lynn
33 posts
Jul 02, 2012
4:32 PM
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Got a question for my dirty south blues harp forum homies:
I'm learning this chug rhythm and while I love to play it I lose my breath after about 45 seconds. I know how to inhale through my nose while playing a draw note so that's not the problem. The problem is that I get all filled up with air and can't get rid of it. This rhythm doesn't involved any blow chords otherwise I'd just exhale the extra air that way (the way Adam teaches it on one of his videos). It's basically single notes (d&b) interspersed with a draw chord. Any suggestions?
It's the 'John Lee Hooker' rhythm off Peter Madcat's instructional rhythm DVD, in case anyone's familiar.
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Leatherlips
114 posts
Jul 02, 2012
6:03 PM
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If I do any chugging I'm always exhaling either on the beat or between beats, otherwise I think I would have your problem. Maybe you could do half tempo to accommodate your breath out.
As I can't hear the problem you are having, It's difficult to say exactly what's going on.
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FMWoodeye
415 posts
Jul 02, 2012
6:13 PM
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I was trying breath-saving tricks when health issues put breath at a premium, so much so that I avoided lower-key harps because they seemed to require more breath. In a solo situation, I found that I could say or shout something..."Suffer, Bitch" or "Kill my landlord!!" or even a "Yeah!" or an exhaling grunt. If you can shout "Yeah!" you can empty your lungs it an instant.
Last Edited by on Jul 02, 2012 6:15 PM
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eharp
1849 posts
Jul 02, 2012
6:42 PM
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aint no real reason on suffering with a copy of a chug.
look at madcat's notation, find the pattern and vary it ever so slightly to accommodate your exhale.
no one is going to notice unless you enter the "copy madcat"contest and he is the judge.
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KingoBad
1132 posts
Jul 02, 2012
7:07 PM
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You need to go back and pay closer attention to what Madcat is doing. He does not inhale a whole song. Pay attention to where he breathes. There are exhales or gasps in there somewhere. I haven't had the DVD out in a long time. His chugs are certainly not your average chugging.
Learning how to exhale is sometimes an art. You will instinctively do it later, like grace notes and othe embellishments, they just come with time and a lot of playing.
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Danny
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barbequebob
1966 posts
Jul 03, 2012
8:25 AM
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It still comes down to one thing too many players have a huge problem with and that's using too much breath force, and 98% of the time, especially for newer players who have been teaching themselves to play, it's the single most common problem of them all, and better than half the time, it's the draw breath that's the real problem because many players who use too much breath force are going to have their draw breaths being CONSIDERABLY harder than their draw breaths, which not only makes them get winded fast, but it also hampers them whenever they have to play anything that involves very rapid shifts from draw to blow breath and vice versa and most of the players guilty of this NEVER think they're playing too hard.
Think of it like trying to run a 100 yard dash, but with the caveat being that not only do you have to run it as fast as you can, but you also have a pair of 700 lb. Sumo wrestlers in a really bad mood tied to your back and you cannot drop them for a nanosecond, and this is about an accurate description of what too much breath force does to you and no person is gonna be able to do a 100 yard dash at top speed while having two Sumo wrestlers tied to them at all.
Use at least 1/2 of the force you're using and the chugging will become much easier and you will get winded far less, plus your tone and agility will improve pretty dramatically.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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harpdude61
1463 posts
Jul 03, 2012
8:36 AM
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I think Adam has another lesson where he explains blowing excess air over the top of the harp while also playing the blow notes.
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colman
174 posts
Jul 03, 2012
12:03 PM
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i forget who put the book out back in the 60`s,but his technic was to start with draw on 2&3 hole with a "dit-dit" blow on 2&3 hole "huh and back to 2&3 hole
draw "dat-dat" this was a great thing if you worked on it,dit-dit--huh- dat-dat--huh- dit-dit--huh-dat-dat, you work on this after awile you will be chuggin` like a locomotive even blow that train whistle on 4
&5 ,blow...i learned this way back then and still use it as a base for chord chugging...
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toxic_tone
308 posts
Jul 03, 2012
1:09 PM
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i agree practice your breathing technique its what saved my life. you see im a smoker and i used to run out of air all the time. now i can chug what seems like forever with out even breaking a sweat or feeling winded. you dont need alot of air to make the harp work so just play play play play play play and you will eventually come across how to do it easy
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lynn
36 posts
Jul 05, 2012
9:32 AM
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>>I think Adam has another lesson where he explains blowing excess air over the top of the harp while also playing the blow notes<<
Yup, I remember that lesson. As I recall that technique was only applicable for blow chords as you can take your entire mouth off the harp. Alas, this little rhythm lacks blow chords so I need another technique.
I've actually been having some success these past coupla days exhaling through my nose while playing a single blow note. I think getting better at this will eventually solve the problem.
Thanks everyone for your suggestions.
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Fingers
182 posts
Jul 05, 2012
10:51 AM
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Lynn it may help to use 3 blow aswell as 2 draw then you can use an out breath as they are the same note!!
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Rick Davis
482 posts
Jul 05, 2012
4:40 PM
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Yep, use the 3 blow and release air around the harp.
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-Rick Davis
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