Greg
Guest
Oct 20, 2008
6:02 PM
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Ok, Im looking to start playing the harmonica, I have about 3 years experience playing saxophone if that helps. Just wondering what to buy, thinking of buying the Hohner Blues Harp.
Also, how to I start learning to play, can I get lessons anywhere, or do you just learn by playing?
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Trueblue
Guest
Oct 20, 2008
7:03 PM
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You started at the right place. Lots of resourses on the net but Adams is the best by far. Saxaphone experience should help except with the harp you also do an awful lot of sucking and you might find the sax case comes in really handy for carrying 50 harps. Seriously- lessons are right here- easy to follow- questions and answers on the forum. The Blues Harp is a good harp but there are much better harps to learn on. My pick would be 1) Bluesmasters 2) Harpmasters 3) Lee Oskars 4) Special 20 but I'm sure that there are plenty who would disagree. Start with key of C.
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Greg
Guest
Oct 21, 2008
3:14 AM
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cool, Yeah, I was thinking of getting the Hohner Blue Harp or the Lee Oskar, still can't decide yet
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tookatooka
16 posts
Oct 21, 2008
5:21 AM
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Hi Greg,
Like previous poster said start with a C harp because if you intend getting instructional books with CD's etc they nearly always use a C harp.
I too am a Suzuki Bluesmaster/Promaster lover but it all comes down to what suits you in the end.
You are in for a really good ride now Greg. Learning and playing the harp brings an awful lot of satisfaction and enjoyment. Put on your seatbelt you are about to take off and fly.
Good Luck.
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snakes
31 posts
Oct 21, 2008
8:49 AM
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Welcome to the club. I am 51 yrs. old and took up the harmonica about 1 yr. ago. It is great fun as well as a definite challenge to learn all of the skills needed to become proficient (of which I am not, but nothing easy is well appreciated...). I also am a Suzuki proponent after trying several different models. I wanted to mainly make one suggestion that I thought may be helpful to you as a saxophone player. I played woodwinds for many years and found that I needed to unlearn my embrochure (not sure of spelling there). Point being that when playing a woodwind (I mainly played clarinet) it was critical for tone and pitch to have this o-ee-ew tight mouth mouth affair going on while delivering air through the instrument. With a harmonica it is essesntial to have a relaxed mouth so that you can put as much of the harp into your mouth as possible. I noticed this while learning to bend and it has translated to most of the meager few skills I now have on this my favorite instrument. Hope this helps!
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eharp
106 posts
Oct 21, 2008
3:45 PM
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this is as good as any place to start.
of course, utilize youtube:
1) adam gussow
2) ronnie shellist
3) dan gage
4) jason ricci
5) jon gindick
harmonica club and blues harmonica club have a forum and a chat room where you can play and listen. it is a great way to actually hear what folks talk about on this, and other, forums. a mic and speakers optimize these chatrooms.
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DanP
2 posts
Nov 07, 2008
10:43 AM
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The Hohner Blues Harp is a good harmonica but I would not recommend it for beginners because it has a wooden comb. It's best to buy a good quality harp with a plastic comb to start out with. As some previous posters have noted, Suzuki has some fine harps that are very responsive. The Folkmaster,Harpmaster and Bluesmaster are all good choices. One thing to remember when you start out is that the 2 hole draw is difficult to play for many beginners on both the wood and the plastic comb harps. But don't let that discourage you,it will eventually come with practice. This website is a great place to start, Adam is an excellent teacher. Also,Jerry Portnoy's Blues Harmonica Masterclass,a 3 CD blues harp instruction method for players of all levels is another fine learning tool. Good Luck.
Last Edited by on Nov 07, 2008 11:33 AM
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Anonymous
Guest
Nov 11, 2008
10:44 AM
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For me the Jon Gindick's Rock&BluesHarmonica (part 1) helped me conquer the first basic problems... that was BEFORE Adam started to 'give it all away'...
JerryPortnoy,JohnSebastian,PaulButterfield,DavidBarrett,...you will learn something from every one of them.
But Jon Gindick beginner's book/CD combo (R&BHarmonica,1) made me really staying with 'it'.
Eddy
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