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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
musical instruments to improve our harp playing
musical instruments to improve our harp playing
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Alexander
7 posts
Sep 03, 2011
7:32 AM
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Hi folks,
I am new to this forum. I am just a sporadic harp player since years. Often I don't play for months. But recently I enjoy it more again (it comes and goes), and so I also play more.
Last few days I am wondering, if it is actually crucial to learn more about other instruments to improve my musicalty (and therefor harp playing). To render more precisely: I am wondering, if playing the guitar a bit could be of great value for a harp player.
I think I learned a lot from just strumming a few chords, when I owned a guitar for some month. But I was so foolish to sell it the first moment I needed money (I could have sold something else). I also had a keyboard long time ago, and again I think I gained a lot from that, eventhough I really can't play it (I just sampled the music theory I learned from a book and here and there: chord progressions, ...).
I thought we could talk here a bit about the harp players need to learn other instruments, especially a polyphonic one. To me the guitar seems to be the most obvious choice here, cause harp is mostly played along a guitar. And it's a great blues instrument too.
What do you think?
What is your experience? Please share.
Which other instruments do you play or did you play? 'How much' does/did it help you with your harp playing?
I'll be back.
cheers,
Alexander
PS: I made a short vid for Ronnie Shellists Front and Center Mic Contest the other day for fun. Check it out: click
Last Edited by on Sep 03, 2011 7:45 AM
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eharp
1435 posts
Sep 03, 2011
7:44 AM
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i think learning chords on guitar would be helpful.
1) it would help you follow a guitarist, provided you can see his hands.
2) would get you 1 step closer to becoming a 1 man band.
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HawkeyeKane
164 posts
Sep 03, 2011
8:04 AM
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Here's an odd factoid about yours truly...
I don't play guitar. Don't know a damn chord to save my life. I know ABOUT guitars. But I don't know how to play.
However...
My band's bassist noticed this about me, and I agree. I play harp like a lead guitarist. My phrasing, my rhythm, my intonation, my articulation...I play like a guitarist. No flourish, no slide, no tongue-block (usually). When it come to the articulation, my ten years' training on trumpet serves well.
But yeah. I think this is a frustration for me. I know what I need to do, and that's unlearn and relearn. But it's still frustrating.
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Hawkeye Kane
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AirMojo
197 posts
Sep 03, 2011
8:18 AM
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I've always entertained the idea of learning to play guitar, but also knowing that it would be best to take lessons AND have the time to do so... maybe when I retire (within the next 5-7 years.
But I'm seriously considering getting a ukulele, possibly a tenor, to play around with... they look like they could be alot of fun !
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Gnarly
88 posts
Sep 03, 2011
10:28 AM
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I am mainly a guitarist, and find that my guitar knowledge helps my harmonica playing.
But keyboard is an even better help (I play keys, but not enough to gig).
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nacoran
4550 posts
Sep 03, 2011
11:16 AM
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It depends what you mean by crucial. Playing guitar is useful because there are a lot more shows available for a solo player who plays guitar and harmonica rather than just harmonica. Playing keyboards is useful because the way a piano is laid out is really useful for learning theory. Keyboard players usually learn to sight read too. Playing other instruments gives you a way to change a songs sound.
Playing other instruments also helps you learn to listen to those instruments. The harmonica is a very versatile instrument. With the right set up you can steal trumpet lines, sax lines, guitar lines and all sort of other stuff.
Just remember, if you pick up guitar or some other instrument that is going to tie up your hands and you want to play harmonica at the same time set aside some time to really get the feel for playing in a rack. I've seen a couple people who play really well in a rack, and a ton of people who are really guitar players just playing the harmonica as a noise maker. That's fine, but since I've seen those couple people who play it really well I know it can be done.
When I was a kid I started out on the baritone tuba. I took just enough piano before I started having problems with the tendons in my wrists to learn the names of the notes and get an idea of how keys worked. I sang in choir for years. I took a little theory. I tried a little trumpet (too loud for an apartment complex) and tried a little guitar (pesky tendons). I recently spent some time learning some drum rudiments. Every one helped me be a better harmonica player.
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Nate
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Alexander
8 posts
Sep 06, 2011
7:10 AM
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Hey guys and gals,
Sorry for coming back so late. My computer broke the other day, and I have to get a new one. So right now I can't excess the internet so often.
It's interesting to read your views.
@AirMojo: You are right, it takes lot's of time again to get into it.
@Nate: I think this paragraph:
>"Playing other instruments also helps you learn to listen to those >instruments. The harmonica is a very versatile instrument. With the right set >up you can steal trumpet lines, sax lines, guitar lines and all sort of other >stuff."
is showing an interesting aspect of what you could gain. Ear-training is what I want to do.
My intention is not to be a one man band ... Intentions change though; I could end up with that too. I think I will get myself a guitar when I have a bit of money left again.
Have to go.
I wish you a good day,
Alexander
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Honkin On Bobo
756 posts
Sep 06, 2011
10:58 AM
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I actually picked up the guitar first and became so frustrated with my progress, or lack thereof, that I picked up the harp thinking, this has got to be easier to play.
Silly me.
Actually, that's not quite true. For me, it WAS easier to play.....simple songs..badly....we all know the usual suspects, Red River Valley etc. But the thing is, being able to play something recognizable as some sort of song, relatively soon, was something I needed to keep me going.
But back to the topic, I'm not sure anything I do with guitar improves my harp playing. I'm at serious risk of becoming jack of two instruments.....and master of neither.
Check that, I'm already there.
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toddlgreene
3279 posts
Sep 06, 2011
11:02 AM
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Here's an 'instrument' that might fit the list-the singing voice!
I really feel that, as a lifelong singer, the breathing techniques have helped tremendously during my harp journeys. Breathing, control, using the diaphragm, etc.
Also, understanding and having a 'feel' for vocal melodies has DEFINITELY helped and influenced my harmonica playing.
Many threads in the past have mentioned the benefits of singing to harmonica playing-I wholeheartedly agree.
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Todd L. Greene
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isaacullah
1565 posts
Sep 06, 2011
11:36 AM
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I've been learning to play the 3-string cigar box guitar in Open A, as well as a 6-string acoustic in Open D. It's been teaching me A LOT about playing harp. Basically, I've been trying to transpose licks from harp to guitar and vice versa. It's forced me to think in terms of scale degrees,and learning to navigate the fretboard has helped me visualize the intervals between notes in a particular scale in a way that I never could on a harp. I've been mainly playing blues and pentatonic scales on my guitars, and I feel that that part of my harp playing has gotten a lot better just from playing guitar...
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oldwailer
1703 posts
Sep 07, 2011
6:34 AM
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I've been a guitar addict for some 50 years--lately, I've branched these skills out and am working on more and more lap steel guitar.
Working primarily in open D and E, with some stuff in open G, I've been opening up a whole new world of micro tonal playing that is akin to the harp.
I find this to be a new and stimulating change from the same old stuff for me--which, in turn, is making me both a better guitar player, and a better harp player.
I would love to be able to play everything there is--there just isn't enough time to do it all--I love to play music!
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Always be yourself--unless you suck. . .
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KingoBad
898 posts
Sep 07, 2011
7:35 AM
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I found it to be very helpful.
Actually knowing the chords I am playing on is nice, and now I can spot the key from across the room ( well at leas close enough, still use my ear).
I also like going at the rack playing as a harp player. I don't want to short that side of things as I hear so many guitarists do coming from the other direction.
My biggest problem has been that I will pick up the guitar first - before the harp - because it is newer and a little more flexible to learning new songs. This has set my harp playing back a bit - probably. I still carry a harp and play just about everywhere I go, and can't do that with a guitar.
Of course, I'm going the OMB route, so hopefully I'm not really getting off track.
The one thing I feel is extremely beneficial is learning very good timing. To be able to sing, play guitar and harp, means that I have to get everything in their EXACT place. If I want to play behind the beat with harp or sing behind or around, I still have to keep the guitar playing rock solid. It is not easy, but you know how to put it all together, then just singing and harp seem a LOT easier. Playing harp ONLY after that allows me to really explore while keeping right in the groove.
I haven't been playing guitar for that long (a little over a year), so take my findings for what they are worth...
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Danny
Last Edited by on Sep 07, 2011 7:38 AM
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isaacullah
1568 posts
Sep 07, 2011
8:43 AM
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@KingoBad: "My biggest problem has been that I will pick up the guitar first - before the harp - because it is newer and a little more flexible to learning new songs. This has set my harp playing back a bit - probably. I still carry a harp and play just about everywhere I go, and can't do that with a guitar."
I'm with you 100% there! But yeah, I don't really see this as an actual problem as I too want to incorporate the guitar into my OMB thing. Also, I've really noticed that my harp playing has actually improved because of my focus on the guitar. It's like some musical harmonica things just clicked back in my brain while I was so focused on the guitar! When I pull out the harps now, some new stuff just comes flying out!
I think oldwailer hit the nail on the head. Because i've been playing open tunings with a slide, "I've been opening up a whole new world of micro tonal playing that is akin to the harp." That's the key, I think. I approached the musical theory of open tuned guitar just like it was a harp. It was especially useful to start on a 3 string fretless cigar box guitar. Without frets, I HAD to learn to play by ear, and to get all the intervals right. It also let me get that slurry, slidey, wailing tone that we get by bending on harp. I've been thinking about making a little YouTube about the way I approached learning the cbg. I'd call it soething like "Learning cbg from a harmonica player's persepctive", or something like that! I probably will do that when I get some free time... :)
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== I S A A C ==
View my videos on YouTube!
Visit my reverb nation page!
Last Edited by on Sep 07, 2011 8:43 AM
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