rustywater
7 posts
May 21, 2008
1:53 PM
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What ideas do you fellow harpists have to keep the noise down when practicing
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Sirsucksalot
8 posts
May 21, 2008
3:52 PM
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I work the grave yard shift at circle k in tombstone. So i do a lot of my practicing there. The customers don't seem to mind. I even have a few fans. Sometimes one will bring in a guitar and we'll have a little jam. I just cant play outside cause I'm afraid ill wake someone up.
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Leanground
9 posts
May 21, 2008
4:51 PM
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I play low harps when I have to be quiet,Low D,G or A and play to control bends and vibrato all the while rambling bluesy runs.
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Jeff
83 posts
May 22, 2008
9:09 AM
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Take a "live with it attitude", haha.
Even though I play with custom MB's (opened coverplates), I practice with stock MB's that I bend the coverplates even more close. This really kills the volume of the instrument. Which is nice if you're trying to keep things low.
On a serious note, the harmonica playing in my home is definitely one of the strongest points of tension in my marriage.....as crazy as it sounds.
My wife knows I'm passionate about it and respects it to a degree. But it will often supercharge arguments if I start wailing at the wrong time (80% of the time). I often go out to the car if it's past 10 at night.
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harpmonkey
30 posts
May 23, 2008
12:13 AM
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Jeff.
If you wail loud enough, late enough and long enough, your woman will leave you and you will be a better blues player.
:o)
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oldwailer
49 posts
May 23, 2008
6:21 PM
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I think the car is the best place to practice--if you happen to be alone in it is best. I like to practice while walking my dogs--they've gotten so they get really excited when I play a railroad song--they think it's time to go out.
Of course there is a lot to be said for the attitude thing too--I was playing while waiting for my truck to fill up with gas one day, and this lady was giving me an evil look--well, I got a little carried away into the moment because the acoustics were pretty good--and she ended up applauding when I wrapped up--so I guess it wasn't really an evil look after all.
My point is that maybe it really isn't "noise" to everybody some people hear the music!
Last Edited by on May 23, 2008 6:22 PM
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rustywater
8 posts
May 24, 2008
1:16 AM
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Thats true Oldwailer, I must admit my best practice is in the car, we have some great country lanes with laybys where I can wail to my hearts content!!!
Luckily I dont have an amp otherwise I think my woman would consider killing me!!!
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DutchBones
8 posts
May 25, 2008
2:09 AM
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I live in a Japanese house and it's easy to wake up the whole neighborhood by just playing "Mary Had a Little Lamb" so because of that I use (mostly) my Delta Frosts...they respond very well and it's easy to play very soft on them..also (as Leanground pointed out) use low keys, they don't sound that loud)....
Actually playing very soft (which in the beginning I thought was a draw-back) turned out to be a very good thing, because my harps live longer, my control (of the bends) has become much better and in my humble opinion, also sounds better....
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Leanground
12 posts
May 25, 2008
8:40 PM
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Paul Butterfield emphasized playing softly as it develops sensitivity and great expression to your playing.
I play low key harps while walking my boxer through the neighborhood at night up and down hills and feel that I'm developing lung power,control, and time ( by playing to my pace)and "truth" by improvising as I go.
Damn i love this!
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Dduck
9 posts
May 27, 2008
5:52 AM
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I play in my truck on the way to work, during lunch and on the way home on the Thruway. I use both hands quite often so I drive with my leg on the wheel. It's funny, the looks you get sometimes from some people driving by. In the evening I take my pain-in-the-ass dogs up to the cemetery and let them run and poop while I work on stuff that I need to read tabs for, or new material that I really need to pay attention to. I tried taping the tab sheets to the windshield, but Officer Unfriendly didn't like that idea. Hmmmm, must not have been a music lover!
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geordiebluesman
32 posts
Jun 04, 2008
1:46 PM
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Try playing with your head in a bucket of water it really kills the noise.P.S.avoid songs with lots of draw notes,cos you'll drown!
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Jeff
97 posts
Jun 04, 2008
2:10 PM
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My wife plays Jason Ricci all the time in the car. But when I put on traditional players like Little Walter, Cotton, Steve Guyger.... it's "turn that crap off - I'm not in the mood".
Once I saw Little Walter get dissed, I didn't take offense anymore when she couldn't stand my playing, lol.
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harpmonkey
32 posts
Jun 04, 2008
6:20 PM
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Now Jeff''s got 'em.
'Dismissin Miss Dissin'
She dissed l'il Walter,
Said "I ain't in the mood."
Say my woman dissed Little Walter.
She just ain't in that mood.
Need a new ol lady now.
Mine's turned to fish food...
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TBone69
11 posts
Jun 04, 2008
8:35 PM
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I practice in the basement when it's late, generally between 10 and 11. I have been known to get carried away and play/jam/practice past midnight.
To keep the sound down even more I leave my hand fully cupped around the harp.
Also make sure you play un-amped that time of night. I had just got my Ephiphone Valve Jr and couldn't wait to try it out. Even on low it was too loud :) So I keep my amp playing early after dinner or on the weekends.
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harpmonkey
38 posts
Jun 11, 2008
8:14 PM
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ROTFLMAO
Damn fine OW!
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oldwailer
82 posts
Jun 18, 2008
6:43 AM
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Here's a couple of photos of my favorite place to wail--I can play as long and loud as I want and the dogs don't mind. Sometimes they do go to sleep though. . .
http://museblues.com/ray-harp-pix.htm
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Jaybird
7 posts
Jun 18, 2008
8:28 AM
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That looks like a nice place to woodshed, OldWailer...
The middle of the desert is my woodshed, I play as loud and as long as I wish...
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=cOFHmpG_HCg
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Patrick Barker
75 posts
Jun 18, 2008
1:22 PM
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WOW oldwailer and jaybird- you have beautiful woodsheds... Here in Orange County it seems that its just populated enough for it to be hard to find a private area to woodshed, yet not populated enough to have many blues concerts. But its another reason to play the blues :-)
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oldwailer
86 posts
Jun 18, 2008
8:43 PM
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Hey Jaybird--nice woodshed and good playing! I think I saw that 500-year-old cactus tapping its pricks!
Patrick--I would have thought there were tons of jams down in Orange county! Jon Gindick is in Malibu--and he owns a property in Long Beach--I bet he could hook you up with some jams! But a good woodshed was hard to find when I lived in LA LA Land--which was a few years ago. I used to get into some good jams out of McCabe's music store in Santa Monica--not exactly Orange County--but by now they might have tendrils in OC. . .
Last Edited by on Jun 18, 2008 8:47 PM
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Patrick Barker
76 posts
Jun 18, 2008
9:35 PM
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Hmm I didn't hear about those... They're all still a somewhat long drive (I'm in Laguna hills) as they're all over an hour and a half drive, but I'll look into that and see if I can take the trip once in a while now that schools out and I don't have loads of homework to worry about.
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Patrick Barker
128 posts
Sep 03, 2008
6:42 PM
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I just invented a silent harmonica- If you have an old harp with blown out reeds, take the reed plates off and screw the cover plates back on- absolutely no noise, but it only works if you know what you riffs would sound like in your head. Also, you can't hear mistakes- not good. But totally silent.
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"Without music, life would be a mistake" -Nietzsche
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oldwailer
176 posts
Sep 03, 2008
8:47 PM
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What key is the silent harp tuned to?
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Miles Dewar
14 posts
Sep 03, 2008
9:49 PM
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I practice outside. I have a Routine.
- At around 11 or 12 at night. I look up tons of harp info online. when i am done with studying and adam's lessons, i get "Suited Up" with long sleeves and pants and a hat and light scarf (Tons of Mosquitos- scarf saves my patience).
-I have this little pond by my house next to a golf course. There ill sit on this little concrete box or get a lawn chair, and just play at the water, its really peaceful and nobody can hear me. I usually just play until it gets light out, and then go inside get something to eat and go to sleep.
I have tried practicing in the morning, but i dont last long (only like an hour or so). I just feel that midnight and after is perfect. I also like to skate late too, so that could be where it came from.
Just Me my Board and my Harp
------ Be Positive ------
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Patrick Barker
129 posts
Sep 04, 2008
9:37 PM
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The silent harp is magically tuned to any key you want it to be in :-)
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"Without music, life would be a mistake" -Nietzsche
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