I stumbled across the following video and thought it was worth posting here. First, the video. Then I'll tell you why I posted it:
If I were a raw beginner, I'd kill to be able to play like this. In fact, when I was a raw beginner, this IS how I wanted to play. The guy keeps a good solid groove. He's bending the 2, 3, and 4 draw. He sounds funky, "bluesy." He makes interesting hand motions. He's got more than enough going on to bring any bar full of drunks to their feet, if somebody hands him a mic and he gets to blast this stuff through the house PA.
This is perfectly good, competent, basic blues harp. If I were asked to place him somewhere in my chart, I'd call him a solid intermediate, based solely on the evidence in this video.
I think that many people in the world who know nothing about blues harp would hear this guy and say, "He's really great!" And I'd know what they mean. His playing certainly pulls him above some crucial bluesiness threshold.
When I'd just started playing harp, there was a guy in my school who had a friend who could play like this. I saw him once, heard him play at a party, and I couldn't get the sound out of my mind. I NEEDED to find the guy and get some lessons. His name was Matthew. I'd forgotten about him until now, in fact. He was the first guy I ever saw playing live who had....blues in his sound. He inspired me in a crazy way.
But that's why this video is instructive: because when I hear this guy now, with more than three decades of playing and listening behind me, I'm also able to hear everything he can't do, all the places where there's clearly room for improvement.
*) He hasn't the faintest idea what to do with the 3 draw bend. He just quacks on it, the pitch varies wildly, it sounds "bluesy," and he leaves it at that
*) He doesn't really vary the texture. This clip is all eighth notes, for the most part. One brief warble, no single notes held for a long time. His rhythmic concept, in other words, is partially developed, but no more than that. Repetition is good, but it's also good to have somewhere to go. DeFord Bailey always took his train somewhere.
*) No tongue blocking. Just lip pursing. And something's missing, if you know what to listen for.
*) No vibrato.
*) No audible influences EXCEPT for blues harmonica, and probably not that many blues harp influences at that. (I.e., no John Lee Williamson, Little Walter, etc.) Certainly he's not tossing off horn lines! So what comes across is both idiomatic and unoriginal, and it's idiomatic in an unsubtle way rather than a way that clearly connects it with the best players in the tradition. I'd be very curious to know, in fact, who this guy's direct influences actually were. Whose licks has he been trying to copy? Sonny Terry's, perhaps? I suspect that he's done more listening to second-hard influences--blues-rockers who listened to Sonny Terry and Sonny Boy Williamson, rather than the originals themselves. That's just a guess, though.
So those are all areas for possible improvement.
Let me stress: I'm not slamming this guy, at all. He's playing good basic blues harp. He's not a bad aspirational model for a raw beginner. But neither is he a fantastic player--regardless of what a bar of drunks might say--nor is he a good model for a player who is already at the intermediate level.
What do you think? What do you hear?
Last Edited by on Jun 03, 2009 7:23 AM
Kudzurunner: Very interesting observations and you've just explained to me why I kind of like what he's doing and it would grab my attention initially but then it wouldn't command it for too long.
I don't know may be it's because before you came along and a few others that's how I had heard a lot of harp players play. In away its'good stuff and I enjoy his playing.
The thing that really stands out when any player plays to me providing they got all the basic stuff down OK is their infuences or lack of them, or more often than not the sterio typical influences.
To my way of seeing things it tells more about a players character than anything else. .
Last Edited by on Jun 03, 2009 8:35 AM
I think Adam is bang on with his assessment. Obviously this guy can play decently, but what I hear is a lack of subtlety and nuance.
One thing I notice is he's playing way too hard, or not breathing correctly. I watched a few of his videos and he almost falls over at the end of each one. The uninitiated might think that is a good thing --- he's "givin' 'er".
His playing also sounds a little sloppy to me. Really good players can play fast and clean; any extra sounds or effects are intentional. This fellow blasts away and sounds blusey, but I seems like he's not in complete control of his sound. My 2 cents.
Last Edited by on Jun 03, 2009 10:04 AM
Really what I'm talking about is the sliding scale of evaluation that every serious harp player needs to possess. If a guy who plays like this comes to me and says, "I want to take lessons," I need to be able to make a professional assessment: Do I have anything to teach him? What does he do well? What does he NOT do, that he might be doing? Where are the possible places for further development?
This website is about encouraging players of all levels to keep setting higher standards for themselves, even while achieving satisfaction at whatever level they find themselves. It's important to me that developing players know what the very best stuff sounds like, and how to distinguish between good stuff, very good stuff, excellent stuff, and truly superb stuff.
I know that Buddha is willing, at the drop of a hat to point out anything that falls short of truly superb. :)
I think it's also important to be clear-sighted about, and receptive to, the stuff in the middle. That's where I'd place this guy. He's got some good stuff. But Patrick Barker's blue notes, for example, are better.
I would never think of telling a guy like this, "You suck," because he doesn't--even if, with a little effort, I can find four or five ways in which he might, with some effort and study, plainly expand and deepen and improve what he's doing. Right now he's doing a number of important things well. In fact, to the extent that there's anything original going on here, it's all in the first ten seconds or so, where he's creating some interesting rhythmic patterns that definitely aren't stock stuff.
As a teacher, I'd certainly feel proud if I managed to teach a student to play like this--except for that danged 3 draw bend, which I'd get on him repeatedly for until he finally did it right.
Last Edited by on Jun 03, 2009 1:15 PM
"I'd call him a solid intermediate, based solely on the evidence in this video."
That's embarrassing because he's better than me, and I thought I was AI, so now I've demoted myself to AB.
But it's not that simple - my techniques and my bends are all good, I just don't play enough, I noodle and I do porch improv. I obviously need to stick to whole pieces from now on. And develop my stamina and breathing technique. I used to have blackouts when I played the oboe because I forgot to breath in. So the harmonica is a god-send in that sense. Now I just have to learn to breathe out!
All I'd fault the guy on is his losing the beat pretty often.
Last Edited by on Jun 03, 2009 1:48 PM
Beginners see his energy and excitement and think it's good. Seasoned harpist's see his lack of musicality and think its not very good. ---------- "Without music, life would be a mistake" -Nietzsche
Yeah, I couldn't discern anything musical in what sounded to me like a lot of limited technique strung together'in time'.
That said it is only my opinion ie I don't know that I can do any better however I agree that it would appeal to a bar full of drunks. I have also done work that could only appeal to a bar full of drunks but it was too early & they were all too sober!
I find the classification 'beginner' 'intermediate' & 'advanced' very confusing. Sure comparing blues harp techniques only it may be possible. Overall harmonica playing I find that in some areas I can accomplish quite advanced tunes however in others I am a rank beginner ie does this mean I am intermediate?
Take advanced techniques like overblows ie does this mean you are not advanced if you can't or don't use them? There are professional players who don't use them. What if you choose not to do certain techniques ie too hard, don't see a benefit, can find an alternative etc?
I like the word you used Patrick ie 'seasoned'. That I certainly am ie a little bit of this and that & after lots of practice accomplished at some (advanced), knowing what I have to do (intermediate), havn't a clue (beginner). But today I will be a beginner again in trying to learn something new.
Last Edited by on Jun 03, 2009 4:06 PM
Sorry Adam, but as much as you're comments might be valid, and I know you're not slamming the guy, I don't think HE is the person that should be "evaluated" or "shown off as a sample what's good and bad about him" unless he specifically asked you to (or you asked him) He doesn't strike me as a member of this herd and I can imagine that he even might be flattered if his video is featured here, but I'm not sure if he would feel the same about the un-asked for criticism. I understand that you're not hanging this guy out to dry here, but I know that I would feel very uncomfortable (to say the least) when one of my videos was used at some harmonica fan site and a bunch of people, unknown to me, would dissect my playing, without my permission.
I believe that putting up videos here is a great thing, it's a great way to introduce good players (pro & amateur), introduce different and/or new styles of playing etc. but as a forum, we should distance ourselves from making "evaluation" style comments, if the video in question is used without permission. Am I the only one who feels like this? Now, talking about evaluating..... what's happening to the videos of those guys who won the "Wailer Slow Blues" contest...?
That's the "What do you think" part..
About the "What do you hear" part.. I would like to listen to this video at the owner's channel, because this video is maybe 3 weeks old, perhaps it is 3 years old, perhaps he also has other videos I want to see/listen to and WHO is this guy? In other words, when we put up a video here that's not ours, perhaps it would be a good idea to add a link or a name so people who want to know more can easily find the owner's channel....
Sorry if I come over "a little bit on the negative side", that's not my intention, it's just how I feel about it..... Also.. I feel crappy because my favorite brand harmonica only answers my e-mails when I start to become a pain in the a$$, howz that for service? go figure........
? ---------- DutchBones Tube
Last Edited by on Jun 04, 2009 12:00 AM
When a person posts a video on youtube, they're putting it up for judgement. If they don't want that they can put it as a private video or just not post it. ---------- "Without music, life would be a mistake" -Nietzsche
That's right Patrick, but I would like to have that happening at my channel, where I posted my video. Not at I place perhaps unknown to me by a bunch of people I don't know .... Some people are cool what that, some are not... ---------- DutchBones Tube
Dutch. I think your philosophy is very honorable. However. The music and techniques of many musicians both professional and amateur are discussed here (without their permission) all the time. Does it make a difference if the music were recorded? as opposed to a video? How about a street performer somebody else recorded and posted. How about when YouTube videos are posted to show examples of good playing?
I think when you put it on the internet you open yourself up. It's the nature of the web.
Last Edited by on Jun 03, 2009 6:07 PM
You're right S, the list is endless... My point is, that we should not put some guy who nobody knows up here to discuss his capabilities as a player, or at least, we should let him know. I'm sure that any good player out there, may it be Lee Oscar, Howard Levy, harp gurus from the internet or some street performer, wouldn't give a ratsass if we grilled, fried and chopped them up here, S%&t, they are much better players than we are anyway... I'm talking about John Doe, who if he ever stumbles in here, would get the surprise of his life.....
Just because other places do what they like and don't care about what's right, doesn't mean we have to adopt the same attitude here.... I thought it was different here..... Does anybody remember what happened when a certain player from France was "evaluated" here? Lets not repeat this.....
........... just re-reading my rant and I'm wondering if it's actually worth pushing the "post message" button on this one..... but yeah.... what the heck... it's my honest opinion..... so here she goes....... -push- (post message)
Think that Dutch is misreading Adam. I think Adam was fairly glowing in his praise in classifying the guy as intermediate. I put my point of view forward which bluntly meant I didn't like it. I also said it was only my opinion as really I don't feel qualified to judge levels of competence.
I think if you post a video then you are begging criticism - good & bad. It would be a totally different matter if we were to criticise something personal about the guy which was unrelated to his harp playing.
Well here's my 2 cents. I agree with Adam when he says this guy doesn't show a wide variety of techniques, but still sounds good. I listened quickly to a couple other of his videos, and he consistently shows a traditional honky-tonk kind of blues feeling in his playing. I like it. I wish I sounded that good. So what do I take from this. I think some harpers can master a lot of technique but have very little musical sense, and their stuff doesn't sound that good. Others have more limited skills, but they have some music mojo and sound good. At the end of the day, the point of playing music is to entertain and sound good, not to do overblows or tongue-blocking for their own sake. If I want to be entertained, I want to listen to the guy with limited skills who sounds good. I know we all want to have both the mojo and the techniques, and that's what I think getting to the next level is all about.
Dutch--I see your point, but I noticed that this guy posted a blues version of Happy Birthday as a video response to Adam's big 5-0 Whammer Jammer anniversary vid--so if he's not an active member in the forum, he's at least in the club....showing once again that Adam is omnicient in all things harmonica....!
I finally had a chance to read most of the posts in this thread.
A couple of things:
1. I totally agree with Adam
2. Anything that is available in a highly visible and otherwise public format is up for critique. feel free to critique myself as it only helps me get better. If you can't handle criticism you have no business posting videos on youtube or even play music in public. If you go out to play music for people to tell you how good you are then there is something wrong with your head.
"Think that Dutch is misreading Adam" Aussie - I thought it was very interesting and probably very helpful for aspiring players like ourselves, that's not the problem. What I see as a problem is that I had the impression that a random person (not a member here) was being used to point out good and bad things about his playing. And although others might learn from that, I believe that the person being used for this, should know about it, that' all...
"Dutch--I see your point, but I noticed that this guy posted a blues version of Happy Birthday as a video response to Adam's big 5-0 Whammer Jammer anniversary vid--so if he's not an active member in the forum, he's at least in the club...."
HH -Sorry, my mistake, didn't see that one (video response) I assumed that he is not a member, since he didn't respond at all...
"If you can't handle criticism you have no business posting videos on youtube or even play music in public"
Buddha - you're missing the point, not being able to handle criticism is not the problem here , criticism helps us grow. But I also believe that the person who is being criticized should know that he or she is being criticized, it's that simple.... (we're talking about an average YT poster, not a pro or semi pro musician who laughs at our babbles) Anyway, doesn't the person being used have the first right to know about and benefit from this criticism? You're saying it's okay to grab anybody without their knowledge from the internet and use them for our own purpose? Darn, I promised myself never to get in these kind of "conversations" on the internet, and now started one myself. Darn! I should spend this time playing my harp instead of doing this.... See ya'll!
PS Buddha: I agree with Ada's assessments too..
---------- DutchBones Tube
Last Edited by on Jun 04, 2009 12:05 AM
"You're saying it's okay to grab anybody without their knowledge from the internet and use them for our own purpose? "
Yes.
Everybody does this and not just on the internet. If you've ever been to a bar or a mall etc and thought another person was weird/odd/not dressing right/acting like and ass/driving a POS car etc you're being critical. Did you ask the stranger if it was ok to to talk to your friend to discuss how the stranger was dressed? Because if you do then YOU are weird.
It's ok to be critical as it generally improves basic standards, sets rules and boundaries for us all to get along better.
Perhaps you'd prefer the term Evaluate?
Critical = Evaluative
The result of evaluation can range from positive to negative, from acceptance to rejection or anything in-between.
Last Edited by on Jun 04, 2009 5:48 AM
I got into the (pointless) habit of getting into a few scraps on here. You're right: it is best to spend your time playing.
Typing is a very slow way to express your thoughts. And, if people don't like your thoughts, you feel compelled to do a lot more typing.
As for the video, it helped me to think a little more about how far down the road I am. ---------- 'If it sounds GOOD to you, it's bitchen; if it sounds BAD to YOU, it's shitty' - Frank Zappa
I won't join the fray of should or shouldn't this video be critiqued, but I will say this. If this was my video I’d be thrilled to death to have someone like Adam give an honest and fair assessment of where I am and, what I need to improve upon.
As one of the first to chime in on this topic, I just want to say that my comments were meant entirely in the spirit of the question of "what separates intermediate players from advanced ones?"
Adam provided a lot of food for thought on this, and I think that the player, Todd Gates, should not be offended by a little mild and constructive criticism in the process. Do we have to ask permission to discuss any publicly accessible content on the Internet? I think not.
But Dutch does have a point too, that perhaps it would be polite to make him aware of our discussion, so that he can benefit from it and contribute to it, if he desires. I hope that he is, or becomes, a member of our "band".
Last Edited by on Jun 04, 2009 8:58 AM
There's a solo I recorded two years ago, it's posted in the topic "Tasty harp solo that was sent to me", and I'd be very pleased to read some more critics about it, before the topic goes in page 2... (not pushing anyone though).
You're entitled to your opinion, but I think you are mistaken. You're questioning my ethical judgment, and it's thus important that I respond.
First, I don't speak behind anybody's back. I think carefully about what I write, and I choose my words on the assumption that whomever I'm writing about will ultimately read what I've written. (I certainly don't, by the same token, feel the obligation to chase down anybody I've ever written about and say "See what I've written about you.")
Second, this particular player posted this video in a highly public forum, as a demonstration of his playing. It's not a private video, filched behind his back by a third party. He put it out there in public to say "This is what I can do." And of course YouTube allows public comments--assuming they're enabled--on every video that is posted. All that being the case, I don't see how my comments here are breaching any sort of boundary.
Third, criticism can take many forms. My own criticism, I submit, consisted of a great deal of praise AND some comments about "places for improvement." It is true that in my initial post, I got crabby about his misuse of the 3 draw bend and I did use a couple of strong words like "unoriginal" and "unsubtle." It's also true that I moderate my comments in my second long post. I also say that I'd be proud to have taught somebody to play like this. My pedagogical intent is clear and, I believe, ethical. I'm trying to encourage ALL developing players to develop the skills that this particular player has, then push beyond them.
Again, let me stress: This player put this video out for the world to see, and for the world to comment on. I've commented on it, as conscientiously and intelligently as I could. I submit that anybody who reads what I've written in the posts above (and I haven't touched them since this discussion gathered steam) will agree. If, on considered reflection, you don't agree, then we've got an honest disagreement. But I don't believe I've done anything wrong here, and, with all due respect, I don't intend to change the way I conduct myself in this forum.
Last Edited by on Jun 04, 2009 8:58 AM
Thanks Adam for posting this, it was very timely for me as I was beginning to feel like the forum was moving further and further toward the "if it ain't awesome, it sucks" mentality. It really hit home to me what you thought a decent player sounded like. For many beginners, to hold up an accomplished high level pro as the bar to reach can be depressing. I'm not saying one shouldn't strive for that, just that the light at the end of the tunnel can seen pretty far away. Especially if you've picked up this bedeviling little instrument late in life.
Regarding the critique issue, anytime you create a video of yourself playing and put it on-line you are fair game. Often the criticisms you receive are particularly harsh because of the anonymity of the critics. But I've never seen this to be the case with Adam. He's always balanced and helpful.
Last Edited by on Jun 04, 2009 9:21 AM
Thanks for jumping in Adam, as I said before, I don't disagree with your comments on the video, the opposite is true, I found it interesting and helpful. And if MY video was used here I would be thrilled too. That,'s, if I knew about it...... However it doesn't look like my point came across or was valid.... Either way, this thing is getting out of hand so I bow out here. Sorry for the inconvenience caused ... ---------- DutchBones Tube
My favorite part is at the very end when he's done playing. The quick look to his left and the stagger off camera I find very thought provoking. What's going on? It's almost like he's getting caught. By who? What's he done wrong? Is he playing this during a church service or funeral and someone has come out to scold him? Is he trespassing? Are the police coming?
Adam you know as well as I do that he is not the exception, but rather the rule. He is one of many harp players that hasn't figured out what to learn. This has been a common problem in the past with blues harp players. I sense that a lot of people don't like the stuff that budda says about blues harp, but for the most part it is true. Most blues harp people don't take the time to figure how to play the harmonica! It's not just blues harp. It is a harmonica. I love blues music, but I don't listen to other harmonica players anymore. Charlie Musslewhite opened my eyes to what happens if you think of blues harp as: Learn to play the harmonica and then put it to blues! You kind of have to learn to do both of these at the same time during the formative years! People are always saying the harmonica is limited. well only as much as you let it be! I don't know everything and I'm good with that, but what I get from that is when I pick up the harp tonight I could possibly learn something new! Or hopefully I'll get better at hitting overblows with consistency. I won't go into all the stuff I practice, but if you listen closely to Adams recordings think about how he got good enough to do all the different techniques on the recordings. Don't worry about learning his songs. Learn the techniques that he learned to play the songs. Oh and listen a little to Mark Hummel. He's more grounded in the blues, but has great ideas in that vein!
Last Edited by on Jun 06, 2009 5:18 AM
chromaticblues: well said, agree with what you say. I came to blues late in my journey with the harmonica. Listening to the good blues harp guys play I knew it wasn't easy. Some early internet courses, plus a workshop spruiked - master blues harp in a day!! Come in sucker!!
I was also told by a blues harp player, who plays in a group that is locally known, that it was really easy ie just stick to sucking on the bottom of the harp and providing it was in the right key I would be right. This same guy said he really envied my playing as he was unable to play tunes!!
The harmonica is much more than a blues harp. To play any genre of music I believe you must start by learning the instrument first.
This is Todd, the player in the above posted video, and I'm deeply honored that you chose my video to discuss. I was introduced to Satan & Adam by a friend a few years ago, after which I promptly bought Harlem Blues, then Living on the River and Mother Mojo, followed by your book Mister Satan's Apprentice (which I found fascinating for several reasons, although I won't go into that here, as this post's length is already excessive). In other words I'm a big fan of yours, so it was a great thrill for me to hear you discuss my playing. (I discovered this forum after clicking on this video's "Sites linking to this video" link: I wanted to see if I could discover why this 2007 video of mine had suddenly got so many hits and comments!)
Before I respond to your critique, I'll just say a few words about my background. My harmonica playing is strictly amateur, and my experience is limited mainly to my years in the 1990s practicing while walking back & forth between my subway stop and my New York City office job (this was before my company relocated to New Jersey). In my pre-parenthood years (1980s) I *did* pursue music professionally, but that was as a keyboardist (and the only time I actually earned my living solely as a musician was the two years I spent on the road; most of my income back then was from waiting tables).
Okay, here are my responses to your comments and those of others on this forum:
> If I were a raw beginner, I'd kill to be able to play like this. In fact, when I was a raw beginner, this IS how I wanted to play. The guy keeps a good solid groove.
TOO kind!
> He's bending the 2, 3, and 4 draw. He sounds funky, "bluesy." He makes interesting hand motions. He's got more than enough going on to bring any bar full of drunks to their feet, if somebody hands him a mic and he gets to blast this stuff through the house PA.
Ha-ha . . . yes, this would fit in well with a room full of drunks! And it would be even better if I were drunk myself, as I'd then have a good excuse for my sloppy playing!
> This is perfectly good, competent, basic blues harp. If I were asked to place him somewhere in my chart, I'd call him a solid intermediate, based solely on the evidence in this video.
I'm very flattered!
> I think that many people in the world who know nothing about blues harp would hear this guy and say, "He's really great!" And I'd know what they mean. His playing certainly pulls him above some crucial bluesiness threshold.
Yes, "people who know nothing about blues harp" is the key to being impressed my mediocre playing! In fact, when friends/acquaintances ask me to play something for them because they heard from someone else that I'm really good, I always respond with an answer to the effect of "well, people who associate the harmonica only with Bob Dylan (and campfire renditions of people trying to pick out "Home on the Range") think I'm a good player--but those who are familiar with the blues harp masters know that I'm only a pale (so to speak) imitation."
> *) He hasn't the faintest idea what to do with the 3 draw bend. He just quacks on it, the pitch varies wildly, it sounds "bluesy," and he leaves it at that
I *believe* I show a bit more control on the 3 draw bend on some of my other harp videos . . . and on "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" I get a more or less distinct minor third, second, and flatted second (albeit my flatted second is a bit sharp). But my version is quite pathetic compared to your amazing version on Harlem Blues, so please don't listen to it!
> *) No tongue blocking. Just lip pursing. And something's missing, if you know what to listen for.
True--I don't know how to tongue block. (Okay, if you went ahead and listened to "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" anyway, you'll see that I attempt a bit of tongue blocking there. But I learned it just for that song: that tiny excerpt is the total extent of my tongue blocking abilities.)
> *) He doesn't really vary the texture. This clip is all eighth notes, for the most part. One brief warble, no single notes held for a long time. His rhythmic concept, in other words, is partially developed, but no more than that. Repetition is good, but it's also good to have somewhere to go.
> *) No vibrato.
This is a 58 second video, so I felt it "worked" to have a limited rhythmic concept for such a short clip. I'd like to *think* I show some vibrato and variety (and better control of the flatted third) in other videos: my instrumental versions of Sonny Boy Williamson's "I Can't Understand" and "The River Rhine," as well as "Amazing Grace" (my most recent video) and "Slow blues & fast country harp" (my most popular *and* sloppiest video).
Yet even on these, I readily acknowledge that I'm an intermediate amateur player at best.
> *) No audible influences EXCEPT for blues harmonica, and probably not that many blues harp influences at that. (I.e., no John Lee Williamson, Little Walter, etc.)
I plead guilty as charged! And I can't play third position and have barely any experience in first position: cross harp is it.
> I'd be very curious to know, in fact, who this guy's direct influences actually were. Whose licks has he been trying to copy? Sonny Terry's, perhaps?
Sonny Terry played on the soundtrack for the Crossroads movie, so for this particular video, yes, I was playing a simplified version of some of Terry's great background music. The lick I was trying to copy (from 0.16 to 0.20, and 0.41 to 0.48) involved some complex tongue blocking and other techniques that I simply could not figure out. (The soundtrack for Crossroads, unfortunately, doesn't include these tracks--you have to watch the movie itself. That particular lick, I believe, is playing during a scene when the young white kid is walking down some sort of hall, possibly down a hospital corridor to visit the hospitalized Willie Brown character.)
My main influence, however, is Sonny Boy Williamson II, and mostly from his "Keep It to Ourselves" album. On my YouTube channel, I have instrumental arrangements of three Sonny Boy Williamson songs. Little Walter *was* next on my "to study" list during my too-brief stage of harmonica practicing, but that stage of my life ended before I got to him. So your comment "probably not that many blues harp influences at that" is right on the mark!
> So those are all areas for possible improvement.
Two additional areas that immediately come to mind: the harp's upper register (which I have very little knowledge of) and overblows (which I can't do at all).
When the time comes for me to put in a few years of serious harp woodshedding (after I complete some writing and piano projects, and my kids are old enough for me to neglect them), overblows, the upper register, and all the areas you mentioned are all on my "To Learn" list.
> mr_so&so: One thing I notice is he's playing way too hard, or not breathing correctly. I watched a few of his videos and he almost falls over at the end of each one.
Ha-ha, true! I think the main problem is I'm just out of practice: once my company relocated out of Manhattan, I stopped practicing the harmonica regularly (see my introductory paragraph). New York City is such a crowded anonymous place that I never felt self-consciousness about practicing while I walked back & forth to my subway stop. But now I drive to work and it's a very short walk from the parking lot to my New Jersey office. And hesitant as I am to admit this on a harmonica forum, I must confess that other obligations and interests (family, writing, piano), at least for the time being, always seem to take priority over working on my harp playing. It took me from 1990 to the late 1990s (practicing 20 minutes a day, five days a week) to get to my current level, but I haven't improved at all since then (and gotten a little worse in fact).
> DutchBones: He doesn't strike me as a member of this herd
True, I'm not.
> DutchBones: I can imagine that he even might be flattered if his video is featured here,
Yes, I am!
> DutchBones: but I'm not sure if he would feel the same about the un-asked for criticism.
I don't mind at all! In fact, the criticism is far gentler than I would have expected--my own critique of my playing would have been much harsher. And besides, Adam had many more positive things to say about my playing than I would have ever guessed.
> DutchBones: I would like to listen to this video at the owner's channel, because this video is maybe 3 weeks old, perhaps it is 3 years old,
This video is two years old. My musician channel is YouTube.com/ToddGates, where I have seven other harp videos, but on the rest I'm playing my main instrument, the piano.
I mentioned that this is my "musician" channel, because the vast bulk of my activity on YouTube is on my author channel, YouTube.com/ToddAllenGates. (My musician channel has 24 videos and 180 subscribers; my author channel has 81 videos and 1,800 subscribers. [And yes, I know that my 1800 subs is less than 1/6th of Adam's 11,000+!.])
> DutchBones: WHO is this guy?
My name is Todd Allen Gates: father of four, office worker drone, ex wanna-be professional pianist, future wanna-be professional author (my two books: "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer" and "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames"--check them out on amazon!), and amateur harmonica player.
> kudzurunner: this particular player posted this video in a highly public forum, as a demonstration of his playing. It's not a private video, filched behind his back by a third party. He put it out there in public to say "This is what I can do." And of course YouTube allows public comments--assuming they're enabled--on every video that is posted. All that being the case, I don't see how my comments here are breaching any sort of boundary.
> Patrick Barker When a person posts a video on youtube, they're putting it up for judgment.
I fully agree.
> scottb: The quick look to his left and the stagger off camera I find very thought provoking. What's going on? It's almost like he's getting caught. By who? What's he done wrong? Is he playing this during a church service or funeral and someone has come out to scold him? Is he trespassing? Are the police coming?
I recorded this in the entrance of a tunnel (I wanted the natural reverb) in Brooklyn's Prospect Park. I got there at 5:30 in the morning *thinking* that no one else would be around, but even at that time in the morning I was interrupted several times by joggers and dog-walkers. So not only were multiple takes ruined by my own blatant flubs, but also by other people's noise. I guess I was getting a little exasperated--so on several of these July 2007 recordings, I'm glancing around to see who might be coming my way to mess up my recording.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Thanks again for posting and discussing my video: it was an incredible honor!
Welcome to the forum! Gosh. Well, I'm glad I held back and didn't say what I REALLY thought! :)
You're a terrific sport--a better sport, surely, than most of us would be--and I appreciate that. Your willingness to stand back from your own playing and to strive to be objective about it, rather than reflexively defensive, is exemplary.
It's ultimately all about the attitude. I'm capable of getting defensive about my own playing, but at bottom, I strive to be objective about it, which is to say I try hard to see and hear clearly what my strengths and weaknesses are. The only way to keep improving is to keep pushing yourself to hear the places where you could get a little (or a lot) better, and then strive to improve them. Working hard for improvement and then watching it actually materialize is fun! But you can't enjoy the work or the satisfaction of the accomplishment if you say, "I'm a brilliant player right now!"
By the same token, if you don't occasionally pause and pat yourself on the back and say "Man, I kicked ASS just now!", you'll ultimately find yourself depressed by the fact that the world is filled with people who play better than you in every respect. So taking real pleasure in YOUR best playing is just as important as cultivating good ears and a perpetual sense of vague (or profound) dissatisfaction with where your playing is right now.
What I've just said really is the whole secret: cultivating that double attitude, keeping both sides of the dialectic in tension. "I'm the greatest, but I suck!" I should charge for this wisdom-kernel, or make people journey up the mountain to my cave. But there it is: free for the taking.
Todd: you're a class-act and have a wonderful perspective on things. Welcome to the forum. Put me in the 'I'd kill to be able to play like that' category!
> Hollistonharper: Todd, what a good sport > nacoran: Welcome to the forum. > DutchBones: Great to hear from you Todd and welcome. I will check out your channel! > ChrisA: Todd, love your attitude, way to go man > ness: Todd: you're a class-act and have a wonderful perspective on things. Welcome to the forum. Put me in the 'I'd kill to be able to play like that' category!
TODD: Thank you!!
> ADAM: You're a terrific sport--a better sport, surely, than most of us would be--and I appreciate that.
TODD: Your analysis was a great honor! -- even if it was to say "the only people who would be impressed with this guy are those who know nothing about blues harp!" ha-ha.
Imagine Obama highlighting some amateur speaker on YouTube and analyzing what was right & wrong: just the mere fact of being "chosen" by Obama would be a huge compliment. Not that I want to sound groveling, but you are one of the elite harp monsters out there.
> ADAM: Your willingness to stand back from your own playing and to strive to be objective about it, rather than reflexively defensive, is exemplary.
TODD: I'm all too aware of all my shortcomings on the harp, so I don't feel there's a whole lot to "defend." The harmonica is my neglected stepchild: relegated to only 20 minutes of practice a day in the 1990s when I was walking back & forth between work and my subway stop, and pretty much abandoned altogether once my company moved from Manhattan to New Jersey.
My harp occasionally cries out for attention, and sometimes even gets it: for a play at my kids' school, while waiting for my carpooler when she's running late, and the rare instance when I get inspired enough to push away my other obligations (day job, family, writing, piano) to learn something new. But mostly my harps just collect dust, or at least their cases do.
(I was inspired to *try* to learn "Thunky Fing" when I saw your tutorial on it, but it's just too damn difficult for me! The overblows and other advanced techniques were all way over my head. But learning the techniques necessary to play Thunky Fing is on my "post-family" To Do list.)
> ADAM: ... the whole secret is cultivating that double attitude, keeping both sides of the dialectic in tension. "I'm the greatest, but I suck!"
I've actually heard similar advice come from the fields of writing and bodybuilding! (I'm obviously not a bodybuilder, but one of my teenagers is interested in it, so I've read weightlifting articles with him.) As for writing, one advice book mentioned that the writer has to be an egomaniac to think that his words are worthy of being read by the public, but at the same time has to be humble enough to accept criticism such as "That whole chapter sucks: scrap it!" And the bodybuilding article I read said how important it is to be able to look critically at all your flaws, but when you're pumping iron in the gym, your workout will be enhanced if you can psyche yourself into thinking you're a muscle god ha-ha.
As for my harp playing, I have no problem recognizing all the ways I suck ... but as for thinking of myself as a bad-ass, well, I suppose my costume for the above video (the hat and the wig---NO it's not my real hair) was my way of trying to psyche myself up into that role!
GOING OFF ON A SLIGHT TANGENT: I mentioned in my first comment to this forum that I was fascinated by your book "Mister Satan's Apprentice." One of the reasons I was so taken in by it was that I felt I could relate to your experience personally: all the self-doubts, the obsessive practicing (back when I was a piano music major at Queens College, I would practice four to ten hours a day), the joys and drags of being on the road (I was a keyboardist in various road bands from 1984-1986), and much more. I got my girlfriend pregnant in 1987 and ending up going the "conventional" route: marriage, a safe office job, and three more kids ... and reading "Mister Satan's Apprentice" was a vicarious trip of what it might have been like had I stuck with music: the thrills *and* the agonies!
TOTALLY TANGENTIAL NOW (for anyone who's still with me): I gave up the professional pursuit of music because I discovered that trying to earn my living as a musician while also trying to be a good father & husband was not, at least for me, a recipe for a happy life. My first book, "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames," was largely born out of my transition from having music as my career goal to my search for finding work that was family-friendly (unlike music) yet still personally fulfilling (although at the time, I couldn't imagine being fulfilled with any non-music job). The main two questions my book attempts to answer are "Why do we HAVE to work?" and "What is the measure of 'success'?"
Okay, I'll stop with the self-promotion now.
Thanks again for featuring my video on this forum--in the words of Wayne and Garth, "I'm not worthy!"
Hi, Todd. I'm just another reader who appreciates your attitude. I wish more were like you. I personally want Simon Cowell as a critic, not Paula Abdul. Tell me truth, don't blow smoke up my arse. If you can be constructive and kind in doing so as Adam was, so much the better.
In the end, provided you're not trying to make your living at it, if you have fun playing the harp, that is good enough. Anything else is a bonus. ---------- /Greg
*) He hasn't the faintest idea what to do with the 3 draw bend. He just quacks on it, the pitch varies wildly, it sounds "bluesy," and he leaves it at that
*) He doesn't really vary the texture. This clip is all eighth notes, for the most part. One brief warble, no single notes held for a long time. His rhythmic concept, in other words, is partially developed, but no more than that.
*) No tongue blocking. Just lip pursing. And something's missing, if you know what to listen for.
*) No vibrato.
*) No audible influences EXCEPT for blues harmonica, and probably not that many blues harp influences at that. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I admit that after reaching the level of mediocrity in the mid-1990s, I practiced only infrequently, and my playing changed very little over the next 15 or so years. But after the inspiring weekend in May 2011 at Hill Country Harmonica--and the fact that my four children are now in their teens and 20s, and I have a bit more free time--I've picked up practicing again, and I'd like to think that my two most recent videos show progress in the areas that Adam mentioned:
Octave Etude (based on material from two of Adam's videos--the Description Box has the details):
Slow blues in 3rd position (solo lifted from Charlie Musselwhite's solos on Little Walter's 'Just a Feeling'):
some could have got mad and ignored it.. you took it to heart and became a better player, good for you
in the older post and the first newer one, i think it is great you found a place with natural reverb.. that is a fantastic way to make yourself sound even better, and more care than most take in producing videos
Very much improved!!! I am jealous of your ability to accompany yourself. Might I suggest Christo Redemptor as your next video (along w/ an option for backing track only :))
