magictwanger
1 post
Mar 04, 2013
2:00 PM
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First off,you folks have been a great source of inspiration to me,as I've been reading the forum for over a year.....Thanks for your good spirited and interesting musings.
I've finished off the book "Instant Harmonica".I'm about to start "Rock & Blues Harmonica"......I have some more advanced books(improv) and the Little Walter CD's and Blues Harmonica Book,which I intend to get to eventually.....Any other direction I should take,like Adam's lessons too?
Also,I am a lower intermediate guitar player,but really LOVE the instrument.....I may not be able to play anymore due to neck issues,but nothing is certain yet.Surgery may keep me playing,as I am seeing a good Dr.We'll see,but I have been very down by the possibility of possibly selling my guitars.I had an epidural in the neck last week and the pain was intense....to the point of my thinking(during the procedure) they could have gotten Bin Laden in two weeks if they used "this" at Gitmo! -:)
Anyway....how many folks only play the Harp here?
I am sorry for my little rant and "do" appreciate all of your thoughts.
best to all
Last Edited by magictwanger on Mar 04, 2013 2:00 PM
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BronzeWailer
910 posts
Mar 04, 2013
3:08 PM
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Hi magic. Welcome. Sorry to hear about your neck. I only play the harp. I have realized there is more to learn than I will master in this lifetime. (Partly because I am a slow learner). I wouldn't mind being able to play a bit of slide. I recently took up the chromatic, and started singing lessons a couple of months ago. Excellent investment; I urge anyone who hasn't to do some. A lot of what I have learned is VERY RELEVANT to harp playing. Breathing, relaxing the throat, learning how to control tongue and soft palate, for starters. I'm also getting into beat boxing. But harp alone has enough challenges and variety to keep me busy for the foreseeable future. Mix in the other things and i am never bored. There aren't enough hours in the day, as a matter of fact. Happy harping!
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FMWoodeye
585 posts
Mar 04, 2013
3:30 PM
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I am originally a classically trained trombonist, but I play other brass as well, but not lately. While, I am a good "chart player," I've struggled with brass as far as improvising. I take a completely different approach to the harp, never reading music and stressing improvisation. Now I find I can take harp licks and play them on trombone. I also like to find horn and guitar licks throughout different eras and adapt them to the harp. The skills learned on brass are applicable to harp, or any wind instrument, I guess, i.e., breathing, tonguing, rhythm and just the general fund of playing experience of all kinds.
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nacoran
6555 posts
Mar 04, 2013
5:34 PM
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I'm pretty much just harp and vocals, and I only do vocals reluctantly. I've got chronic problems with the tendons in my wrists. I've tried other instruments, guitar and piano, and wasn't able to keep up with practice even when I could take good anti-inflammatories, (they cause problems with other meds now). The next time I see the dentist I'm going to ask about a mouthpiece so I can give trumpet another try. (I have a chipped front tooth that won't keep a filling in. It only ever bothers me when I try to play trumpet, but I was talking to a trumpet player the other day and he said he had a friend who got a special mouth guard for playing for a similar issue.)
Harp really was the solution for me. I didn't start playing until my mid-30's, after years of being frustrated with pain problems with everything else.
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paulbunyn
65 posts
Mar 04, 2013
7:07 PM
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I too had neck problems. A ruptured disc would pinch the nerves to my left arm and it would drop like dead meat. The pain was like sticking my arm in a Fire Ant hill (X 100). It nearly drove me insane. I had the epidurals and all.
There is hope! My surgery worked WONDERS. I have full use of my arm with no pain except a crick in my neck when the weather changes.
I played trumpet in high school but do not remember how to play. I do remember how to read music. I have been playing Diatonic for a few years now. I have been starting Chromatic the last few weeks.
My favorite lessons have come from (not in order) Adam Gussow, Jon Gindick, Harmonica Academy, Jason Ricci, and Annie Raines to name a few.
Good luck and look forward to the surgery. It is a little painful but nothing compared to what you have gone thru already. 1st day will hurt like hell to stand but by the 3rd day and you will be back on your feet.
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jbone
1208 posts
Mar 05, 2013
3:45 AM
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Having tried several other instruments years ago, I always landed back at harmonica. Aside from vocals it's all I do and all I want to do. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd positions and both diatonic and chromatic are my current adventures. Bronze said it, I will never learn all about harp in my remaining days, but it's such a cool journey.
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magictwanger
2 posts
Mar 05, 2013
8:10 AM
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Now I know why I joined this forum....Such nice folks......THANKS!
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mr_so&so
660 posts
Mar 05, 2013
1:32 PM
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Welcome, magictwanger. I chose the harp because I love the sound and because it is the easiest damn instrument to learn, don't you know. Now almost six years later, I'm still learning with no end in sight (and my eyes are now open about the "easy to learn" thing). My eyes are also starting to wander to other instruments, like guitar and drums, but I can't carry them around with me so, the going is glacially slow on those.
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garry
367 posts
Mar 05, 2013
4:31 PM
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i only play harp. it's all i ever wanted to play. it wasn't a matter of wanting to play music and choosing harp as my instrument. i began in earnest about 8 years ago. occasionally i think about learning to play bass, but i've still got a long way to go with harp, let alone singing, before i've got the cycles to learn another instrument.
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FMWoodeye
588 posts
Mar 05, 2013
5:10 PM
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@Magictwanger...would you name be a reference to, "Plunk your magic twanger, Froggie" from yesteryear? You would have to be in your mid sixties to remember it.
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eharp
2079 posts
Mar 05, 2013
7:38 PM
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sorry, woodeye.
you're math is faulty.
i remember the ghoul well and i am only 52.
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FMWoodeye
589 posts
Mar 05, 2013
9:23 PM
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@eharp...yeah, but you saw reruns. But it's true that my math is faulty anyway.
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eharp
2080 posts
Mar 06, 2013
6:56 AM
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they werent reruns.
this is when he was on in detroit.
maybe i was watching them at a young age??
i think it was the early to mid 70's.
http://youtu.be/t5YOC-Gf8vQ
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magictwanger
3 posts
Mar 06, 2013
8:44 AM
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Yes...It was the introduction of the character "FROGGY"!
Loved Andy Devine and that show(Andy's Gang).
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Goldbrick
98 posts
Mar 06, 2013
9:11 AM
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Hiya kids
That ( Andys Gang) show ended in 1960
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FMWoodeye
591 posts
Mar 06, 2013
11:15 AM
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There ya go, eharp, '55 to '60 is when I saw Froggy. I didn't know he survived the Andy Devine show.
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SuperBee
988 posts
Mar 06, 2013
11:43 AM
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Andy Devine. The same as celebrated in Zappa's song 'Andy?
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eharp
2082 posts
Mar 06, 2013
7:37 PM
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Sweed
it seems froggy got repurposed to the original ghoulardi which morphed into the ghoul i watched who, also, used a froggy.
Last Edited by eharp on Mar 06, 2013 7:42 PM
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