Nice work! I especially like the quick burst of the octave triplets. It stays in the groove and helps drive it nicely.
Last Edited by on Oct 22, 2010 6:19 AM
You've got two important things going for you: a big, rich sound--a huge sound, in some ways--that is pleasing to listen to; and terrific energy. Anybody listening to you would say, "He's got a great sound and the soul of a real harp player."
That being said, there's obviously room for growth in several places. The most obvious place is one where I struggled to grow during the 1984-1986 period when I was playing constantly and determined to better myself. You don't leave any space. Your playing is a little frantic. That's the downside, as it were, of your terrific energy: this particular clip is a little overwhelming. You're pushing at the beat rather than relaxing into it, and you're determined not to leave any empty space, but rather to cram a big, rich, energetic run into every possible moment.
The second place for improvement is an outgrowth of the first: a certain sameness in the duration of the notes you play and the way you place them relative to the beat. One of the things that makes Kim Wilson a player worth listening to is that he has a habit of leaving brief but important pauses of variable duration in the middle of his solos, then throwing in big octaves that he also holds for durations that vary every time he does them. As stylized as he is much of the time, he has complete freedom at every moment to extend his notes across bar lines.
So this is an excellent video in some ways, but two years from now you'll be much better. I'm quite sure of that. I've suggested a couple of places where "better" might manifest, but you're the one, ultimately, who will figure out where you're trying to go. What you DON'T have any trouble with are the things that most people who've been playing for only a year and a few months have trouble with: constricted sound, non-blue blue notes, an inability to keep the beat. You've got all that stuff down already, and that's a real achievement.
Thank you. I'm very grateful for your constructive comments. Over the last month or so, I've started to become conscious of what I think your main point is: taking your time, leaving some space and varying note duration.
That said, I think I'm at a point where I understand it in a sort of cold conceptual or cognitive manner. I can't yet apply it in the heat of the moment when I'm playing. Does that make any sense?
I think maybe I should practice by picking spots at random in my soloing where I force myself to bring in all this variation. One thing's for sure, your comment has solidified this impression that I've been having about overplaying.
Any particular ways you worked your way through that challenge. Or was it kind of a gradual non conscious process?
Hi there... I think this is the right thread for my purpose. adam, kindly look at this and tell me where I stand...I consider myself somewhere between advanced beginner and intermediate...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7v9L11rz4w
Last Edited by on Oct 23, 2010 6:09 AM
diletto, all you have to do for a direct link from YouTube is click on the embed button on the YouTube page and cut and paste the text into your post. :)
