Philippe
19 posts
Oct 28, 2010
3:55 PM
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So today I recorded myself playing and got slapped with a reality stick - my playing sucks! (I thought I was getting decent/acceptable). I'm not feeling very motivated right now.
If you seasoned players or fellow beginners would spare a minute and give me some advice, I would greatly appreciate it!
So these are the choices I see now:
A- Keep practising the same 2 songs I was working on, recording myself over and over to bring changes to my playing.
B- Just practice as much new material as possible. I will get better with time?
C- Take a break from harp. May be a bad idea since the last break I took was a bit longer than anticipated (6 months).
Thoughts?
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hvyj
755 posts
Oct 28, 2010
3:58 PM
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Practice scales up and down. That will make it easier to play whatever material you want to play and it will teach you how to get around on the harp and where the different notes are on the instrument.
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GermanHarpist
1798 posts
Oct 28, 2010
4:07 PM
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What do you want to learn? Where do you want to go?
You could also upload the vid to youtube and post it here. I'm sure there'll be plenty of help and feedback.
There's plenty of lurkers that are exactly in your situation. Whatever may come out of this thread, there'll be a dozen players that are all to happy that you made the first step.
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The MBH thread-thread thread!
Last Edited by on Oct 28, 2010 4:09 PM
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Philippe
20 posts
Oct 28, 2010
4:08 PM
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Maybe I should clarify;
I am working on SBWII and James Cotton stuff (Ninety Nine-SBWII and Change My Ways-Joe Louis Walker, sounds like Cotton on the harp).
I am able to naturally get around the harp, it's just my phrasing seems horrible. Even though I get to the holes with no problem and scales go well, the music just doesn't 'flow'.
I'll try to get an example on here.
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GermanHarpist
1799 posts
Oct 28, 2010
4:13 PM
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There's one tip from Buddha, that helped me a lot:
Try not to think in patterns or riffs. Try to sing the music in your head. Then put the harp to your lips and play it.
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The MBH thread-thread thread!
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Philippe
21 posts
Oct 28, 2010
5:01 PM
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OK! Video posted on flickr. Unfortunately no embedding:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/46635733@N07/5124110827/
Phil
Playing history; started around late summer 2009, set it down from about march-august and started again in sept.
PS: thanks for the tip GermanHarpist!
Last Edited by on Oct 28, 2010 5:01 PM
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KingoBad
470 posts
Oct 28, 2010
5:05 PM
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Philippe,
I'm sad to tell you that this is not the last time you will feel like this.
You will continue to improve - and fall in love with your sound - just to learn to hate it again. It is the cycle of improvement.
My advice is to learn the whole songs, as best as you can (you will kill yourself later when you figure out how many subtleties you have left out.) That way you have something whole to play.
Next - practice your improvisation. Whether it is reusing your licks you just learned, or just learning to make something up on the fly, practice to a jam track or something. That will take your mind off the shackles of your frustration.
Then spend some time practicing cool techniques that you want to incorporate in your playing - like warbles, tongue slaps, over-blows, whole harp scales, etc...
You gotta find ways to keep it fun, even when you wonder "what is the point?"...
I would say with your current problem, you should work on simple riffs and vary the timing. Swing it, drag it, play with the space, pick your favorite players and imitate them with the same riff (SBII would do it differently than Cotton, etc)
Pick ONE phrase in one of the songs you are practicing (maybe a whole 12 bars, maybe just 2 or 4) and get it down completely -make it your pet project. Just come back to it when you are not doing something else. It is amazing how you can pick up the general stylings of how the original performer might have played the rest of it by learning their approach to that one section.
You WILL need to face the recording truth detector again, but it will get better every time.
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RyanMortos
862 posts
Oct 28, 2010
5:07 PM
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Phillipe, you're not giving yourself enough credit for what you have accomplished. I think musicians are students for life. You have to give in that becoming really good will take time. Take your time and learn everything at your own pace.
Only thing I can think to say about your recording is relax. Sounds a bit rushed, maybe forced. Move back and forth while you play. Feel the music. Tap your foot. Play along with the songs and allow mistakes to happen, work in and around what the recorded artist is doing.
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~Ryan
"I play the harmonica. The only way I can play is if I get my car going really fast, and stick it out the window." - Stephen Wright
Pennsylvania - H.A.R.P. (Harmonica Association 'Round Philly)
Contact:
My youtube account
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N.O.D.
329 posts
Oct 28, 2010
5:08 PM
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Bro GH has got a good idea:)
Q1 Try to sing the music in your head
Go one step Further sing along with the song
while it is Playing no Harp Playing just sing, this should give you the Natural feel of the song and how it flows:)
Now Play the song the way you sang it catch the melody line and phrases the way you hear it played:)
And now you know the song you have become more than a Harp Player you are a vocalist Harp Player, Don't fall into the Trap and just be a Harp Player:)
The best way to be Heard as a Harp Player is to front the Band not be some Monkey in the corner Playing the Harp like he's spitting water melon seeds:)
Keep Practiseing your 2 songs get them down Pat and start hitting Open Mic Nights, this is the only way to advance at a rapid rate if your not taking One on one lessons:)
But by the sound of things One on One lessons will help you greatly you will have the Flow you are looking for within the week of Private lessons do your self a Favor:)
Book ya self in for 7 lessons come back tell me I'm Wrong:)
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Cheers:)
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HarmonicaMick
224 posts
Oct 28, 2010
5:20 PM
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@Philippe: you describe yourself as a 'beginner' and yet you lament at your inability to make the music flow as you would like. Join the club, friend. Those of us who have been playing for quite a long time and consider ourselves to be fairly decent players still get the same feeling you described.
The most important aspect in improving is being able to recognise when what you are doing sucks, and sitting back, taking a deep breath and working out how to overcome why it sucks. Without a good teacher or a very analytical mind, that can be a hard thing to do, but, do it you must.
Bear in mind that technique is everything. I don't mean that it's more important than the music. No way. What I mean is that whatever it is you are trying to do is dependent on technique. Isolate the phrase you're not happy with; is it your vibrato that isn't working? Your bending technique? Are you flatting out the 2 draw and making it sound like crap? A lot of players do that. Those are just examples, but you get my point.
Break it down and work on the things that suck. Bit by grinding bit. Day by grinding day. It's hard work and slow to boot.
Whatever you do, don't keep playing through the same thing in the same way and expect it to improve. Break it down and work on each phrase to see what's going on. You may find that you don't yet have the chops for the piece you're working on, in which case, you can come back to it later.
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YouTube SlimHarpMick
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TNFrank
627 posts
Oct 28, 2010
5:33 PM
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Also, listen to as much music with harp in it as you can find. You've got to "put it in" before it'll come out. That'll help give you a feel for what you should be hearing when you play.
Something else, at least for me, keep it basic. Chords, single notes, a few draw bends maybe a warble and that's it. Don't try to bite off too much at one time. There's a lot to playing the harp, just take it a piece at a time. Once you learn one thing and get it down real well then move to the next thing. It's easy to get overwhelmed by it all, trust me, I know, I've been there. Little bit at a time and in no time you'll be playing without even thinking about it.
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Philippe
22 posts
Oct 28, 2010
5:40 PM
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Marvelous suggestions!
All this is *exactly* what I should be doing to get better.
I knew something was fishy when harp-playing appeared to be getting easier :)
Thank you all very much!
Philippe
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eharp
859 posts
Oct 28, 2010
5:51 PM
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let me get this straight-
you've been at it for about 18 months.
you are playing sbwII and walker.
you sound like cotton.
not really seeing any problem.
why dont you quit your whining and remember there are some of us who have been playing waaaay longer than that, dont know any sbwII or walker, and only sound like cotton when i snore!
lol
maybe working on a new song, or playing out doing unfamiliar material might help.
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KingoBad
471 posts
Oct 28, 2010
6:13 PM
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Ok, my two cents after hearing your addition of a sample.
May I suggest you practice playing the piece faster than the original recording. Swing it hard and make it feel like a different (albeit same melody) hard driving song.
Then back off and try it again. I find that once I get the groove of certain passages in a faster context, when I slow it down, it sits in the groove better.
If you are playing at your top speed now, simplify it and try it faster.
This approach works for me, but you'll just have to see what works for you.
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shbamac
8 posts
Oct 28, 2010
6:26 PM
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I wouldn't say your playing sucks. Especially for the amount of time you have been playing. Good advice above. Keep with it, you're on the right track.
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Joe_L
753 posts
Oct 28, 2010
6:30 PM
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Just keep doing what you're doing. It'll come in time. Remember Sonny Boy was in his sixties when he recorded that tune. Cotton was probably in his sixties when that recording was made. Those guys played thousands of gigs. It'll take time. You are on the right track.
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MakaInOz
23 posts
Oct 28, 2010
6:51 PM
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If you're doing this on your own, try and find someone to play with. A guitarist, other harp player (s), a bass player. Doesn't really matter if they're the same or better than you.
I find it keeps the motivation up if there's more than just me. I get to play each week with 5 other harp players - that's a great buzz. Last week we had a one off visit to the local Uke Group and had 5 harmonicas, 26 ukuleles and one bass guitar going for it. That was a hoot!
Cheers
Maka
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TNFrank
628 posts
Oct 28, 2010
7:06 PM
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Others to play with would be a huge help. I played guitar for years before I got into my first band. I learned more during the 4 or so months with that band then I had previously. Others can help give you tips and you can feed off of each others energy. I remember at one practice session we played "Long Train Running" for about 45 minutes just trading off leads, it was amazing the high you get out of playing when you're in the zone.
Go on Craigs list or your Local Sales Network and advertise for others to hang out and play with. You'll be glad you did.
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nacoran
3100 posts
Oct 28, 2010
7:53 PM
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Mix the difficulty of the tunes you're playing. Play some challenging stuff, but practice some really simple stuff but try to do harder things with it, like trills and other ornamentation. It will help you get used to improvising and making stuff your own. I play a bad-ass Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
The advice GH channeled from Buddha there is really useful. I sang in choirs long before I picked up the harp and that's still how I hear melodies in my head. Kingo's advice is really useful too. If I just don't have my mojo going I'll look at really hot looking harmonicas. It's like musical porn. I am a history buff, so I love learning harp history, and although I stink at it, I love art, so I look at pics of old art deco harmonicas! Tweek a harp or two. Some people don't like doing it, but some people discover that that they have a second hobby right under their nose, and they've already bought most of the supplies.
Copy other instrument riffs. Steal a saxophone line or a trumpet line. Find other people to play with. Their enthusiasm can be contagious.
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OzarkRich
290 posts
Oct 28, 2010
8:59 PM
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Of the three choices you listed, stick with "A". Work the songs in sections and get it as close to the original as possible (you can improvise your own sound later on). Work on matching the rhythm. Play along with the recording and then record just yourself while playing along (with headphones).
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Honkin On Bobo
470 posts
Oct 29, 2010
6:09 AM
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I'm gonna leave the advice on improving to those that play way better than me.
I will say this, you are being WAY TOO HARD on yourself. Seriously, less than 12 months total playing time? You don't suck. I heard a hint of vibrato in some of the notes and I thought your tone was decent to my ears. If you wanted to, you could probably jam with a garage band of similar skill level and have alot of fun with it, maybe even entertain a few people.
Now before the hoards weigh in here and depress you by telling you what you're doing wrong...remember this is close to the most critical audience that will hear your playing. It's true...and that's a good thing.
Of the choices above, I think all are valid, just don't go with C because you think you suck...you don't.
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Philippe
23 posts
Oct 29, 2010
6:25 AM
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Thank you so much for all your responses!
You are right, I shouldn't be so hard on myself, I'll relax and just go at my pace :) Thanks!
Philippe
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mr_so&so
370 posts
Oct 29, 2010
12:18 PM
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I think that choice A is not the best one. Playing harmonica should be fun. Why beat your head against a wall?
I'd suggest choice B instead. Work on some other things, either techniques or songs. There are plenty of things you can work on. Go with what attracts you right now. Then later when you come back to the material that is giving you grief now, you may be pleasantly surprised how much better you are. My 2 cents.
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Joe_L
758 posts
Oct 29, 2010
12:51 PM
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One more thing, don't record yourself too frequently. Practice for a month and then record it. Listen to both recordings and see if you're making progress.
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tbirdflier
1 post
Oct 29, 2010
3:37 PM
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I'm in my early 60's and I first picked up a harmonica just before I got out of the service back in 1971. Played it for a while and then got away from it, just "fooling around" now and then for many years.
About 4 years ago I bought a cheap set of haprs, all 12 keys and that inspired me to "get serious" with my playing.
It has been a long slow road, but I have kept with it and taken it slowly, one step at a time, trying not to get discouraged along the way...not always easy to do, as you've come to know.
It's a process and we all progress at different rates, and we all have our own "style" so to speak.
Learn how to play single notes in a very clean way and then learn how to bend them individually. From there you can begin to expand your techique.
I have primarily been a lip purser, but have recently really been working on my tongue blocking and it's been great. I am a work in progree with it, but not afraid to go for it.
I also go out and jam twice a week with other musicians
which has really helped with my playing. Learing to play along with a band is a long process in and of itself but very rewarding.
Hang in with your playing and don't give up, it will come if you stick with it.
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GermanHarpist
1801 posts
Oct 29, 2010
5:33 PM
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tbirdflier,... thanks for that inspiring post.
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The MBH thread-thread thread!
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Philippe
24 posts
Oct 29, 2010
7:07 PM
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I agree with GH, thanks for the good post tbirdflier.
I played some harp today and it felt great, I've not had time to implement all the suggestions but so far so good!!
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tbirdflier
3 posts
Oct 30, 2010
2:00 PM
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I sometimes forget that I'm a human being and not a machine, therefore I have my "good days" and my "bad days" whether it be playing golf or harmonica.
I practiced harmonica this afternoon for about an hour and nailed it good, it's days like this that keep me coming back for more....amen!
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