Nice playing & rhythmic drive! That basic groove you were working stayed in my head afterward and made me pick up a harp and play something like it. You did well enough jumping to the top of the harp and back down and keeping the rhythm and that indicates you will not be afraid to play anything in the future, IMO.
I don't think you gave yourself much of a chance. It seems you were holding the camera and trying to play at the same time so you weren't able to cup the harp and produce a good tone. Plus I could hear a lot of breathing. Why don't you set it up again and play with the mic a reasonable distance away? Have you got a tripod?
I commend anyone who puts it out there by the way. It's a major milestone.
Last Edited by on Aug 21, 2010 1:15 PM
It sounds like you are playing very hard. Perhaps it is just the proximity to the mic. I liked it. Even at a fast pace, you gotta find that rhrythmic pocket though. Grab onto it and don't let it go.
Bluesharper, for the record, embeding YouTube videos is the easiest thing to do. YouTube makes it easy! Just look under the video for the embed button and click it. A bunch of code will appear in a little box. Select it and right click copy and paste it here, and viola! Your done.
The breathing was noticeable. Could be your gear or mic picking up too much. Perhaps a bit more work on single notes. I actually felt the camera movement was pretty cool. Seemed to fit with the groove you delivered !
-You sound like you KNOW how you want to play which is very good. Being deliberate is key to learning how to be good.
-For creative points, the camera swooping around was fun but it seemed to impede in your playing more than anything else. Put it down next time. Always put ALL your attention into what you are playing. And only take some of that attention away when you REALLY REALLY have to.
-The sound quality is awful. Don't play too close to the microphone. Not only is it over-distorted and fuzzy... It's too loud because you're too close. You should try standing a few feet away from the camera instead. Put it on a stand or something man!
-You got your bending covered enough. And probably because you do pay attention to how your bends sound. Good work.
-You should work on getting vibratos if you haven't.
-Phrasing was just not there at all. I'm not sure if you're just noodling or actually playing a song. I can tell you got some sweet lines and nice timing... Maybe you could put more material up? I don't want to immediately assume you don't know your 12 bar blues or anything like that yet.
I applaud you for taking the leap in uploading something and putting yourself out there for the firing squad. That is commendable.
Please, keep working on it and put more videos up!
"I dont want sarcasim or anything cynical its just constuctive critisicm that is needed on this thread."
I want all the big mouths to take note of that. This is how people feel because of the comments they read on this board. Perhaps all of us (including myself) should re-evaluate how we give advice.
I know some of you were being cynical babies about how I can afford good harps, amps, but not a recording setup (why have I not heard the same people say the same thing here? hmmmm.. ok that was sarcastic). Or how I should listen to others people tone instead of my own if I wanted to evaluate my own tone? When you're going to be a corn-hole like that, you're basically making everyone on the board look bad.
And you guys wonder why you don't see much new posters around here who actually post their playing besides the usual bunch.
From my standpoint, I like the rhythm riff and the way you work in and out of it. I actually stumbled on something similar myself (even though I posted in another post that I had hit a wall) I kind of forgot this similar type jam I came up with while noodling & driving. (is that legal?)LOL.
And the comments about the breathing, I noticed it too, but ever listen to Gindick? He makes it part of his rhythm in his lessons. Nothing wrong with it in my opinion if it's your style. Need I mention Jason Ricci? Talk about very audible grunts, groans and breathing!
---------- The more I learn about harmonica, the more I learn how much more there is to learn.
Zhin: I was in no way cynical, an asshole, or a twat when I commented on your recording quality as an example of what I hear 99% of the time here. I never put your playing down for it. I just stated a fact about sonic quality and how that needs to be in place to really comment on tone. I gave examples of world reknowned players that showed why they are via high quality recordings, and the same guys with poor quality recordings. That showed how easy it is to take the same sound and show it sounding true and not true. This video is another example of who really knows what the tone sounds like. You can legitimately comment on the phrasing, general skill level of forming notes, sense of rhythm, and note selections. When you have sub par recording gear, your ears are better tone judges than hand held recordering mics are.
I spent decades trying to make crappy recording gear sound good. I used 1970's era ten dollar cassette recorders, then jamboxes and then the video camera came into being. I thought that was my ticket, and I was wrong again. Next came a mini disc recorder. I recorded 2 cds that got 4 out of 5 stars in blues magazines. I billed them as 21st century field recordings. Still the sonic quality was not there to my ears. So I bought an adat, dat, then computer based recording system. Lots of journeys through recording mics, preamps, eq's, compressors, etc. This journey has been just as intense and frustrating/rewarding as learning to play the harp or any instrument. It also is a never ending journey like an instrument.
I have spent the last 10 years intensely following this road. To have total control over ones music is my goal (1 man band, record myslelf, make my own cds/videos) with a quality that can sit with the industry produced stuff. In todays world a good sounding product that has terrible music on it will always outsell some great music on terrible sounding recordings. I know the goal here on the forum is a learning one, but I can't comment on tone with such recordings as I see here.
Recording myself was always a frustration until recently and I had to rely on my ears for developing my tone. Also listening to people that inspire you give you not only the inspiration to keep playing, but also to discover the tools needed to find your own tone. This is a many decade journey that can't be shortcutted. I hear lots of guys here that have moved amazingly fast along the learning curve due in a large part to custom harps, and explicit instruction. Still most lack their own sound. That is normal. One can't rush this side of the process. Walter ---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year. " life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
I play classical music on chromatic but it was just for that groove that I was playing alot of chordal stuff. If you want i can post a classical piece to show you my single note playing (is that allowed on the forum to post other genres besides blues?)
Zhin: I was honest with your post and this one. I wish you luck with dealing with your anger. Until then, I will not comment on anything you post and I have forwarded this to Adam. This kind of stuff will eventually drive away the decent people/players from hanging at this place and it will turn into a foul mouthed, low quality musicianship place for amatuers to vent their rages instead of learning to play//discuss harp. Walter
Zhin wrote:
"@waltertore
Was this your post on my thread,
"Zhin: You will never get an accurate critique of your tone while it is recorded on gear that does not accurately portray what is coming out. No put down from me at all, just a fact that I see here on most all videos posted and no one has super overide abilities to hear what isn't on the sample-aka- acurately filter through the quality of the recording. My suggestion is to just keep playing and to keep listening to as much music, live preferably, as you can that has tone you are striving for. Walter "
Now, from my personal interpretation you were NOT being a cynical twat at all.
Yet you reacted to it as if it was directed at you.
Honestly, you are WAY TOO NARCISSISTIC.
I am forced to believe you were never honest about your advice and help.
Because obviously you must've been waiting the whole time to pounce and "expose" me when I say something wrong. Othwerwise you wouldn't have misinterpreted what I said.
I REALLY REALLY BELIEVE that if you were honest about giving advice to me, you wouldn't even think I was refering to you. And I really thought you were being honest!
You're fucking crazy you know that?
Honestly, this is where I draw the line. I HAVE given you the benefit of doubt ya jerk. I NEVER thought you were cynical to me."
---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year. " life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
Quit whining Zhin. If you think there's a chance you won't like some feedback from others, don't start a thread expressly asking for it. And - as htownfess already pointed out - insulting members you think have slighted you won't help anything.
Everyone just CALM DOWN. I know im only a teenager but it really annoys me to see people arguing like this. I always assumed this was a forum to help not hinder was I wrong?
Now time to get going on what this thread was really meant for here is a new video with way better quality. The groove is an eastern flavour kinda thing. Fourth position on a b-flat harp.
It sounds like you know how to play the harmonica but your phrasing seems quite tense and rushed even in the first video. Like, you're not telling a story that has a start, middle, and end. More like 1 long stream of melodies.
Yep. Think of all those lines and riffs you have as words that you're going to use to tell a story.
And when you do tell your story, build the pace up. Start with just enough interesting stuff but not your best yet, then build the song up and then let it all out like you can't stand it anymore!!
Then follow up with resolve to end the tension and cool the vibe down. To bring closure to the song.
This is like the most typical thought process of almost any person trying to tell a story or play a song. Not the fixed rule but it's a good place to start.
Your noodling a little too much. Try to have a melody that does not too much rely on scales. try to include some intervals. Also you may want to check out some harmony theory to have some pointer at hot to find a good melody or base riff. And then go from there. Try including that meldoy/theme in your improvisation and make a song out of it... yes very important. It has to have some structure. A beginning. some musical developments with highs and lows, a climax. And an ending...
oriental in 4th... hmmm, very impressive... :) ---------- "Don't engage the negativity!"
One of the moderators has asked me to take a look at this thread.
Zhin: htownfess is 100% correct. Your language earlier in this thread is clearly a violation of the forum creed. Please edit out the offending language or delete your post. We can't have that stuff here. Sadly, because this has happened before, I'm forced to say: this is your second strike and final warning. Justice is impersonal, not personal here. It's not an old-keeping-the-young-down thing, either. Flaming is not allowed. Period.
Walter, I understand that a set of small speakers played through a cheap sound card or amp won't sound like the real deal, But I do think that, unless the recording is REALLLLY atrocious, you can get an idea of the tone of the harp player. Some of that tone/timbre (whatever) does come through.
(Am I in the right thread?)
--I apologize for the non-nasty post, y'all. I understand it's not the accepted way to communicate 'round here. I'll try to do worse in the future. ;)
What a difference between the 1st and 2nd videos! You have alot of focus, clarity and accuracy to your playing. I can't say I was playing anything close to this in my 3rd year on the harmonica. It's exciting to see how quickly new players are developing with the new wealth of harmonica information.
Your tone is okay, but nothing spectacular. I know it will develop with time because you are young and obviously dedicated to the instrument. You have the time to put alot of hours into playing and you should!
The coolest thing about your playing is that, to me, you sound like you have your own voice. I don't listen to you and think of someone else. So keep playing and post more. Can't wait to see where you are in a year from now.
Thanks guys! Ridge, I really appreciate you saying i got my own voice. I cant wait till a year from now eitheir and ill look back on this video to see how far ive come. So thanks anyways!!!
