So the other day I realized that for the past year, I have gotten no better at the harmy, and maybe a little worse. So I have decided to try to step up my game, so to speak.
First thing: throat vibrato. I can't seem to be able to get it. I can do it while blowing pretty so-so, but drawing is very weak and I can only seem to do that when holding a note and concentrating on it. Help?
Second thing: songs. I need to learn some. What are some good songs to learn and get under my belt?
I don't know how you guys practice or anything. Basically all I do is noodle around, and I am bored of hearing my same old mediocre stuff over and over.
if all you are going to do is noodle, you will have a hard time getting better. regular, organized, focused practice is the key. and it doesnt have to be long. set measurable goals. "i am going to spend 5 minutes on vibrato every day."
I think most people find vibrato easier on the draw so maybe you are on a winner there. First thing to do in trying to achieve a good vibrato is you have to have a relaxed throat,the throat is a muscle and it just won't want to 'pulse' if it is tense. Draw on hole 2 ,really feeling lazy about it but still holding the note,then try to suck air out of your lungs by just using your throat,nice an easy not gasping or anything. Somewhere in there you'll hear the start of a vibrato,then it's a matter of muscle memory so you can hit it at will.And vary it. This is all of course just my method ,but it has worked for a few guys that i've shown it to. The best way to make practice more interesting is to log onto this site and play along to the backing tracks
If you type "blues song" into youtube you will find probably DAYS of material.
Eharp is spot on, regular practice is key. Also for me, hooking up with a guitar or piano playing friend and working on stuff once a week or more was a big help. My chops improved when I FORCED them to. I was hired into a couple of bands before I thought I was ready, and I really was not ready, but I learned a lot of basic stuff pretty quickly so I could justify my position as a member. I also kind of caught fire when I heard guys like William Clarke, Kim Wilson, Lester Butler, and James Harman. Not to mention Slim Harpo, Jimmy Reed, Cotton, Carey Bell, the Walters, Snooky Pryor, both Sonny Boys, and the list goes on a long time. ---------- http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
I'd definitely agree that regular focused practise will get you moving along much quicker. Like eharp says it doesn't have to be a long time. Try and make 30mins every day. Decide what you are going to work on and concentrate just on that. A music teacher friend of mine said that if you do 3 lots of 10mins every day, it can be better then sitting for a whole hour practicing because you are more focused.
As far as getting vibrato goes, it does take time to develop. It's not something you can just do, you need time to train the muscles. For me I watched one of Adams videos (I can't find the video), he describes it as starting with an inward cough. From there you need to work on smoothing it out. Do it everyday, even if it sounds awful at first, it'll start to come over time.
Learn songs you like so you don't get board, and try to learn ones which are out of your comfort zone. Force yourself to learn the stuff you find hard. Again it will come in time and you will have learned new things that you can take forward.
I would also highly recommend working with other musicians - try and find a friend with a guitar and work out a few songs - it really forces you to up your game and learn new things.
I'd also recommend getting stuck into the blues scale, getting some jam tracks and work on improvising. It's not only fun but teaches you a lot about structure and form and gets you moving around the harmonica.
Thanks guys. I am feeling a little rusty, but I am starting to see some of my major problems. First and foremost is that I don't think I am relaxed when playing anymore, so I need to focus on that. Also, I need to stop automatically going for the deepest bend on -2 and try to hit the first one instead. Old habits die hard, I guess. I am also looking to to hook up and jam with someone in my area, but it doesn't seem like there are a lot of people out there.
Are there any specific drills you guys do? I am already familiar with the blues scale in second position up to 6 blow (I actually have a hard time not playing in that), so practicing that isn't really going to help other than making sure I am still proficient in it.
Maybe there should be a list of blues songs every harp player should know, kinda like there is for barbershop quartets.
play the odd keys Ab B Db Eb E F# in 2nd at home so you dont blow out the ones you use at jams. sometimes a different key will get you playing differently. get a few chroms and play in 3rd along with youtube. playing in 3rd will make your 2nd position better. take long walks practice breathing when you rest somewhere or your in the woods do the campfire thing in 1st or walk and play in first. you do something often enough youll get good at it
