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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Couple newbie harmonica instrument questions
Couple newbie harmonica instrument questions
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joypog
1 post
Jul 11, 2012
9:47 PM
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While moving in May I came across a harmonica my buddy gave us last christmas as a stocking. On a whim I decided how to play this thing.
The gift was a really generic thing but it got me started. And after a month I decided to a nicer harmonica (if I'm spending at least 30 minutes every day playing with it, I might as well shell out for something decent). And I ended up with a Hohner Marine Band. I'm perfectly happy with it.
Question 1: Given that I'm messing around with daily (with beginner's copious amounts of drool and horrendous technique) how long should I expect this poor instrument to last? (Poor thing, it really didn't do anything to deserve this fate!)
Question 2: I'm heading out to Vegas for a week in September to hang out with my girlfriend's parents. We're currently living in Houston. I doubt it matters much, but I thought I'd ask. Will the drastic change in humidity be an issue with the wood comb? The last thing I want to do is ruin the Marine Band by bringing it along.
And if I should be worried about this humidity change...or even if I shouldn't be worried about it (giggle, giggle).....
Question 3: As an architect I like pretty stuff...hell I bought the Marine Band because I fundamentally prefer wood over plastic. But a week ago I saw a Golden Melody -- that thing looks cute (very superficial I know) I most likely won't buy it until right before the trip but since I'm asking the question now: would it make sense to get it in the Key of C or should I expand out to the Key of D (per Mr. Gussow's recommendations one the FAQ). My main concern with changing keys is that I fear I will encounter massive cognitive dissonance through dealing with having two different keys as a rank beginner. And if you do recommend a different key do you agree with his recommendation of D?
Thanks for any response, its been fun playing music again! I never got very far with the piano, trombone, or banjo, hopefully something more portable might go a bit further! And even if it don't, I can't complain about being introduced to Sonny Terry, Carlos del Junco, and Junior Wells!
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STME58
215 posts
Jul 11, 2012
10:20 PM
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I have never had a humididy related problem due to travel with a Marine Band. The humidity change in the first few minutes of playing is more than it will experince going from the desert to the tropics. My first Marine band only lasted a month but it failed not from drool, but because I blew too hard. I have a Marine Band that has lasted a couple of years and is still going.
Dont worry about getting tripped up by the key change. your brain will reset to the tonic of the new harp pretty fast.A few notes and your brain is there. Just like listening to two songs in a row on the radio in different keys. You may or may not even realise the second song is in another key, your brain just adapts.That is really one of the cool things about harmonica. You don't have to learn the song in different keys and think about weather the A is flat in the key of Eb. Just grab the right key harp and go.
Get the Golden Melody. It is one of my favorites and many say the same. If you want a wood comb, Rockin Ron's has Golden Melodies with custom wood combs in stock.
Last Edited by on Jul 11, 2012 10:25 PM
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nacoran
5961 posts
Jul 11, 2012
11:09 PM
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How long your harp lasts will depend a lot on how hard you play it. Some people blow out harps in a week. Most of my harps are still going strong after a couple years. (Of course, the more keys you have the less time you'll clock on any one harmonica!) When they die they don't have to go to the great harp beyond. There are guys who will fix a blown reed for a fraction of the cost of a new harp (and if you are handy, you could even do it yourself). Lot's of people throw 'dead' harps into a drawer for spare parts. It's much easier than it is for tuba players.
I'd definitely branch out into a second key. Like STME58 said, the difference isn't that big as far as adjusting to different pitches, and it will mean you can play along with more songs on the radio. You will, as you expand out in keys notice that you have to change your embouchure. It's harder to bend lower keyed harmonicas. You'll find you have to adjust a little, but it's more about how hard it is to bend notes than the key. (Higher harps tend to be easier to bend.) You may not notice much of a difference between C and D.
I actually prefer plastic combs, although I haven't tried any of the newer fully sealed stock wood combs. (I do have one fully sealed wood comb, but it's a custom from Dave Payne's Elk River Harmonicas. It really is beautiful!) There are several people who make great custom combs in the $20-$30 dollar range, and when the reeds on your harp finally do give out, even if you decide not to get the reeds repaired it's really easy to swap out the custom comb onto a new harp (except it's a little harder with Marine Bands because they use nails instead of screws.)
I also recommend Rockin Ron's. He's great to do business with, and he's got several other brands of harps too. Seydel and Suzuki both make nice harps. (I haven't tried the Suzukis myself, but I hear good things.) I play Lee Oskars myself (made by Tombo out of Japan) but I've got to admit they are not pretty looking harps. They are tuned the same way as Golden Melodies, in Equal Temperament. (They sound a little cleaner for playing melodies but a little rougher on playing chords.) Mostly I buy them because they are cheap, durable, and don't hurt my lips as much as Marine Bands.
Welcome to the forum. :)
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Nate
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jbone
995 posts
Jul 12, 2012
4:36 AM
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i like a wood comb but a sealed comb is best, it will not swell out when it gets overly wet. a warped comb can be a pain in the lips since the tines will stick out past the front edge of the reed plates and cover plates and create some difficulty playing.
i have used plastic comb harps for years and in the past 2 years or so my primary harp has been the Suzuki Manji, which has a wood/composite comb which gives similar response features to wood with no swelling.
now another topic is drool and other contaminants inside the harmonica. if you have ever seen inside a harp you can see that the reeds are small, fragile things, attached at one end to the red plate. this allows the reeds to swing when actuated and produce sound in a particular key, note, and pitch. now believe it or not, enough dried saliva on a reed will change the pitch and make you think you have a ruined reed! add to that food and other small particles, bits of lint and mustache hairs getting under the reed, and you have some factors that may fool you into tossing that harp. a simple gently warm water rinse often can clear a harp's reeds and plates out. sometimes a feeler gauge or very thin metal strip run under and around the reed will clear goop out as well and save you from spending money needlessly.
there will come a day when that one note will not work any more. tiny brass reeds do develop metal fatigue and micro cracks and render a reed useless. nacoran mentioned repair guys and they are out there. i myself have never once had a reed replaced, i usually just add one more harp to the boneyard and get another.
i have most keys they make harps in and several different brands and models. variety is nice! as a gigging musician i also have spare harps in my most-used keys.
Adam Gussow has a lot of great teaching video posted on youtube which you may want to check out. there are also some other great guys who have book/cd/dvd sets, and possibly there may be a guy or two around the Houston area who can give lessons. it all depends on how much you want to learn to play and how fast.
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SuperBee
399 posts
Jul 12, 2012
5:19 AM
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key of D? sure, why not. its a useful key, especially in second position. and not such a big step away from C, and takes a little less air, plays a bit faster. i was going to recommend A, but only because i think its more sonically rewarding. i mean, its also a very useful key. i think an A harp sounds wonderful when played well, and i actually found it the easiest key to bend notes on. but you wont go wrong with D. in fact, when i was first learning i had an A and a D and really didnt mess with C until much later...but i didnt have play-along lessons or anything.
at a gig a few weeks ago a lady asked me which harp she should buy. i suggested something in key of C and demonstrated a couple of keys. when she heard my Bflat her eyes lit up. "why would you get a C rather than that?" she asked. i explained about the lessons materials in C and such..but a Bflat harp is, i think, the sweetest and best balanced of all..and quite useful for adam gussow youtube lessons
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joypog
2 posts
Jul 12, 2012
5:38 AM
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Thanks for the all responses!
Funny you should mention the key of A, in one of his videos Adam had also mentioned picking an A harmonica as a good 2nd beginner harp. And I had a similar concern that in theory D was pretty close to C -- and I thought it might be fun to get something a little further away than D (since its now clear my brain won't explode if I get a harmonica in a different key!). I guess in theory I should run out and get all the keys, gotta catch them all like pokemon!
But yeah, I'm just taking it slow, I have a bad history of picking up and dropping hobbies, but I suspect that if I take it nice and easy and just let playing music (lets be honest, making noise at this stage) become a habit and part of daily life, I might just stick to it with this instrument. I don't know if its because its new or if I'm older and more patient, but I'm getting a kick just playing scales.
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bluemoose
770 posts
Jul 12, 2012
9:49 AM
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....or if the top secret highly addictive harmonica joy juice Hohner soaks its combs in has finished leeching out and into your deep neural vibration pleasure synapse centers in you lower brain stem. You're hooked joypog. Welcome to the other side. :)
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Last Edited by on Jul 12, 2012 1:55 PM
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jdblues
94 posts
Jul 12, 2012
12:37 PM
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I firmly recommend getting an A harp.
It is so much easier to learn how to play (and bend) holes 8-10 on an A.
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Pistolcat
209 posts
Jul 12, 2012
12:45 PM
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As a "little-bit-down-the-road-but-still-a-beginner" I recommend you go with a lower key harp. An A harp is extremely useful and really has a nice sound to it. great for tongueblocking and chording, too. My favourite key of harp Is definitely my Bb marine band deluxe. Also useful, second position is F and pretty close to the C harp, only better. But that could be just me. An A harp is nicer if you want to learn first and third position, IMHO.
I bet you'll have ten, or so, harps within a few years anyway. :D they seem to seek YOU out...
Good luck and keep harping.
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eharp
1884 posts
Jul 12, 2012
4:26 PM
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off topic, but still relevant to a newbie- there is a pretty good blues scene in houston.
you might get some info by googling HOOT- harmonica organization of texas.
there are chapters in different cities.
also, if you can reach a guitar player by the name of sonny boy terry(?), he lives in houston. he was my guitar player's teacher when he lived down there.
sonny can help point you to some action.
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MP
2339 posts
Jul 12, 2012
4:40 PM
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D is a good choice. A is a good choice too.
most blues songs are in A or E. most blues players learn second position first. most blues songs are in 2nd pos.
the D harp gives you A in 2nd pos. the A harp gives you E in 2nd pos.
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ElkRiverHarmonicas
1236 posts
Jul 13, 2012
8:19 AM
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I wonder why Adam recommends D. Your next key should be A.
In this order C, A, D, G, Bb.
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dougharps
226 posts
Jul 13, 2012
8:21 AM
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@David
Bb before F??? I use the F a lot more than the Bb!
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Doug S.
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groyster1
1943 posts
Jul 13, 2012
9:59 AM
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there are 6 essential keys with F being one of them...the main use for Bb for me is third position in Cminor
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joypog
4 posts
Jul 13, 2012
10:24 AM
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@David
According to Adam's FAQ (you can find it on the sidebar), its because the D harp 2draw is less troublesome for beginners than the C harp 2draw.
Coincidentally I slammed into that problem last night. Not sure why I didn't notice any issues with my 2draw before, but I was definitely making an awful wheezy noise last night.
Hmm, how hard is the 2draw on the A harp? (for a beginner of course)
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zellecaster
3 posts
Jul 13, 2012
12:00 PM
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My feeling is you are gonna need to get your technique together anyway, so why get a similar key harp based on it being a little easier for you? If you just sit up straight {head up, relax, keep your airway open, it should come together fine for you. When practicing/playing, I like picking up a lower keyed harp {A or G} after playing a higher or middle {C} keyed harp . It's just a nice tonal change.
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groyster1
1944 posts
Jul 13, 2012
3:50 PM
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the bottom line is...whatever the key that who you are jamming with you need the right harp so all 12 keys are relevant also consider the low and high harps re: volume
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gmacleod15
165 posts
Jul 14, 2012
6:31 AM
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Something else....the lower harps like A or G are easier on the ears for those around you when practicing.
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Littoral
558 posts
Jul 14, 2012
7:56 AM
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Should you play harp?
It's a bit of a Zen thing, I think.
We're supposed to play it -or not.
When we first heard it, live especially, we knew that we just had to be able to do that.
But then what happens?
"Oh, yeah, I used have one of those, but I lost it".
My Number 1 rule for learning to play harp, buy a new one when you lose it. Way simple, but essential.
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joypog
5 posts
Jul 14, 2012
2:20 PM
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@gmacleod15
hahah with a 1 bedroom apartment that is not a minor concern, fortunately my girlfriend has been very accomodating...she'd prefer doing this instead of surfing the internet. Speaking of which....
Last Edited by on Jul 14, 2012 2:24 PM
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jbone
999 posts
Jul 14, 2012
9:58 PM
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when i started out i had no idea about different keys of harmonica let alone differtent levels of quality and function. or chromatic, although my gramps had played chromatic for me sometimes when i was very young. i just figured a chromatic was a whole nother animal that i would never attempt.
it didn't take long jamming with a few friends that i realized i needed more keys. it was fairly random at first but i began buying different key harps. to this day i do not have an F# in my case and i seldom use a Db or Ab or E. my working harps are mostly C, A, D, G, low F, F, Bb. occasionally i have need of Eb or Ab but it's very rare. and i do have chromatics in my case which i use also, in C, low C, and G. lots of room to improve there but i do ok.
my point with all of this j-p, is that eventually you may well want a good variety of harmonicas in different keys and brands. for me even after 40 years of messing with these things i still have a lot to learn and they keep making new harps! i would never think of showing up to sit in, jam, or play all night without being as prepared as i can afford to be. this means i want all the harps i am likely to need for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd position in several keys. fortunately a lot of these overlap.
bottom line, even if you go with inexpensive harps at the start, like the hohner piedmont for instance, i suggest getting a 7 key set to mess around with. later, once you get the feel for some different keys you can buy better harps as you see fit and know basically what that key will sound like and how it will perform to some extent.
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Last Edited by on Jul 14, 2012 10:06 PM
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joypog
12 posts
Aug 07, 2012
7:15 PM
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Just to add a few more newbie questions to the mix. I did pick up my Golden Melody in A and I am enjoying it though my poor lips are currently acclimated to my Marine Band and quite prefer it. However, I am interested in trying out a Suzuki Manji and a Suzuki Olive (once again due to pretty!) as part of my process of getting the 6 common keys.
So a few extra follow up questions
1) Is having several different harps detrimental for developing a musical ear and learning technique? I guess if I am still serious by the time that I realize this is a limiting factor stunting my growth, I will happily shell out to get harps of all 6 keys in the preferred model....but I thought a heads up as to your opinions on this eclectic harp acquisition strategy.
2) If I did get a full set of harps in a specific model, I presume the non-chosen models would just get mothballed as backups. I can't imagine that there would be any issue, but I thought I'd just ask the question. Sitting around in their case unused should not have any negative effect on these harps right?
3) I'm also asking cause I think my dad has a couple old harmonicas that he's going to bring it with him next time we meet up. Is there anything I should or shouldn't do when I get them? Once again, I can't imagine what would go wrong with just picking them up and playing them after years of non-use, but I thought I'd ask first.
Rather ask a stupid question if it might prevent me from doing something stupid =)
Thanks!
PS finally getting the 2-hole draw cleanly! I know its most likely old basic stuff for y'all, but hitting it without actively thinking about 2-hole draw technique is giving me the warm fuzzies =)
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Lazerface
44 posts
Aug 07, 2012
7:51 PM
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Lets see...when i started i quickly (within a year) acquired a full set (12 keys, g to f#) of special 20s. I needed the full set since i was going through my dylan phase and was capoing my guitar all over the place. When i would blow out a harp, i would replace it with another special 20. These are great harps, bu i have since added some more c, a, d, g, Bb, B Ab and low f# harps in the mix. I play a lot with guitars tuned down a half step, so i kight need to add a Db and an E or low E i like to have all my bases covered, and have really taken a liking to sealed wood combed harps, but if i ever need to reach for a special 20 i know it will perform. Basically, buy harps, ask for them for gifts, and, most importantly, play the hell outta all of em!
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nacoran
6046 posts
Aug 08, 2012
6:42 AM
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I actually think it might be useful to play on a couple different brands at the start. It means you have to make some slight adjustments (Lee Oskar's holes are a little bigger than other harps, for instance) but as you play the different harps your brain will learn how to make the adjustments on the fly. When I got a Hohner Puck I expected it to be a problem, but after a couple minutes of adjusting I had it pretty much down, and it's as big a difference as you'll find from any other harp. Now I can switch to it without any real problem.
Harps may get mothballed when you have a different one, or you may find that you want one for one song and another for a different song, particularly if your harps are different Temperaments. So far you've got a Marine Band and a Golden Melody. Marine Bands are in a Compromise Temperament, closer to Just Tuning. What that means is that the notes are tuned slightly off of their 'true' values so that the chords sound smoother when you play notes together. The Golden Melody is Equal Tuned. The notes will sound more in tune with the scale and will sound more in tune with other instruments, but the difference is subtle. Sometimes you may want one, sometimes the other, but starting out, it doesn't matter much.
One great virtue of different brand harps in your set is it's easier to tell them apart visually. That's great when someone calls out a key on stage and you only have a few seconds to grab the right harp. (Of course you can get custom combs in different colors if your really like one model.) :)
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Gnarly
309 posts
Aug 09, 2012
12:25 AM
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I have a handful of students, and sometimes when I tell a student they need different keyed harmonicas, they go, "Why?"
I have a case with 40 harps in it, for my gigs, but I still don't have all 12 keys--heck, I don't have a regular F.
I always bring a chrom, tho, and that helps with everything . . .
Last Edited by on Aug 09, 2012 12:27 AM
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joypog
20 posts
Aug 13, 2012
11:10 PM
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Another question...I'm basically using this thread as a running list of questions that are more personal to me as I muddle along....AND THANKS FOR ALL THE COMMENTS SO FAR! (I hope you don't mind if I rarely respond to the answers--I kind of feel as a raw student, I don't have much to "add" to the discussion other than "follow up questions")
So I'm actually getting some of the 2nd and 3rd draw bends...not great, but enough that I can occasionally pull of a diatonic scale at the low octave.
And when I take a break on the low bends, I've been messing around (fairly unsuccessfully) with the 10 blow bend, so I can pop off a 3 octave scale (I guess I can't escape my earlier classical training!)
As mentioned I have a Golden Melody in A and a Marine Band in C. According to JDblues above above he felt an A harp was good for learning blow bends. Obviously, I'd eventually like to be able to pull off blow bends whatever the key or harp, but I don't mind stacking the deck early, it was definitely helpful to hit the 2bends on the A harp and then try to transfer it to the C harp.
Any thoughts if another key would be easier to learn blow bends on the high notes? Also previously mentioned the models I'm looking at for my next purchase would be a crossover, manji and/or olive.
It could well be that I just need to bang my head against the wall a little longer with my A harp. I'm serious...I've been shocked at how well this strategy has worked so far in learning the harp for the past couple months. Cheers!
Last Edited by on Aug 13, 2012 11:11 PM
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timeistight
779 posts
Aug 14, 2012
12:04 AM
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You're doing well trying for a three octave major scale; great for your control. Try major scales in other positions, too; just hum the notes that aren't available.
I'd get G and F harps next (sorry, Gnarly). You may your high end practice slightly easier on the G than on the A, but more importantly, they're both sweet and useful harps and that gets you practicing across the whole range of the standard set. (F# is so rarely used you can put off getting one.)
I also think it's an advantage having G, C and F harps because you can practice playing in G in 1st, 2nd and 3rd position.
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AlexArkansas
14 posts
Aug 14, 2012
12:16 AM
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In general, the lower the better with blow bends. Are you hitting the lower blow bends or trying to go straight for the 10 right off the bat? In any case, you'll find them much easier once you learn to gap your reeds. As for brand, I consider myself a pretty solid intermediate player, and I literally don't play two of the same make harp at the moment. Started with Golden Melodies, went to Sp20s, then Marine Bands, now thinking I'm going back to GMs, after years of trial and error and several lost/broken harps. Keep branching out, but don't become a gearhead yet. You can buy two GMs/Sp20's for the price of a Manji/Crossover and they'll serve you just as well until you get substantially farther up the curve.
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joypog
21 posts
Aug 14, 2012
7:59 PM
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@Timeistight...cool idea, that makes for a good pair of keys to chase down then, the whole concept of position makes kind of rational sense to me but really makes no sense at all, so I'd like to play around with that next!
As for the other blow bends, I did hit them before, but before I picked up a more relaxed jaw, I'm starting to get the 8 blow bend at the moment, but I'm guessing it will take at least a couple weeks to get things worked out...or maybe more...or maybe less. I think after I get my bends clean top to bottom I'm going to work on more musical things (such as getting my brain wrapped around positions), overblows are out there beckoning but I think I'm gonna let them wait a little.
Also one thing that has confused me is how are the keys orderd from low to high? Do they go G(low) through ABCDE to F (high) ? (of course the harps called out as low being the exception) Or is it something else?
@alex, hahah yes I know its totally my inexperience, not the harp that is be holding me back and I have no delusions they will make me sound any better...maybe I won't even notice the increased quality these pricier harps but I'm shelling a little extra cash mainly just to satiate my curiosity (plus on the totally superficial level I love how pretty the olive is!) For now though, I'm going to stick with the harps OOTB, gapping experiments will come later...maybe on my cheap little china made bluesband first!
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AlexArkansas
16 posts
Aug 14, 2012
8:33 PM
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F# is the highest standard key, and it goes down to G from there. I'd say learning a little gapping from the onset can be invaluable (but practicing with your bluesbands is a smart idea). I liken it to guitar- I've heard so many players say "I'll never be able to play bar chords" when in fact their cheapo, super-high action guitar was a big part of the problem. Same for reed gapping and bends/OBs.
As for positions, it's just how our musically illiterate forebearers referred to the circle of fifths. If you can develop your 3rd position playing (or even 4th,5th,etc.) on pace with 2nd, my hat's off to you, but it isn't the common way to learn. Keep in mind that if you want to play blues or country, you'll be in 2nd at least 90% of the time. And most of us start out picking up melodies in first and trying to transpose them across three octaves.
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joypog
23 posts
Aug 19, 2012
10:55 AM
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I just found my old Korg Chromatic CA-30 tuner in my Banjo case, and a couple of AAA batteries later and it was up and running.
It seems at its happiest when set at 442hz with my C Marine Band (while I play the c major scale).
Other than that, I think I'll be using the tuner to get my bends .ess blurred...having a hard time with the 3 hole half step.
But before getting too deep into using it for practice I thought I'd ask if there are any potential problems I should be aware of? I can't think of any ways it would mess up technique down the line....
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timeistight
793 posts
Aug 19, 2012
2:37 PM
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Many people swear by bending practice with tuners or "bend-o-meters" but I don't agree. Half of bending practice is ear training and the electronic aids bypass that, so I'd only use the tuner occasionally, more to check the accuracy of your ears than the accuracy of your bends.
Last Edited by on Aug 20, 2012 11:24 AM
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joypog
24 posts
Aug 19, 2012
9:55 PM
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Makes sense. Half of my pracitice time is during my lunch hour or while waiting for the bus, so at those times I'll be off the tuner. As I've mentioned before I've been using the harp to learn to play by ear (as opposed to previous attempts with other instruments that were based on written music)...but it is so easy to subtly reinsert my eyes in to the mix.
So I won't use it all the time, but I think it will be good to have something to double check and make sure I haven't slipped off the rails once in a while.
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mikolune
150 posts
Aug 19, 2012
10:35 PM
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Depends on people - but as timeistight says, I fare much better with the "by ear" approach. One way is to play melodies that you know well and that involve the bends you are working on. You will hear quickly if you are getting it right or not.
See for ex here:
http://www.modernbluesharmonica.com/board/board_topic/5560960/620104.htm
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AlexArkansas
20 posts
Aug 20, 2012
11:11 AM
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Quick question- can you play a 1st position major scale in the bottom octave comfortably? If so, try transposing those major scale melodies you've picked up in the middle octave to the bottom. Since you're already familiar with them, and have a good ear from your classical training I assume, you should be able to tell quickly if your bends are in tune.
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joypog
25 posts
Aug 20, 2012
11:56 AM
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@Alex, Thanks, I'm not sure why I didn't think of it earlier! I'm gonna have to do that, but unfortunately I'm still working on the lower octave scales, I can occasionally get up cleanly, and haven't been able to work my way back down well at all. So that's definitely #1 on the things to do list before transposing middle octave melodies.
You know how actions often spring from when your heart realizes something even though your head is actively thinking something altogether different? I suspect the reason I pulled out the tuner was because I had started to rationally convince myself that I was getting my bends down and subconsciously I really knew I wasn't there yet.
That said I do think I will use the tuner for (awful pun warning) "tuneups" instead of as a regular practice tool. I'm gonna play with the tuner tonight try to get myself calibrated and then put it back in storage for a week instead of messing with it every single day.
As for my classical training...I never took it nearly intensely enough to get a great ear...but then again, I did play the trombone so you'd think I'd be used to using my ear to nail a note down cleanly...but its so different, your arm is involved, I almost think its a case of large-muscle memory more than ear training. Maybe its just a matter of time and conscious careful listening till I get confident that with my ear.
Its been an interesting process of banging my head against the wall...breakthrough...back to headbangning...breakthrough.... It definitely takes a bit of faith in the process and eventual accretion of skill of daily practice! On the other hand, I'm in no rush, got all the time in the world!
Last Edited by on Aug 20, 2012 11:59 AM
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SuperBee
515 posts
Aug 20, 2012
2:16 PM
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The tuner is very useful up to a point. I have had several very accomplished players recommend using a tuner. Only christelle Berthon expressed reserve about it. Christelle recommended use of a keyboard to match bends and train the ear. But Ian collard, dave Barrett, jimi lee all advised use of a tuner to ensure yo are hitting the pitches. I use the tuner to help with exercises JL suggested, such as moving from one bent note to another with the aim of having the tuner needle stay straight up and down. I think it's a useful tool. Ear training is most important but the tuner is a good tool. Even just exercises of holding the bent note for ten seconds and note allowing it to drift off pitch, it's amazing how helpful the visual reference is, and creates awareness and helps hearing.
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