Stevelegh
1050 posts
Jan 15, 2016
4:22 AM
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Hi everyone,
A question. Should you try and work out a tune or woodshed in public, and when I say public, I mean in any situation where you're not alone practicing?
The reason I'm asking: I was listening to a harp player on YouTube last night and quickly pulled my C harp out of my pocket to try and pick out the key. My wife, who was on the phone to her sister put the call on hold to ask me if I was trying to annoy her. Admittedly, it wasn't pretty, but it set me thinking whether people understand when its practice or playing.
There's a Facebook meme doing the rounds saying if you sound good when you practice, you're not practicing properly and I agree with that, but is your practice a private affair, or do you practice in front of family, friends, work mates, band etc?
Last Edited by Stevelegh on Jan 15, 2016 4:22 AM
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2chops
474 posts
Jan 15, 2016
5:07 AM
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Why not. Part of the beauty of the harp is it's portability. I usually work out a new tune in the shed. But often while walking my dog on the local bike path, I'll work on the newest thing that has my attention. For me there's something about walking that seems to help me in this learning process.
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I'm workin on it. I'm workin on it.
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Killa_Hertz
239 posts
Jan 15, 2016
5:26 AM
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I think if your practicing your probably playing the same thing over and over and over. And even if it does sound good the first time (which it probably doesn't, atleast most of the time) it surely doesnt the 114th time.
That's why i really don't like to practice when anyone can hear. It bothers me that it probably bothers them. If that makes sence.
To each his own. But that's my line of thinking. I always imagine the scene from the movies when theres a grade school kid upstairs practicing Tuba for school band. And everyone's in the living room trying to have a conversation or watch TV.
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......." Where Does He Get Those Wonderful Toys?" .......
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Martin
952 posts
Jan 15, 2016
6:39 AM
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There´s a simple answer to this, and it is: No.
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Grey Owl
520 posts
Jan 15, 2016
9:27 AM
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Erm, I have been known to.....In the first few years of playing I couldn't keep the damn thing out of my mouth. I'd even practice, out walking on a quiet day with the family. I still remember the anguished cry of my kids 'Dad, shut up there's someone coming!'
I considered it to be practice/mobile busking....not many followed.
I still practice in the car in traffic jams and often get a pair of puzzled eyes staring at me from the rear view mirror of the car ahead, especially when doing warbles.
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STME58
1504 posts
Jan 15, 2016
9:35 AM
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There is a reason woddshedding is done in the woodshed.
However, once you have something past to woodsheding point, playing in public, either among friends or family or on a park bench, can help you to advance.
My family is pretty hostile to any playing of mine at all, except for the dog, who never criticizes and sometimes sings along.
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nacoran
8885 posts
Jan 15, 2016
10:18 AM
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If I'm working on something new and I happen to be in public I play very quietly. You'd be surprised how quiet you can actually be, and it's actually good practice for dynamics.
But really, it depends a lot on where 'public' is. If you are sitting outside where you are likely to be drowned out, or if you are somewhere where people are coming and going a lot and aren't stuck, play away. If you have a captive audience, maybe set it down for a bit or work on something you are a little farther along on.
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Nate
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florida-trader
864 posts
Jan 15, 2016
12:26 PM
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I'm amazed at how many of us love to play but our families can't stand it. Thank God for dogs.
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Tom Halchak
www.BlueMoonHarmonicas.com
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STME58
1505 posts
Jan 15, 2016
12:29 PM
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I have found goats are also a receptive audience. I have had coyotes stop to listen, but it is important to keep the goats and coyotes separated. Dogs can help with this.
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Dr.Hoy
150 posts
Jan 15, 2016
12:45 PM
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I must confess to doing that quite often while in the presence of Mrs. Hoy. She says she likes it, though, and since I've been doing that since the first day of our relationship it's business as usual in the Hoy household.
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dougharps
1114 posts
Jan 15, 2016
12:46 PM
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Practicing blow bends on 9 and 10 years ago, within earshot of my spouse, permanently ended practicing harp techniques or even songs when she is in the home. A captive audience for that kind of practicing is cruelty. So I don't practice in the house unless no one else is home, though I have done it in my yard, and people hearing it from a distance have responded favorably.
However, in situations when I am sitting in or jamming with other musicians I usually can figure out a song or progression enough to play competently on the song, even on new material. I may ask for someone else to solo first, because solos are not always over the verse or chorus, sometimes having their own progression. In country music it is common to spit the solo. Learning on the fly a lot can build ear skills. With new material if I don't know the full arrangement, I play more conservatively. I always tell the band that I may pass on the solo if I am not confident I can play well over the changes. I occasionally wave off a solo, but usually have it figured out while comping.
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Doug S.
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Glass Harp Full
82 posts
Jan 15, 2016
1:40 PM
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My preference is to practice alone, especially if I'm working on a technique instead of a song, but I live in a fairly full house so there's usually always someone else around. My son can be very insistent that I stop practicing, especially if he thinks it's interrupting his YouTube viewing.
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Blowhead9
40 posts
Jan 15, 2016
1:47 PM
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My wife tolerates my constant practice very well, with a couple of exceptions: No saxophone mouthpiece only, no mandolin.
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For every moment of triumph, every instance of beauty, many souls must be trampled. HST
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ME.HarpDoc
85 posts
Jan 15, 2016
2:58 PM
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First time I lose a posting due to filter. I don't feel like typing it. I'll be sure to copy before hitting post next time.
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None of us is as smart as all of us.
Last Edited by ME.HarpDoc on Jan 15, 2016 3:00 PM
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KC69
503 posts
Jan 15, 2016
3:27 PM
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As I was learning, which I still am 9 years later, My wife called my practice; "noise pollution." Hallelujah; I love to annoy that woman!!!
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And I Thank You !!
KCz
Backwoodz
Bluz
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shakeylee
479 posts
Jan 15, 2016
7:35 PM
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i have two different types of practice. intolerable to anybody else,say,playing the same two notes 700 times.
i would never do that within earshot of anyone.
and also,just learning songs,pr noodling,which i do when my wife is home. i keep the two practice forms separate :)
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www.shakeylee.com
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STME58
1509 posts
Jan 15, 2016
9:51 PM
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I have posted this link before on this forum, but it seems appropriate to this thread. For those of you who have not read Mark Twain's musings on how to deal with an amateur musician practicing within earshot, here is a classic.
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ted burke
425 posts
Jan 16, 2016
2:03 AM
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the key to getting good on the harp is to practice all the time, when ever you can. that does not mean waiting until you get back home or to the practice room at school or when ever it's convenient for other family , friends or work mates. it's the nature of the obsession ; in my case, i have never had a driver's license, never owned a car, pretty much walk all over the place or take public transportation. that means that i have spent decades playing while walking down the streets of the cities i have lived in, have spent years giving free concerts at bus stops all over california. and, of course, maintaining a daily practice regimen where ever i happened to be living. my obsession to listen to harmonica constantly and to play constantly , to practice,over wrote any embarrassment about playing in public, mistakes and all. the obsession knocked that right out of me.
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Ted Burke
tburke4@san.rr.com
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Thievin' Heathen
661 posts
Jan 16, 2016
11:09 AM
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+1 Ted
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STME58
1525 posts
Jan 21, 2016
10:46 PM
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I just had an interesting experience learning a tune in public last Friday. At Walt Richards Slo Jam here in San Diego, Walt divides the attendees into 4 groups, each with a leader who has prepared beforehand a song to teach. The groups then have about an hour to develop an arrangement of the song their leader brought (usually on a big chart with words and chords) and then present it to the rest of the group. I usually play harmonica but I was considering playing trumpet, which I am not as well versed on. There was another harmonica player in my group so I switched to trumpet. At that point the other harmonica player said “If I knew we could play brass I would have brought my trombone”. I had a trombone in my car and I offered to let him use it. We now had a brass section in a group that is usually guitars, banjos and mandolins. The song was Johnny Cash’s “I’ll walk the line” a simple tune I knew, but had never played on trumpet. I did my best to put something together that worked as we went over and over the song, but I never had a chance to really woodshed it for fear of being disruptive. The leader decided it would be good to end the song with the brass playing the melody in unison. I did the best I could. I got pretty close a few times during the rehearsal runs. Throughout the piece I just added fills similar to what I would have done with a harp. With the chords written on the chart it wasn’t too hard. It went off ok in the performance. The kid playing my trombone did a better job than I of playing the lead line at the end, but we sounded the last chord strong. The audience thought the brass gave it a bit of a New Orleans feel.
After the event, when I had a few minutes alone with my trumpet, it only took me about ten minutes to get to where I could play the lead line reliably! There is something to be said for the woodshed. But there is also something to be said for working with a group of musicians.
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JustFuya
838 posts
Jan 22, 2016
4:21 PM
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I would like to take this opportunity to express gratitude to my 4 siblings and my folks for their patience as I was learning sax, flute and harp. They could still hear me in the house after my banishment to the barn.
I listened to one of the practice tapes that I recorded in the mid 60s. OH, the pain.
I'm back to the irritating hunt & peck as I attempt to master other positions and techniques but I sequester myself. If they do pop up while jamming with my guitar player he generously encourages me to work it out on our time. I have to decline. If it makes my own skin crawl I can only imagine what it does to the innocent bystander.
and I play a lot in the back yard during the summer.
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BronzeWailer
1849 posts
Jan 24, 2016
6:02 PM
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I have learned most of my duo performance songs on the street (in case of busking) or at gigs (usually after being asked to sit in).
Our first guitar guy didn’t play formalized songs. He would plug in the resonator and let fly. I would do my best to keep up. He didn’t tell me anything except to slow down when I speeded up and not to sing (even though he didn’t sing himself). It worked pretty well for what it was while it lasted.
In my current busking duo, we play each other songs that we want to do or say do you know such and such and start playing. This has also proved to be moderately successful.
I tried to keep in mind two things my harp teacher told me: 1) lock into the groove and 2) have a signature lick for each song, so as not to sound repetitive.
If I’m learning to play something that I know will sound horrible at the start, I don’t do it in public.
BronzeWailer's YouTube
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The Iceman
2802 posts
Jan 25, 2016
5:45 AM
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I've had a lot of fun doing the following...
Since a harmonica is usually in one's pocket (practice harp), there have been many times eating out when another customer is having a birthday at the restaurant (from big party to small family gathering).
Once I hear the B'day Song, I'll wait a while, then wander over towards the table on my way out, pull out my harmonica and play an "Iceman" style version of "Happy Birthday" for those folks.
Always goes over great and is fun to do. Public mini performance.
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The Iceman
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STME58
1531 posts
Jan 25, 2016
6:33 AM
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Iceman, I like your idea. I'll have to see if I can work up the nerve to try it. During the Holidays I will sometimes stand alongside the Salvation Army bell ringer and play a few carols. I always ask first (after putting something in the pot) and none has ever said no. Several have said they had no idea a harmonica could sound like that. I assume it was a compliment, but it could be taken otherwise. :-)
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SteveTech
36 posts
Jan 25, 2016
6:55 AM
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I'll often run scales and other exercises quietly while watching my kids in the backyard or at the playground.
Now that they are getting older, they play mostly with other kids or together, rather than with me. I get bored and like to have something to do that allows me to watch them at the same time.
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-Steve
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