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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Music skills
Music skills
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laurent2015
442 posts
Oct 04, 2012
10:50 AM
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I decided to be helped by a teacher.
In the process of harp playing and music understanding, I'm not going backwards, but neither forwards -or so few- and figured out that I've got no discipline in working for my pleasure (fortunately, I have that discipline in my job...although...some days...).
I want to experiment with someone not virtual, and this will be the first time I'll live that!
As for skills, they are likely related to working, more or less hardly, and this is the point. I'm sure musical genes are not needed to be good in music but in that respect I feel quite a bit lonesome, cause in my family and acquaintances in the broadest sense, nobody did ever -nor currently- play music, except a young niece: I'm the one and only alien having once been interested in "making" music.
So if I bear musical genes, they are very small.
My question is: how do you get on with this, someone among your relatives did positively influence you, or maybe other musicians you know or knew personnaly?
In terms of skills, inventivity, originality or merely comprehension of what music is, I think those folks can be a lot more important then supposed good genes, don't you think?
And this: are you someone definately skilled on your own, in your own crystal tower?
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JInx
313 posts
Oct 04, 2012
11:27 AM
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Try not to be bogged down by that stuff. Just play.
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Sun, sun, sun
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Soon, soon, soon
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HarpNinja
2731 posts
Oct 04, 2012
11:34 AM
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I got into music because my friends were into music. I've always loved listening to music, but I started singing and playing harmonica because of friends.
When I was a senior in college, a friend tricked me into buying my first harmonica. I said I wanted to learn to play, but wanted a teacher. He said he could play and he'd get me started. I bought one, went to his house, and then asked him to show me how to play. He had no clue, lol.
I can comfortably say that any success I've had in anything, including harmonica, was a result of hard work and trying to do the right thing. Sometimes genes have helped, and other times they've made things harder. I'd call it a push.
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Mike
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boris_plotnikov
778 posts
Oct 04, 2012
12:26 PM
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laurent2015
Find a band with best possible musician you can find. Much better than you.
Also check Viktor Wooten's Groove Workshop. Incredible school about music in general.
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Excuse my bad English. Click on my photo or my username for my music.
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nacoran
6122 posts
Oct 04, 2012
1:02 PM
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My dad was in choirs growing up, and my mom played trumpet in high school and sang in local a local choir (which I sang in sometimes too). I took up the baritone in grade school, quit, took it up again in middle school, quit, then switched to choir.
I don't have what I'd consider a lead voice. I tried piano and guitar, but I have chronic problems with the tendons in my wrists. After college choirs I kind of gave up music (at one point I was minoring in music), but I was an English Major, focuses on writing, so I got into writing a lot of lyrics. I tried singing backup in my friends band. He got frustrated thinking I was trying to take over lead singing (which I REALLY didn't want to do. I really don't like my voice that much.) I just wanted to get my lyrics out there.
One day, I was going up a flight of stairs, and huffing and puffing. I'd read harmonica was good for asthma, and I had one lying around, plus I figured maybe it would help with not biting my nails. It helped with both and it was fun. I discovered MBH, got a new band, and taught myself to play well enough so I don't embarrass myself on stage too often (at least on prepared numbers- still weak on jams). It's turned into a little bit of an obsession. It lets me use my writing skills for lyrics, sing, play an instrument, hang out with friends, and even brainstorm crazy ideas for new harps and harp products, even if I don't have follow through to actually make them.
My brother took a little trumpet and was in choir with me (well, the one year we were both in high school together). My one aunt and uncle both sang in the the Tanglewood Choir, and still sing with local choirs in Boston, and my other aunt sings Sacred Harp music when she goes to folk festivals. My dad and step-mother have both recently taken up uke!
The funny thing is, I don't really consider my family relationships to be musical. Aside from both being in the bass section in high school my brother and I never really did music together, (harmonica actually bothers his tinnitus, I can only play the bottom 6 notes on my LLF around him), choir with my mom and aunt, both who were in other sections of the choir, and some help with my trumpet playing mother for my baritone homework I've never really done any music with any of them, certainly never any sit down and jam stuff. Hmm. Strange.
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Nate
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jbone
1065 posts
Oct 05, 2012
4:28 AM
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to me there are a couple or 3 classes of harp player- at least! there are natural musicians who pick up playing with little or seemingly no effort at all. there are those who can learn by reading and seeing musical charts and scales etc and applying that to actual playing. and there are the stubborn ones like myself who began playing not having any idea how to go about it, having no teacher, and with little ability to understand teaching materials like tabs etc. in my case i slowly learned enough to make it through a song and slowly learned more about the craft and art of playing harp as i went along. after about 20 years of struggle, learning a bit at a time and knowing enough to work with bands and do ok on stage at jams, i was shown some new ideas about harp ie 3rd position, back to more thorough 1st position, and also how to command a stage with harmonica, voice, and attitude. that was 15 years ago. these days i know it all- NOT!! i will never know all there is to know about playing harmonica, but i do know enough- and am always willing to learn from my peers and those who are better than i- that it is a fascinating journey.
this evening or possibly tomorrow we will go to Helena for a bit of King Biscuit and may play some on Cherry Street. weather permitting.
if you want to learn the art and craft of playing, challenge yourself. listen to a variety of music and try to work out harp parts along with horn and keyboard lines. learn different positions and play the same song different ways. work with any and all who will work with you. find a partner to play with as a duo and hit the street corner. work with any band who asks you. play along with cd's and youtube, jam with other harp players, go to harp seminars and clinics. sometimes, just get away by yourself and wring every note out of a given harp for a few hours.
it does not matter what sort of learner you are. what matters is working at it and playing with it. time with harp in face is what will make a difference.
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Frank
1261 posts
Oct 05, 2012
4:51 AM
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Continued perseverance... year> after year > after year > after year > after year "add infinity", and you will arrive to that happy little place which you've always dreamed about experiencing!
Last Edited by on Oct 05, 2012 4:53 AM
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laurent2015
443 posts
Oct 05, 2012
5:14 AM
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Thanks to all: as usually, there's something to pick up in every post.
@jbone:"to learn from my peers": the teacher will be the first harp player peer I'll meet, and I don't know him yet (but achieved tomorrow afternoon).
@Boris:"Find a band with best possible musician you can find" yes, but what can I offer them in return?---
Beeing able to play with a band is one of my purposes,
though, but it comes late in my life...
@Nate: Toots is also a great asthmatic, but as you can see, nothing's impossible!
@Harpninja:"was a result of hard work":that's my problem: I'm not afraid of hard working, but it has to be in the good direction; my actual direction is going round and round..
@Frank: good gif: that's all me!.
Last Edited by on Oct 05, 2012 5:15 AM
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