Oxharp
282 posts
May 04, 2010
2:45 AM
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Has anyone joined this site and is a student?
I am thinking of joining but probably would not be able to spend as much time on it as I would like.
I know its cheap and looks really good with lots of interesting topics but would I be better off finding a Tutor and get some one to one lessons?
Your thoughts on the site would be appreciated
Thanks
Russ
Oxharp
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vicar88
25 posts
May 04, 2010
2:48 AM
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I've been playing his monthly transcriptions for several years and found them very useful. I've not yet taken the plunge and signed up to his new website, though it looks impressive
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Nastyolddog
660 posts
May 04, 2010
3:27 AM
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Yo Oxman if at all possible find some one on one tuition,
say take a block of 6 lessons over six weeks you will be amazed at your Progress,
and if like my Teacher his only quest in life is to teach and Gig every other spare Moment theres ya step up on stage strait away,
he will back you up play guitar you know one another and it will be the best experiance you can ask for,
Remember it's his student he is show caseing,
Do it get some Flesh:)
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Ant138
434 posts
May 04, 2010
8:29 AM
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----------  I signed up to the site this morning. With each lesson you get a study plan e.g. tab,video's etc ive only had time to look at the solo harp playing lessons which seem very comprehensive. The only thing for me is the lessons use tongue blocking and i mainly lip purse and tongue block octaves so thats gona be a challange for me. i'll let know how i get on. I cant find any harp tutors here in north wales so im stuck with the online option.
Last Edited by on May 04, 2010 8:33 AM
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Joe_L
210 posts
May 04, 2010
8:37 AM
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If you are willing to put in the work, his instructional materials are as good as any. In my travels, I see a lot of David's students.
The following observation should come as no surprise.
The best sounding players are the people who put in the most work. They are the people that want to learn how to play Blues on a harmonica. They learn about the music and how to play it on the harmonica. They practice a lot.
He puts his students on the road to success, but if you don't make the time to practice, you won't get very far down the road.
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HTrain
13 posts
May 04, 2010
8:38 AM
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I've been on it and it is jam (no pun intended) packed with lesson material and information. Many top players with video interviews and forums on amps harp maintenance, mics,etc. The lesson materials are thorough and well explained. Any questions put in to David are very quickly answered. I have to give it top marks because it works for me but recognize everyone has their own learning style.
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Ev630
349 posts
May 04, 2010
8:42 AM
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I'm thinking of joining this and Dennis Gruenling's new site. Has anybody done 1 on 1 internet lessons with Dennis? Any comments?
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Cisco
114 posts
May 04, 2010
8:47 AM
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I became a member about three months ago and really like it. I also have a local teacher here in Tucson (Pierre Herbineaux - a famous chromatic player and 1959 world champion) that I see occasionally but I actually get a lot more out of David's online schooling and you just can't beat the monthly price for all that material.
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Harpaholic
60 posts
May 04, 2010
8:52 AM
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I signed up on day one, and I plan on staying there. It is the best blues harmonica site on the planet!
From beginner to pro, chromatic, or diatonic, it's got it all. Every lesson is backed by video/audio clips, jam tracks, and tab.
There is so much more than just lessons on the site. Theres' artist studies, currently Portnoy, and Clarke. Interviews, and a great forum. Fritz the mic man has a section too.
The dozens of new videos on every subject related to blues harp, playing techniques/styles, gear, mics, gigging, recording, and everything else by names like, Estrin, Gruenling, Madcat, B. Power, Ricci, RJ, Gary Smith, Hummel, Baker, Nemeth, Filisko, Aki, and a lot more are worth the price of admission, and there updated regularly.
Everything you ever wanted to know or learn about blues harmonica is on bluesharmonica.com
Five Stars!
Last Edited by on May 04, 2010 9:01 AM
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Cisco
115 posts
May 04, 2010
9:01 AM
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Pierre continues to play and records but mostly is asked to sit in on songs that my bass teacher asks him to do in his commercial recording studio for other people's albums. For being 75 years old the guy is still a power house for all types of musical styles both on chromatic and diatonic. I met Pierre through my bass teacher just last year. He charges me $40 for an hour and I do get a lot out of the lesson but I seem to get farther sooner with Barrett's material and the cost is much less. However I do feel an occasional one on one with a teacher is always beneficial.
Last Edited by on May 04, 2010 9:02 AM
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toddlgreene
1308 posts
May 04, 2010
9:02 AM
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thanks Cisco...I started another thread and deleted my post, probably as you were answering it so as not to jack this thread.
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Todd L Greene. V.P.
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HarpNinja
428 posts
May 04, 2010
9:12 AM
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Wow...just checked it out. Might impressive!!!
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Kingley
1137 posts
May 04, 2010
9:33 AM
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David Barretts site is simply superb.
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HarpNinja
429 posts
May 04, 2010
10:12 AM
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He is very mathematical in his approach, and that really fits my learning style. I am planning on joining for a few months to check it out. I usually use summer to woodshed and it is time I go back to some of his stuff...especially 3rd position for swing and jump blues.
I know it is "blues" harmonica.com, but it would be sweet to have a resources similar to this in other styles. There are quite a few non-blues to some blues players that don't have anywhere near the resources.
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Harpaholic
63 posts
May 04, 2010
10:21 AM
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Mike, Howard Levy's site might be what your looking for.
I joined that one too, and it's a great site for non blues styles.
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HarpNinja
431 posts
May 04, 2010
10:23 AM
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I'll check it out!
The Davide Barrett site and the videos he has with some of those guys is so worth the money!
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HarpNinja
432 posts
May 04, 2010
10:31 AM
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That site looks awesome too! I guess I need to decide what I need most. David's style is awesome and the "extra" resources are terrific. Howard's is definitely very interesting to me, but maybe beyond what I really get to do at this stage...dunno.
Anyone on Howard's site? Does he break down how to play this stuff clearly, or is it like his New Directions video where he plays stuff and you have to figure a lot of it out on your own???
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Last Edited by on May 04, 2010 10:32 AM
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eharp
655 posts
May 04, 2010
3:59 PM
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ev630- if you are interested in 1 on 1 lessons via the internet, i have taken lessons from somebody who was a student of filisko. he became part of filisko's mob. besides doing that teaching at SPAH and the buckeye, he has worked with gindick at a jam camp. he even taught harp at purdue university.
you wont find a qualified teacher at any where near this guys price.
if you are interested, let me know.
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Oisin
555 posts
May 04, 2010
4:32 PM
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Russ...you really can't beat 1-2-1 lessons. Why not take a few with Steve Weston? Best £20 you'll ever spend.You already know him pretty well and I know he plays the kind of music you like. Get a train down to Leigh on Sea and spend a day at the seaside after your lesson!
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Oisin
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strawwoodclaw
23 posts
May 04, 2010
6:05 PM
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I joined it a few week back Russ.
It is a good web site with alot of interesting stuff on there. There is some good lessons too.
It is worth the £12 a month. I guess the site will keep growing with more lessons & videos
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kudzurunner
1396 posts
May 04, 2010
7:12 PM
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What sort of forum does Barrett's site have? And does that forum allow this sort of wild & crazy conversation?
I have the highest respect for what Dave Barrett does, although I've never met him. I think he's as good a combination of player and teacher as you're likely to find.
There are three major differences between Gussow and Barrett, as far as I can tell:
1) Harmonica teaching is what he does full time. It's his profession. It's his day gig. It's not my day gig. He's a music-teaching professional. He has a "school of the blues." I'm a college professor who has a sideline as a performer and music teacher. This allows me to keep the spirit of harmonica anarchy alive. He can't do that. He's about the system. I'm actually much more about the anarchic side of the instrument than most people realize--which to me, frankly, is the heart and soul of the instrument. (If you've had a close encounter with Jimi Lee, you know what I mean by the heart and soul of the instrument. Jimi Lee is crazy. And he can play. That's why he's a great harp teacher.) Barrett is a brilliant systematizer. He may actually be the best harmonica-teaching systematizer in the business. BOTTOM LINE: I'm more willing to show my flaws and insanity on camera. This may come from the fact that I spent the early years of my professional life as a Harlem street musician.
2) For better or worse, and will all credit due to Sterling "Mr. Satan" Magee, I was a touring pro with a national act and a major (folk/blues) label deal. Has Barrett toured nationally and played all the major festivals? I'm just asking. For all I know, he has. Or maybe that sort of experience doesn't mean much when what's being discussed is competence as a teacher. Since I've been semi-retired from active touring for the past decade, he's certainly played more gigs during that period that I have. I'm just a crazy former busker with NYC attitude who got incredibly lucky in his choice of guitar-man--and managed to hang with that guitar-man long enough to let the ship come in.
3) I'm committed to the overblow revolution. He's not. He's committed to helping people understand and play the best of the harmonica past. "The best that has been thought and said," to (sort of) paraphrase British literary critic Matthew Arnold. I'm committed to that, sort of. Take a look at what I'm selling in the store. But I'm equally committed to kicking ass--metaphorically speaking--and forcing everybody within earshot to acknowledge that there's more to the story that what HAS been played. I'm trying to provoke breakthroughs into a new era of blues harmonica mastery circa 2010. That can only come when The Leap is made. Buddha is part of that--he's a crucial agitator, in fact--and Jason, Brandon, and others are a crucial part of the cusp.
That's the difference.
Of course I hold David Barrett's playing and teaching in the highest regard. That's why, if you check out the FAQ's page on this website and scroll down a bit, you'll find the following:
"David Barrett, one of the best known harp teachers around, has written a volume entitled IMPROVISING BLUES HARMONICA. I don't recommend many books, because I believe that blues harmonica doesn't translate well to the page, but Barrett has managed to crack the code and make the underlying principles of improvisation available to all players. I recommend his book highly. (And no, he hasn't paid me to say this. I just happen to think he's done a terrific job.) Here's a link: www.harmonicamasterclass.com/improvising.htm"
I'm a fan. But, like Buddha, I have no gods.
--Violin Cat's flunkie
Last Edited by on May 04, 2010 7:29 PM
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Ev630
351 posts
May 04, 2010
9:12 PM
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By Buddha you mean the Buddha, right? Or do you mean Buddha? And do you mean, like, how Buddha didn't have any pantheon, or do you mean, like, how Buddha has no respect for any of the really great harmonica players?
As for Dave Barrett, I bought the History of the Harmonica concert mp3s and I thought they were excellent, but for once I'd like to hear Barrett yell, "Okay you guys, do you wanna get way down in the alley? Let me hear you say YEAH!"
Or to put it another way, he sounds like a college professor and you don't.
;)
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kudzurunner
1399 posts
May 05, 2010
4:02 AM
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Actually, the more I think about the Gussow/Barrett comparison, the more I'm convinced that this is a classic case of Freud's "narcissism of minor difference." In particular, although I'm willing to make mistakes on camera, there's a wild & crazy side that I can't afford to put on camera precisely because my day gig makes me Dr. Gussow to the Chancellor, Provost, Dean of the College, and Chair of the English Department, not to mention my students, and even in this deconstructive age, certain minimal behavioral standards must be upheld. Who am I to start making distinctions between Dr. Barrett and Dr. Gussow? Even at my rowdiest, I'm hardly anybody's idea of a down-in-the-alley guy.
By Buddha, I mean Chris Michalek, rabble-rousing overblow ninja.
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KeithE
112 posts
May 05, 2010
9:47 AM
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Adam:
>What sort of forum does Barrett's site have? And does that forum allow this sort of wild & crazy conversation?
He opened it up for lurking if you're curious:
BlueHarmonica.com forums
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mr_so&so
312 posts
May 05, 2010
10:27 AM
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I joined Barrett's site a month ago, because I wanted to get the tongue-blockers' side of the story. Dave teaches that from day one. I've already learned a lot from his video demonstrations of techniques, but I have not yet practiced using his songs designed for each "study". There are some problems with the site though in that streaming of the video can be slow, or can fail sometimes (I guess if the site is heavily loaded). I'm going to stay a member there. Too much great stuff to miss.
Having said all that, I believe that the contrast between Gussow and Barrett creates a one-two knock-out combination for learning the instrument. Gussow provides the passion that Barrett holds back. And each has a completely unique take on how to play and teach. Take it all in and you've got one hell of a leg up.
As for the forum there. It's fine, but I get my fix here. Much more of a wide-ranging conversion going on here, and you can't beat the gems from Adam, Walter, Chris, Greg, and the other pros here (not to mention the great stuff from Isaac, Nasty, Oldwailer and the other DIYers).
Last Edited by on May 05, 2010 10:29 AM
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kudzurunner
1401 posts
May 05, 2010
11:16 AM
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@Keith: Damn! That's a nice forum. He's organized it in a clear and yet creative way, and he's got all those experts as consultants.
It's only a matter of time, clearly, before Gussow's Dirty-South forum goes down in flames. It'll be legendary when it happens, though, and we'll have fun until then.......
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Tin Lizzie
46 posts
May 05, 2010
11:55 AM
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I've taken on line one on one lessons with Dennis Gruenling for nearly three years.
He is kind, supportive and I get very personal lessons. The lessons have done a lot to improve my playing and how I work on things. I think that if he can help me, he can help anybody. The one thing I have going for me was a willingness to work. And to give Dennis credit, he has been willing to find alternate routes when something didn't work for me.
I call myself a front porch player, meaning I am not interested in performing but I am very much interested in playing with people. I have been playing with a guitar player for about a year now. We play once a week for an hour and a half or so. I think that, along with the lessons, has been important to my growth.
Wanna know anything else?
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Tin Lizzie
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oldwailer
1232 posts
May 05, 2010
12:10 PM
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Yeah, I lurked the Barrett forum a bit too--it is very nice, but I think I'll always end up back here, just to see some good old-fashioned ripping off of heads--er, head cutting. . .
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groyster1
48 posts
May 05, 2010
12:59 PM
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the thing I like about adams you tube lessons is that in the beginning he said he was going to give it all away free! and he did willingly I thank you for that adam and it has kindled a fire in me to try and progress on this beautiful little instrument
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Harpaholic
65 posts
May 05, 2010
3:24 PM
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I've never had an issues with any of Bluesharmonica video streaming, or anything else in four months.
If your still using Dial up, or AOL, there may be problems.
IMO, it's state of the art technology, and I don't think David would have it any less.
The forum is laid out very nicely into separate rooms. Many big names in the harp world show up there.
It's nothing like this forum, everyone acts their age, and there's no bashing, or arguing.
Last Edited by on May 06, 2010 5:46 AM
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eharp
658 posts
May 05, 2010
3:48 PM
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you got nothing to worry about, adam.
you've cut yourself a very nice niche here.
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KeithE
113 posts
May 05, 2010
4:51 PM
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Adam - I think that David's forum is good for what it does, but I like the way the your forum flows, and the community that's gathered here, and the special energy that you bring.
Here's another forum (ukulele of all things) that flows like yours - http://www.fleamarketmusic.com/bulletin/ although someone did convince them to add a chronological option.
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Buddha
1721 posts
May 05, 2010
5:02 PM
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"Buddha has no respect for any of the really great harmonica players"
where do you get that idea? I have the utmost respect for greatness regardless if they are harmonica players or not.
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"The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are." - Joseph Campbell
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Ev630
360 posts
May 05, 2010
8:10 PM
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Tin Lizzie - thanks. Sounds pretty good to me.
Chris, when you write stuff like this, people take you seriously: "I'm not a little walter fan and honestly, I find his music to be arrogant."
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DJKim
7 posts
May 06, 2010
8:58 AM
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Barrett's forum is awesome! A lot of big names on the forum that you won't find here. Of course anyone could talk to them via e-mail or phone, but it's nice having them all at the same place.
I think that nothing beats having a personal teacher, but regardless if you learn from a teacher or online resources, you only get the same amount you put into it.
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XHarp
374 posts
May 06, 2010
11:48 AM
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Translating this singular statement,
"I'm not a little walter fan and honestly, I find his music to be arrogant."
Into this generic broad statment,
"Buddha has no respect for any of the really great harmonica players"
Defies logic to me.
Anyhow, If you read David's bio he is indeed a multi-disciplined musician. He has a music degree and is capable on multiple instruments. Having shared the stage with many greats of blues harmonica as well as many other blues musicians he also runs classrooms in blues history. Between his teaching, playing, instructional and history work I personally find many similarities with our own Guru, Kudzurunner.
David also spends time to help those restricted by ailments and age through the Harmonica. That's cool.
I, like mr. so+so think that having both at our disposal is an excellent advantage.
Both are to be commended for their work and efforts.
Here ye', Here ye'.
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"Keep it in your mouth" - XHarp
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Buddha
1732 posts
May 06, 2010
11:58 AM
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"Chris, when you write stuff like this, people take you seriously: "I'm not a little walter fan and honestly, I find his music to be arrogant."
They should because it's an honest opinion. Does it mean I don't respect him? No. Do I still recommend his music to beginners? YES. That's a show of respect. Whether or not I like his music has nothing to do with respect.
I don't like Howard Levy's music either but I still have the utmost respect for him.
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"The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are." - Joseph Campbell
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thorvaldsen76
70 posts
May 07, 2010
6:16 AM
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It was Adam who started it for me,and I'm sticking with this forum. I like to much to quit and head for Barretts site. Nothing wrong with him or his page. It's just that I like THIS page,and Adams stuff to much :)
And if this site goes down in flames I'll go down with it..
Last Edited by on May 07, 2010 6:25 AM
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Johnster
61 posts
May 07, 2010
6:26 AM
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ya can't have too much 'GOOD" information is my take.
I'm a haphazard learner at best, I can get fixated on a single lesson and then suddenly leave it incomplete and move onto something completely different. I have ADD and it's my cross to bare. A friend has been recommending Barret's site to me,a nd after reading so many plaudits here I'm going to take the plunge.
I don't think Adam has anything to worry about, I like many others will somply be dipping into both barrels.
Keep up the great work Adam, you are an inspiration with your willingness to build, innovate and share.
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thorvaldsen76
72 posts
May 07, 2010
6:29 AM
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Ev630:
I know that! I just like to focus my attention on one thing. Like I said,I love Adams stuff so I stick with that:)
Last Edited by on May 07, 2010 6:29 AM
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jodanchudan
67 posts
May 07, 2010
12:09 PM
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I agree with Johnster - Adam's got nothing to worry about. His lessons are great - the strength of them, in my opinion, is the focus on rhythm and counting time. I've got a lot of stuff, like Tom Ball's Little & Big Walter licks book that, although cool, gives you literally no indication of how the notes fit with the beat. This is okay I suppose if you've been playing for a while and you already know the tune, but frustrating if you haven't. Adam's insistence on learning to count and tap out the rhythm is a huge help when learning the songs. Barrett's site is great too - very thorough and systematic and with a ton of useful resources and interviews. They have their own niche.
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Joch230
120 posts
May 07, 2010
12:52 PM
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David's site is nice but very "dry" in comparison to this forum.
I love Adam's YouTube lessons. I like that he is used to learning things by using his ear.....the Iron Harp stuff is really fun. I learn much faster by ear than by Tabs. I can't relate when I see Adam demonstrate something and then someone comments asking for a Tab of the tune.
John
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