silverharp88
26 posts
Jul 21, 2013
11:27 PM
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What made you guys want to play the harmonica?
for me I think it was Neil Young and Bob Dylan
and for some reason I've always just liked the idea of how portable the harmonica is.
Plus I'm trying to learn other artists to check out.
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SuperBee
1315 posts
Jul 22, 2013
1:12 AM
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Insecurity about my singing, the seeming impossibility of coordinating my hands and fingers to play any complicated instrument, the likelihood of going to prison, possibly mick jagger, definitely John Mayall, maybe John Lennon, definitely sonny boy Williamson (as I called him at the time) and a guy called Ian beecroft...
I have no idea really. Neil young and bob Dylan were also people I knew played harmonica and it seemed to be permitted but I couldn't really make sense of what they were doing. I still can't really...
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jbone
1305 posts
Jul 22, 2013
3:04 AM
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Real blues in my life from an early age was part of it. A grandparent who played for me when I was very young. Hearing on am radio in the early 60's, late night "race radio" shows featuring all the black blues greats from BB King to Jimmy Reed, Slim Harpo to SBII. At 16 I was given a harp my gramps had given my dad the year I was born, and I took this as my legacy. They were both long gone before I could even bend a note. It was a long time after that before I was anything like a credible player.
I think they are proud of me today.
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Loz123
13 posts
Jul 22, 2013
4:07 AM
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my dad introduced me to Sonny Terry when I was 14 a profound moment in my life!
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SteamrollinStan
23 posts
Jul 22, 2013
4:52 AM
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I was conned into all the hoo haa about play like a pro in 1 hour stuff 30+ years ago, this little tin sandwich is a really tricky thing to play properly, but being cheap and easy to carry i thought it would be easy, well i'm better than my O'suzanna days but thanks to the computor and recources its a better thing to play with all the info around.I just wish i had information available then like we have now.
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BronzeWailer
1083 posts
Jul 22, 2013
5:19 AM
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Radio show called Natch'l Blues on CKUA community radio in Edmonton, Canada as a teenager. An hour a week was the only blues I heard. Then I saw Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. Blew me away. Learned a little bit then basically plateaued about half an inch off the ground for thirty years due to "career" and family etc. Got back into three years ago and trying to make up for lost time.
BronzeWailer's YouTube
Last Edited by BronzeWailer on Jul 22, 2013 5:20 AM
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silverharp88
27 posts
Jul 22, 2013
10:05 AM
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jbone That's an awesome story!
Thanks for all the answers from everyone else too.
Last Edited by silverharp88 on Jul 22, 2013 10:06 AM
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bluemoose
905 posts
Jul 22, 2013
10:17 AM
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3 or 4 years of hand re-hab and physio. Kept me sane(ish).
MBH Webbrain - a GUI guide to Adam's Youtube vids
FerretCat Webbrain - Jason Ricci's vids (by hair colour!)
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Mojokane
708 posts
Jul 22, 2013
10:28 AM
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Paul Butterfield, Charlie Musselwhite,at the age of 12. It was strong for me back then. I was too intimidated at 12 to hunker down and put the time in, though. I rerget slightly my doing this. Especially after realizing when something resonnates within me with such power and emotion. I later picked it up again at age 35. And glad I did. Never really understood or identified with the actual "blues" they were talking about, either. Now I do. good question. Thanks for asking.----------
Why is it that we all just can't get along?<
Last Edited by Mojokane on Jul 22, 2013 10:29 AM
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Seven.Oh.Three.
222 posts
Jul 22, 2013
10:46 AM
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All my friends played guitar and were all much better then I was. I tried to play the bass but found it a little slow for my liking. I tried to pick up the drums but never could get the multiple rhythms going with arm/legs. Quit trying to play music for a number of years. Always had an interest in harmonica but never took it seriously. Then I found the likes of Adam Gussow, Jason ricci, Ronnie Shellist and other resources and just decided I was going to learn to play this damn thing. A few years later and I'm still at it....
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mlefree
106 posts
Jul 22, 2013
10:53 AM
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Sonny Terry, live.
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Rick Davis
2149 posts
Jul 22, 2013
12:47 PM
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Several things: The intro to "Bring it on Home" by Led Zeppelin. A Howlin' Wolf album I stole from my sister. Hearing a hitchhiker I met on the road play a train rhythm and some blues riffs.
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The Blues Harp Amps Blog
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Pauly22
20 posts
Jul 22, 2013
2:31 PM
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I grew up listening to classic rock. Anytime there was harmonica, like Bring it on Home (as Rick mentioned), or Levee, I just thought the damn thing sounded awesome. I loved the sound.
In '84, I began idolizing U2, of all things. They had a tune called Trip Through Your Wires, on Unforgettable Fire (I think), and it had an easy harp break. When I saw them in concert, Bono pulled an 18 year old girl on stage, who was holding up a harp (likely a plant). She played the solo in Madison Square Garden like a pro. That did it. I figured, if she could do it, I could.
I bought a MB in C the next day. I knew nothing about keys. Luckily it was the right harp! I used the little fold out in the box to learn tongue blocking, and felt my way around until I could play the solo.
I immediately began devouring blues and would put on vinyl Howlin' Wolf, Muddy, and SB and play for hours.
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Goldbrick
236 posts
Jul 22, 2013
3:08 PM
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The devil made me do it
( actually I got tired of dragging a drum kit around) but still wanted to gig
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Rarko
24 posts
Jul 22, 2013
3:08 PM
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I used to play a guitar, mostly blues, since I was 14. Delta blues, chicago blues, acoustic, electric... And there was a plenty of harmonica in almost every song, on concerts, jams, there was harmonica from time to time... But, two years ago I bumped on one Adam Gussow video on youtube, he was sittin and playing North Mississippi Front-Porch Blues Harp. And after watching that video I had unbelievable wish to learn to play harmonica, so I got me a C harp. ...Now I am 30 year old family man with hobby that I LOVE :)
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Chinn
80 posts
Jul 22, 2013
3:25 PM
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My grandmother bought me a Marine Band at the local drug store on mainstreet in my family's hometown, not far from Helena, AR. I tooted around on the thing terribly for several years. Finally I ran into a player in a music shop in Pickles Gap, AR. He showed me how to bend a note and from that, I figured out second position on my own. As I hit highschool I played more and more and eventually played with guys in the dorm in college. I play guitar too, but none of them played harp, so there I was.
I wrote lots of papers on the blues in college and almost switched to a music major at point as well, but its just been a fun hobby.
I've not jammed with anyone since college (almost 20 yrs ago) and would like to get out to one of the jams here in Memphis at some point. I have a sister-in-law that lives near Kudzurunner too, so maybe I'll bump into him someday.
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Rgsccr
185 posts
Jul 22, 2013
4:12 PM
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1. Girlfriend I was trying to impress in college in the late 60s. 2. Couldn't play guitar worth anything so I picked up a marine band (probably from listening to Dylan. 3. Got into blues almost immediately after I transferred to Berkeley from hanging out on Telegraph late at night and being fascinated with harp players who were busking. 4. Initially, spent a lot of time listening to Sonny Terry, SB II, George Smith - now for harp players, I favor Little and Big Walter, Paul Delay, SB I, Butter.
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Reed Triller
156 posts
Jul 22, 2013
5:15 PM
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My grand father dabbled in it when I was young. My great grandfather played. Up until about 4 years ago I honestly didn't know the names of the harp players whose music I loved.
I have always loved the sound of the harp. Mainly in blues, rock and country. I had never been able to afford a good one and I normally insist on starting out with good products to avoid having to replace them more often or risk them not working well from the start. I happened to be at work one day and a coworker was moving. I knew he played and he mentioned having no interest in playing much anymore and he asked if anyone wanted them. I of course said I would be glad to have them. I got a mix of probably 6 or 10 Hohner Special 20s and a lee Oskar. Over time I ended up aquiring others from other players through trades
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"Bend it like Ricci" - Me
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mastercaster
20 posts
Jul 22, 2013
7:17 PM
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Ann Arbor Blues Festival in 1972 ,heard good harp player , couldn't tell you who .. maybe Cotton ? had been playing around with guitar for a couple years .. 'connected' to the 'tone' & his phrasing ... after that got into Butterfield , LW etc and
been foolin around with the harp until now ... should say .. the harp been foolin with me since then ...
Last Edited by mastercaster on Jul 22, 2013 7:20 PM
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groyster1
2312 posts
Jul 22, 2013
10:26 PM
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love of blues goes back to late 60s,listening to John R WLAC Nashville...lots of harp was on his show....bought a marine band and tony glovers book late 70s
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StevePro
1 post
Jul 23, 2013
4:03 PM
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Played horns for some time. Mostly jazz, rock, and classical. Had chromatic when I was younger, but couldn't figure it out. Couldn't do much with a guitar. Bought another chromatic last year and, searching YouTube for harmonica lessons, and believe it or not, I ran across a Joshua King video! I watched some more, and I decided right then and there to learn blues harp!
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woogieman007
22 posts
Jul 23, 2013
5:43 PM
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For me it was a mix of my dads harmonica playing and Jerry Portnoy, They both had/have so much skill I was taken in buy it.
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nacoran
6967 posts
Jul 23, 2013
6:31 PM
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What happened to my post?
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nacoran
6968 posts
Jul 23, 2013
10:01 PM
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Ah, there's the problem... one thread called 'What's your goals' and another called 'what made you want to play'. I guess I confused the two. Oops. :)
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joelvis66
7 posts
Jul 24, 2013
7:09 PM
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This may sound funny but I didn't hear much blues when I was growing up but I got a harmonica as a gift when I was 8 and I picked it up fast as far as playing country style stuff in the first position. As a teenager I used a harmonica on a rack to play heart of gold while I played guitar. Still not blues. Then in my college years I'd hear an occasional blues song and decided to investigate. So I bought 2 cassettes, "Real folk blues" by Sonnyboy Williamson and "Wish me luck!" by Dutch Mason who had a great harmonica player named Rick Jeffery. That was when I wanted to play blues harmonica. I'm 47 now and I still want to play at least as half as well as those guys.
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kudzurunner
4166 posts
Jul 24, 2013
7:15 PM
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The sound of the instrument made me crazy.
More precisely, the sound of the instrument, played bluesily, was a very good representation--and the first one--of the craziness and life inside me as a 16 year old. So it made me feel understood, and not alone in the world.
That's a wonderful discovery for a teenager.
Last Edited by kudzurunner on Jul 24, 2013 7:16 PM
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silverharp88
32 posts
Jul 24, 2013
7:42 PM
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hey kudzurunner! your videos have helped me quite a lot in the past few days. your way of holding the harp is WAY better.
although its a lot to try n take in all at once.
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TheoBurke
438 posts
Jul 24, 2013
7:53 PM
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I wanted to play guitar after hearing Hendrix and Clapton in my mid teens, so I took some guitar lessons, eager to rip on the frets. My fingers couldn't cut the chord changes, though, and I didn't have the discipline or finesse to master the blues licks I fell in love with. Around 66 or 67, though, I went with a pal to a Detroit no age limit folk and blues club called The Chessmate at Livernois and Six Mile Road and saw the Butterfield Blues Band, with Butter, Bloomfield, Bishop, Mark Naftalin , Jerome Davenport and Sam Lay. Great as I thought Bloomfield was--I consider him the first great guitar hero--Butterfield changed my life forever; what he did on the instrument was a revelation a paradigm shift, plain and simple. Prior, the only thing I knew about harmonica was what Dylan was doing, wheezy and simple. Butterfield had speed, chops, precision, guts, power, melodic invention--I wanted to do what he was doing, right then and there. I bought my first harmonica that week, a Marine Band , Key of C, at Grinnell's Music on Livernois, and started to learn and jam and get that "sound" almost right away. It's a love affair that has ever ended.
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Ted Burke
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheoBurke?feature=mhee
http://ted-burke.com
tburke4@san.rr.co,
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nacoran
6972 posts
Jul 24, 2013
10:37 PM
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I was actually playing harmonica before I realized I wanted to play harmonica. I'd tried other instruments but tendonitis problems had always cut those attempts short. I picked up the harp because I liked singing and writing lyrics but without perfect pitch it was hard to tell others what notes I was playing, and I'd heard it was good for asthma. (I'd let myself get pretty out of shape- I'm still heavy, but I can walk a couple miles briskly now without dying.)
Anyway, I wasn't in love with the sound; it was a means to an end. Then one day I was surfing YouTube and I stumbled on something by Mooncat and suddenly I realized you could play rock and roll on it. As I got better, my appreciation widened and I started hearing harmonica in all sorts of music where I'd never noticed it before. I was lucky enough to stumble onto Adam's page next- am I right in remembering a MySpace page? I don't think I landed here first.
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