apskarp
169 posts
May 24, 2010
11:32 AM
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I don't know what happened, but suddenly I just got into the groove! I mean now that I pick up that harp I will just naturally start to produce really groovy tunes that just have It! Somehow the playing just feels very relaxed and I feel like "Hit the row Jack" kind of vibrations in my body. Hard to explain but very easy to feel.. :)
Well, there are few things that have been happening lately that might have contributed to this thing. First of all, we had the first official Harp Convent in the Finland week ago! I organized it in my home town and there were two good players teaching there: Jantso Jokelin (www.myspace.com/ataturkband), and Chris Michalek via Skype. I also teached some basics of harp customizing myself. It was a whole day event and at the evening we had harp jamming at the local night club where we had a band dedicated to play backgrounds for all the harp players that wanted to get on stage. Very nice jams and a great band.
Secondly I've been working on a Special 20 A-harp that has turbo lids on. Somehow I really got this harp to play well and even OB'ing with just basic gappings. And although I never really cared for the turbo lids, I now like the tone & feeling of those with this A harp.
Thirdly I have been learning to play finnish gypsy songs during the last weeks and I have also listened lots of gypsy music too. My great grandfather was a gypsy and I have somehow felt that it's now time to investigate that musical culture too.
Perhaps as a sum of all these things - spending time with fantastic players and watching them to play, having a good new lower key harp, and getting to the gypsy roots - something has swithched to the right track. I mean few days ago I was walking down the beach with my family and just played from my mind some very simple tune with three notes on it. Still some guy, a complete stranger, came to me asking what song was it as it had a hook that he liked..
So I guess I just got into the groove! Certainly a good musical step forward.. :)
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tookatooka
1411 posts
May 24, 2010
1:28 PM
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Looks like all the dedication and practice from the past is now paying off for you apskarp. It's good to hear that it's all going well for you. Long may it last.
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nacoran
1930 posts
May 24, 2010
3:30 PM
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That's great! I love it when a plan comes together. :)
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Nate
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apskarp
468 posts
Jun 01, 2011
10:46 PM
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Now it happened again! I remember writing something here the last time it happened, but I didn't remember it was almost exactly a year ago.. As there weren't any convents or anything happening this time, perhaps it's more related to the time of the year or something?
Anyway, I've found myself really interested in harp playing, playing it all the time when I have five minutes to spare - and I also enjoy the top octave playing that hasn't been natural thing for me earlier. I use the 6OB a lot in the passages and also the 3rd position feels really groooovy both at the top & bottom octaves...
I also started playing the chromatic harp now that I don't seem to get enough of the harp playing. I ordered some book of Phil Duncan about tremolo/octave harp playing too as I have two of those resting on the shelves too. :)
It's really nice thing to get into this groove again. I guess it's some kind of extended "flow" phenomenon that is related to a specific instrument/activity..
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jbone
542 posts
Jun 04, 2011
4:04 PM
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at some point, if one spends enough time working with a harp, critical mass is reached and things begin to happen seemingly by themselves. we become a channel of sorts through which the music flows.
i relate to where you are at in a lot of ways.
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KingoBad
756 posts
Jun 04, 2011
4:24 PM
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I thought you had a Madonna moment....
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Danny
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