First, this is my premier post. Thanks to all the harmonica forebears (blues, jazz, country, folk and all)and the good people that are part of this forum.
I've been playing (noodling)for nearly 2 years with some very modest success, including some overbends, and while my listening has improved, I wonder if it's developing oddly. Today I was listening to The Tide on the album Cicada by Hazmat Modine and a note jumped out at me a few seconds from the end. I was absolutely sure that that was 6 overblow. After grabbing a A, I confirmed it. The problem is, I just picked up the first harmonica I saw and would have had to cycle through them until I found the right one. This has happened in plenty of other cases on different holes.
So, I can hear the holes. Does this do me any good? Or rather, how can this be used to my advantage? I want to be able hear what key a song is in, hear any irregular chord changes, copy what I hear and someday play what I hear in my head, but this is what I've got for now. Any ideas of what to do with it?
Hi Nisei...Are you good at picking out melodies on the harmonica? Say your "C" harmonica...Can you grab it and play a melody on it that you have in your head? If yes - I would suggest to start learning whole songs. Who are some of the Bands/Players that you like?
Frank: I'm actually not so good at producing a melody from memory. I 'hear' the notes, but then can't find them again on the harmonica. Guess I'll attempt that more often.
I listen to SBWII, Jr Wells, James Cotton, Sonny Terry and Phil Wiggins. I'm working my way through the Nine Below Zero compilation and doing pretty okay with copying. There's something about Sonny Boy's style that's approachable, while still being crazy awesome. The others aren't so easy to imitate.
