So, lately i've been blowing harp on my commute to and from work, basically blaring classic rock amd motown stations while i shuffle harps and mess around whilst stuck in gridlock traffic. With my busy schedule, its really the only time i have to practice. Im tryin to pay attention to my driving, and i'm not always playing, but i feel that i could be a danger while wailing on the road. Somebody please tell me a horror story or 2 to convince me to stop.
I keep harps and jam tracks in the car and practice when I'm early for appointments and such but not when I'm driving. Maybe I've been to too many depositions, but if anything happens while you're playing harp, it can't be a good thing from a legal standpoint.
Remember, if you wreck up it could be someone else you kill. That's what keeps me from doing it. I don't mind taking risks with my own life, but I don't like to risk other people's. (Hand me a deep fried Twinkie!)
On the bright side, both Darpa and Google are working on cars that drive themselves. There are actually road tests going on.
Here in the UK we have a charge called 'driving without due care and attention', which is a catch all that covers amongst other things like shaving or putting makeup on behind the wheel. I guess one could be busted for playing harp under that.
I wonder if we have any officers (both US and UK) here who could clarify?
If your life is that busy you need to reassess that first. But really all it takes is to leave the harps at home in their case. The danger is self-evident let alone the fines for distracted driving. It's up to you, not anyone else. Just don't do it. ---------- "Keep it in your mouth" - XHarp
I'll admit it. Every time I am in my car alone I'm jammin. It gets me a solid hour a day of practice during the week. It is nowhere near as risky as talking on a cell phone and we won't even discuss texting.
Your mind is still free to focus on driving. You play unconcious in a way. Sure you tie up one hand, but thats no different than coffee or a bottle of water...or a cell phone
Hands-free phone devices are more dangerous than playing harmonica. I've caught myself sitting at a green light while talking to someone. It is a totally different focus because someone else is involved and you have to think instead of play.
When I need both hands to turn I simply leave the harp in my mouth and do it.
If I was brave enough to eat, drink, put make-up on, brush my teeth, read a book, recieve oral sex, carry a dog on my lap, or talk on a phone while driving (yes, I have seen all these)...then a harp should be no problem.
I think it's a good safe time to practice simply breathing through the harp. You have to breathe anyway:) Turn the radio off and just quietly play long tones. Work on a breath supported slow vibrato if you don't have one. Start with 4 draw, when that's mastered, move to the 3 hole and so on. ---------- Spiers Harmonicas
Drivin' is where I learned the value of playin' scales. Always keep a harp in the car for playing scales and stuff like Adam's warm-up exercises. I keep a Gindick cd in one of the cd slots to play along with the backing track too. There isn't always time to play at home, but there is always time on the commute. ---------- Twitter ~ BossoBrewingCo
I don't do it in heavy traffic with red lights and things, but I do play on long stretches of country roads with hardly any cars around. One of the advantages of living in the boonies.
Nice to see Im not the only one that does this. I dont see any danger in it, as long as with anything else, do it responsibly. i.e. no cupping, warbles etc., and keep it to one hand only. Its a great time to practice notes, learning by ear etc. My eyes never leave the road. :) ---------- ***************************** Rick..
I have a 45-minute commute to and from work, but much of it is easy driving with the cruise control. After 35-some years of being an untutored pucker player and attending a couple of workshops w/ Dennis Gruenling, I became convinced of the need to learn TB.
That 45-minute commute, only playing TB, finally got me over the hump. I put the harps down when traffic gets tricky, but yessir, I'm guilty.
You're listening to the wrong advice. As a Fleet Manager for a large municipality I have responsibility for driver training and compliance. Distraction is as dangerous adjusting the radio as it is in a conversation with a passenger. Distraction has a lot, but not everything, To do with cell phones or texting. Driver distraction are still a very large part of traffic fatalities. Please read this http://www.distraction.gov/research/PDF-Files/Distracted-Driving-2009.pdf then make your own decision with an open mind. Please do not justify playing and driving because of comments on this thread. This is a serious problem continually fueled by ignorance of the facts. ---------- "Keep it in your mouth" - XHarp
I have been harpin during my hour long commute for 35 years. Without it I would fall asleep at the wheel every day at least once. I often record for posting on Harmonicaboogie.com and on fairly straight stretches I cup both hands and drive with my knees. I keep my eyes on the road and am not distracted by playing. I am certain I am actually safer playing than not.
This story could inspire you in case of beeing caught but not really recommended: you won't never be so lucky in your escape!
A fellow bought a new Mercedes and was out on the interstate for a nice evening drive. The top was down, the breeze was blowing through what was left of his hair, and he decided to open her up.
As the needle jumped up to 80 mph, he suddenly saw flashing red and blue lights behind him. "There's no way they can catch a Mercedes," he thought to himself and opened her up further.
The needle hit 90, 100... Then the reality of the situation hit him. "What am I doing?" he thought, and pulled over.
The cop came up to him, took his license without a word and examined it and the car. "It's been a long day, this is the end of my shift and it's Friday the 13th. I don't feel like more paperwork, so if you can give me an excuse for your driving that I haven't heard before, you can go."
The guy thinks for a second and says, "Last week my wife ran off with a cop. I was afraid you were trying to give her back!"
"Have a nice weekend," said the officer.
Last Edited by on Jun 10, 2012 7:28 PM
if you guys NEED to practice while you're driving, you need to reassess your lives or schedules or soundproof a room at the house or something. why do you think this is any different than texting behind the wheel? and by the way watch the Jack Nicholson/Jessica Lange version of "The Postman Always Rings Twice" to get a look at making out while driving.
i try my best to not talk on the phone or even mess with the radio much when i drive let alone that other stuff. things happen so very fast when driving, even at 30 or 40. ---------- http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
I'm driving for two years or so, so I don't think I'm enough good driver. I play only in traffic jams. ---------- Excuse my bad English. Click on my photo or my username for my music.
>>why do you think this is any different than texting behind the wheel?<<
Because you don't need to look at a harp to play it, you can play and keep your eyes on the road the whole time. Unlike sending a text when you actually *need* to look at your phone to do it.
It's really not any more risky than holding a conversation with someone in the passenger seat or listening to a CD -- other things you can do in a car without taking your eyes off the road.
Last Edited by on Jun 11, 2012 3:15 PM
lynn, the studies on distracted driving seem to show that you don't have to be looking down to be distracted. Even hands free talking on the phone makes you a considerably worse driver. Listening to music is a much less thought involving act, and the theory on talking with a passenger is that by having a second person who can notice traffic problems balances out the distraction.
It's interesting, the cell phone companies originally sponsored a lot of studies that found it wasn't dangerous to talk and drive, but as time passed and the billing structure changed from charging by the minutes to unlimited calling mysteriously their studies started lining up with the non-industry studies.
Like I've said before, I don't mind risking my life playing harmonica, but I think it's a bad idea to risk other peoples.
I, too, play when commuting. I agree with harpdude: You keep your mind on driving even if your playing with one hand. I only play on the country stretches tough. I believe it impairs my (one's) driving ability no more than singing along with the radio. ---------- Pistolkatt - Pistolkatts youtube
I perform the dreaded "playing while driving" as well. I cover many miles a year traveling to a myriad of jobsites all over the place. Do I play whilst sitting in stop-and-go traffic? No. Do I play as I move through an urban environment of stoplights, bicycles and pedestrians? No.
I do play on the Interstate Highway System, State Highways and yes, even County Roads, Forest Service Roads and even privately controlled lands.
Do I recognize that it has the potential for creating a diminishment of focus or some level of distraction? Perhaps. By the interpretation of many, I'm both taking my life in my hands as well as endangering everyone around me. Yup. But, I'm doing that when I reach over to change the station, in the fifteen minutes after I leave the drive through burger joint and countless other instances. But, I'm a big boy.
And, while I appreciate the concern over my well being, the positively intended admonishments, and the attention to my business by those do-gooders out there, I've been doing this under my own judgement for over 30 years. I've never had even a close call , let alone an incident. I must be cheating the Reaper by the narrowest of borrowed margins.
No, I am not recommending this to anyone but me. I respect the individual's right to determine what is in their own best interest. I also respect your right to make the attempt to get in my business by using the tired old argument that what I may consider to be in my best interest might impact someone else's well being, and thus it allows you to be justified in imposing your effect on me. Whatever.
I'm probably hurtling down the road riding the razor's edge of risk, and God help you if you happen to be unfortunate enough to find yourself in my killzone when the reed finally sticks and distracts me enough to cross four lanes and jump the center divider. Go ahead and take it upon yourself be aghast at my cavalier disregard for myself and my fellow man.
Hiding behind the anonymity of this User Name, you can't touch me. I will continue my veritable karmic deathwish of masturbatory musical oblivion to my fellow man.
However, I do ride a motorcycle about 10K miles a year so I think your risk to me balances it out......
Yes, eventually well said, rather balanced arguments in those lines and a tinge of ultimate freedom. I don't judge, I'll just never do as you do; maybe I don't really understand the guys who take the risk, and turn it into humor. You ride a bike? Would it come up to your mind to play harp while riding? Probably no... So, doesn't that mean that if you do it in a car, it's first of all because YOU feel in security in that car?
So, doesn't that mean that if you do it in a car, it's first of all because YOU feel in security in that car?
Why no. That is an erroneous and assumptive conclusion.
It takes two hands to ride a bike, there isn't a handy place to put it down when the time comes, the helmet would get in the way, and the wind speed would mess with my blow reeds and overblow technique.
@Stan. You just need a Mars bar wrapper, actually. I am trying to use the commute time to do a bit of singing. I realised it's a necessary evil for me to learn how to do. Forcing myself to as often as possible. Doesn't require hands either!
Vocal exercises...for all of you that don't sing or that want to improve this is the time to learn. Get a set of audio lessons and use the time to practice a new skill.
