NoPotential
1 post
Jan 28, 2018
1:04 PM
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Hello, my name is Delton but I go by DJ.
I've played guitar (poorly) for about 15 years (I'm 28) but seem to have strayed and now they just seem to gather dust. About 6 months ago I was in a pretty tight spot at my employment and was feeling pretty hopeless.
I ended up taking a trip down memory lane and listening to a bunch of old blues jams and felt like I was hit by a train. I had to learn to play the Harmonica.
A friend had given me a Folkmaster (C) and it was ok. Decent sound but has little capability much beyond single notes (felt like a toy), so I went out and bought a Blue Midnight Hohner for about $40.
Got busy and didn't end up learning.
Unemployed now and the other day I heard some gal on YouTube play Hallelujah on the harp and it re sparked the flame.
Here I am about 4 days later and I've yet to put down the harp.
I'd remembered Adam's YT series of instructional and started watching. I've learned a lot in a little amount of time thanks to his instruction, but I've been playing so much that now I've got a fat lip and dang near wore a hole through it hah.
I realized I was playing with a "tight jaw" as I described it to a buddy, and I think that was why I was wearing so heavily on my lip when I play.
I'm curious, is this common? I've since learned to relax the jaw and treat it like a good woman for lack of better terms.
But I've noticed that my lips still seem to get really chapped when I play, and tend to drag on the cover plates. My intuition says I'm still puckering too much, but thought I'd seek some guidance.
I apologize if this has been addressed 10000 times, I didn't see a search option to search the forums for topics? Never-the-less, I wanted to introduce myself.
Motivation behind my desire is to have something I can carry with me everywhere. Not to mention, that blues, the real good kind that makes grown men cry, yea I want to be able to express myself in that tone.
I'm a horrible historian, so I don't know much about the instrument or those that have laid down the rails that brought us here today (I know about a few guys like Robert Johnson from playing guitar), but I know very little about music theory or how it works.
Pretty much always just learn by ear. Everything I've learned on the guitar, or now on the Harp for that matter are just by listening and trying to play along; every time I hit a wrong note I start the song over and try again (literally 8-10 hours a day).
To be honest, I'm desperate. I need something to pull me through these times, and I've found myself nearly obsessing over this instrument in hopes it'll help me get stuff off my chest before it drives me mad or kills me.
About all I know about the harp is that I'm playing a Blue Midnight in the key of C, and that 6 -5 -4' 4 -3' -2 is the blues scale? I can bend notes and make it sound bluesy, but without knowledge of how to improvise, I'll never make music
The only things I know and practice is Hallelujah (poorly) and the first phrase of a 12 bar blues rythm.
I apologize for the novel. I'll try to keep things short and sweet from here on out. I'm not sure if Adam even reads these forums himself, but in the chance that he does I'd like to thank him for his methods of teaching; it's all about the feel for me and I can't learn by looking at notes and trying to educate myself on octaves and such.
I hope to be on my feet again soon, and ideally start taking lessons (Adam's purchasable content).
Sincerely,
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Delton/DJ
Plays: Blue Midnight
& Greg Bennett D8CE Acoustic Guitar
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Last Edited by NoPotential on Jan 28, 2018 1:15 PM
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jbone
2462 posts
Jan 28, 2018
2:04 PM
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OK DJ, no worries, you picked a great joint to hang out at. I'm a mostly ear player and have been so for 45+ years. While knowing scales and other how-to's is important, I can say it's not crucial.
If you're holding your jaw too tight you'll feel it and fatigue much faster. If you hold your lips too tightly you will irritate them and they can chap. Also you may be allergic to the cover plates of a harp. They are made of different materials and you may have to find a different material. But first try relaxing your mouth and lips. It may take some doing but it will come.
Blues harp heroes: Little Walter, Big Walter, SonnyBoy Williamson I and II, James Cotton, Carey Bell, Junior Wells. Good to start with!
Welcome and ask questions! See my links below. Lots on youtube.
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NoPotential
2 posts
Jan 28, 2018
4:50 PM
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@jbone thanks for the tips man.
My life is an ironic blues song (literally) right now, so I've got nothin but time hah. I'll be sure to look into all of those blues legends and try to learn me some history.
I've heard from several online teachers that it's vital to learn other peoples music. Is there a website with an archive of Harp tabs by chance? (you don't have to answer, I can google) but it makes for good conversation, so i'm askin anyway hah.
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Delton/DJ
Plays: Blue Midnight
& Greg Bennett D8CE Acoustic Guitar
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jbone
2463 posts
Jan 28, 2018
5:15 PM
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I don't do tabs but someone will pipe up here before long. As I said above I am an ear player. My learning issues pretty much kept me from traditional methods, I was a monkey hear monkey do student. BUT you don't have to go that way hopefully. It was the long way around.
We all have our stories. The facebook link will give you an idea of our recent life. I KNOW there's a song or two there. I won't put the details here.
Do stick around.
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nacoran
9723 posts
Jan 28, 2018
11:14 PM
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Get the harmonica deeper in your mouth. That will help keep from ripping your lips up. Play even more relaxed. What I do, especially for warbles, is to relax the muscles in my lower lip and push the harp down on it; when the harp slides back and forth it will slide the entire lip with it and you get no friction. Leave a small gap on top or do the same thing on top.
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Nate
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First Post- May 8, 2009
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AppalachiaBlues
120 posts
Jan 29, 2018
1:12 AM
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Good advice from Nacoran and Jawbone.
Also - if the front edges of your reedplates are sharp, take some fine sandpaper and lightly round off the edges.
Last Edited by AppalachiaBlues on Jan 29, 2018 1:12 AM
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NoPotential
3 posts
Jan 29, 2018
2:32 PM
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Thanks for all the great advice folks! I had even thought about the sand paper thing.
I took my Blue Midnight apart last night and polished all of the brass. It had accumulated that grimey brass gunk from just sitting around (rusty like?) but now it's all polished and like new. Boy, the sound 0_o even just playing horribly unorganized notes makes my soul scream hallelujah lol.
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Delton/DJ
Plays: Blue Midnight
& Greg Bennett D8CE Acoustic Guitar
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garry
700 posts
Jan 29, 2018
2:53 PM
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Personally, I wouldn't mess with tabs. Better to train yourself to pick out songs by ear. You'll need this when you start playing with others, particularly at jams where you won't be calling the tunes.
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FastFourier
24 posts
Jan 29, 2018
5:18 PM
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As long as you're out of work, I recommend taking up drinking - it will help relax your jaw, and after a while you will cease to care about all the negative things in your life. It worked for Big Walter.
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jbone
2467 posts
Jan 29, 2018
8:13 PM
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As a 30+-year sober person I'd like to assure anyone considering this to know. Excessive drink is not a prerequisite for playing blues well.
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NoPotential
4 posts
Jan 30, 2018
12:41 PM
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I quit drinking years ago haha, I appreciate the thought though.
I'm just a dude trying to take care of his family. I have no interest in making money off music, but I would love to be able to sit outside on the front stoop and play some music every now and then. Maybe hit up a neighbor to complain together.
That sort of thing.
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Delton/DJ
Plays: Blue Midnight
& Greg Bennett D8CE Acoustic Guitar
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mrjoeyman
33 posts
Jan 31, 2018
2:15 PM
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I can tell you that the Hohner Special 20 is smooth as silk to the lips, and its a great harp.
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jbone
2469 posts
Jan 31, 2018
9:21 PM
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So DJ, how is the jaw and lips doing? Have you found a lighter touch? Putting the harp deeper in?
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