stay relaxed. to me, it looks like you tensed up right before you started to play. raise your arms more so you dont have to play with your head down.
Nice job,really like you foot tamberine has a nice sound did you build it?I wana build one I wish you had a close up pic of it (hint hint;-) ---------- Hobostubs
Last Edited by on Mar 10, 2012 6:47 AM
Nice tambourine. I built one, but mine isn't tilted. I like yours better. It seems you don't have to dorsiflex your foot as much to let the beater come back. Also, yours doesn't sound as jangly as mine. Good tone on acoustic harp. Good execution.
Clearly you've come a long way since you began. Don't forget your higher notes. Maybe you could try playing on holes above 4 only. See how you go. Like the way the chair keeps time with your playing as well.
Alcohol. Tut tut. You're only putting your videos out to people who want you to succeed at harp. We're not here to tear you to shreds. We were all where you are once, some of us haven't progressed much either. It's fun man.
homemade kick pedal this one seemed the easiest to me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4nE4h4JK_8
i didnt have a highhat so i would play snare with a ashtray stand and tambourine. i would cover the stand with a plastic bag to keep ashes from flying and place a tambourine inside a pillow and case sitting on top. the case muffled the jangles to sound exactly like a high hat. my guess is thats a skin head tambourine screwed to a block of wood with a wool winter cap pulled over it.
eharp, I did notice when I watched myself playing that I seemed to do that. I hadn't noticed before. I'm gonna try to consciously relax and see how I go.
Leatherlips, I'm definitely a 1-6 hole player, and i'm keen to get into the upper octave. Every time I pull up one of Gussow's lessons I find myself becoming frustrated quickly at my horrible, squeeky tone on those holes. It's like I need to break them in.
Hobostubs, here's a few pics of my pedal. billy_shines is right, it's just a block of wook I made specifically for the pedal I bought. I titled the tambourine so it only sound when I hit it, and I put the beanie over it because it dampens the sound a bit and I like it better. It sounds louder and snare-ier without it. The black grip things are just those things you put under furniture to protect flooring, that I cut to size.
that hunching may be just the way you're wired. i sure wouldnt sweat it if doing something different doesnt work out.
plenty of good players bend over at their waist playing. it could be just good theatrics or it could be how they are comfortable. all i know is that i was told it would restrict one's playing.
thanks Pomrack Im going to build one of those,I have a bass drum pedal hooked to a suitcase I mounted a flat piece of steel for the pedal to grip to,and a tamberine on top,But it mostly has a bass drum thump with the tamberine add some shimer from the things on the side,But I was wanting another sound similar to the sound I heard with your tamberine,To add a high pitched sound to the beat, with the deeper bass sound,So I think I will get me another bass drum pedal and build one like yours.Thanks again I think I might of found what Ive been listening for;-)
---------- Hobostubs
Last Edited by on Mar 10, 2012 8:58 PM
No worries Hobostubs. I actually remember seeing that suitcase rig in the video you posted the other day. It certainly has a bit more flair than my little block of wood. I like it. ---------- Pom
I love these kind of videos, but would it be possible to cut out the part where you walk from the camera to the playing location at the beginning and end?
Pomrac, awesome job! Thanks for the idea of posting first videos here. I'm fairly new to the forum, but have been following Gussow since last January when I began playing harmonica.
Anyhow, here's my first video post on here. A couple of days ago, there was a post about playing "Shortnin' Bread." It was good to see that because that song had been running through my head for the last week. Anyhow, here's little jam I made using my RC-3 loop station, Low D, and regular D harps in 2nd position playing "Shortnin' Bread." I got a laugh out of myself at the end when I didn't stop the loop when wanted to! P.S. I was sober in this video. :)
Thanks everybody for the constructive comments! Peace.
---------- -- "If you want the rainbow, you've got to put up with the rain." -- Dolly Parton
Last Edited by on Mar 14, 2012 1:38 PM
That was a sweet rhythm you got going there! I couldn't help but move. I liked the tone you got out of the low harp too, it sounded great. Really enjoyed it, thanks for posting. ---------- Pom
