Moony Boy
Guest
Dec 02, 2008
11:53 AM
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HOW'S EVERYONE DOING? LOVE THE FORUMS!
I've been playing the harmonica for 5 months, and I feel stuck at my current skill-set. I want to get better, learn to improvise, play the blues, but I can't progress further... Here's where I am:
I can:
- Hit all the bends, more or less.
- Blow-Bend
- Vibrato is getting to be more pronounced, noticable
- Tongue-slap, tongue-block (but I mostly/prefer pucker)
But basically, like a few other people on these forums said, I can only play by tabs, and memorize from there... how can I improve myself? I don't want to play 1'st position melodies or 2'nd position by tabs all my life... I got it in me, I love this instrument, someone please guide me!!!!!
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Aussiesucker
90 posts
Dec 02, 2008
12:45 PM
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Moony Boy, we all hit walls every so often in our quest to improve. We all want to get there quickly but unfortunately there is no short cut to hard work 'woodshedding'. Playing for 5 months is a very short time. Believe me, in good time you will be able to disregard the tabs (a lot are dreadful -anyway). When you know your harp and have a tune embedded in your memory you will be able to play it.
Picking the right harp and best playing position to suit the harp is all part of the fun and part of the progression. I first started playing over 50 years ago and played on and off (mostly off) until I took to it seriously about 3 years ago. Some things I consider I am intermediate -advanced and with others I am a rank beginner. Keep at it ie thats how we all improve.
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Tuckster
48 posts
Dec 02, 2008
1:03 PM
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Yes,5 months,that's good progress. You have to walk before you can run. For me, it helped to listen to lots of the great harp players and trying to copy some of the sounds they are making.Just pick some part of a phrase or lick you like and try to copy it. In blues harp, there are certain phrases and licks that are sort of standard. You can use them as building blocks,once you learn them.
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Aussiesucker
91 posts
Dec 02, 2008
2:55 PM
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Just another comment - I think we get hooked into the thinking that the Harp is a simple instrument to learn however IMHO I believe that it probably is just as difficult to master as any other musical instrument. The big benefit we have is that harps, apart from our voices, are the most portable of musical instruments so the opportunities to practice can be anywhere & everywhere, so always carry a harp with you. It probably is easier to progress much faster with the harp in 'calender' time because of these greater practicing opportunities than you would have for example with a piano where you are restricted by time and place. Also with most other musical instruments the theory comes first but with the harp most of us skip the theory and seek it out later when we hit a wall in our progress.
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Chris Michalek
Guest
Dec 02, 2008
3:09 PM
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Aussie,
the harmonica is probably the MOST difficult instrument to play. Think about it...
You can't see what you're doing
You can't feel what you're doing
The same scale is played differently in each octave
Then there are the intonation issues that most people never seems to solve.
Moony don't feel frustrated, it happens. You're not going to learn anything if you're in a negative mind space. Walk away, just put down the harp and walk away. You'll know when you're ready to play again.
I often put my harps on the shelf. From sept 2002 to March-2005, I didn't play harmonica at all. But when I picked it up again, I had a fresh perspective.
That was the longest I've had my harps on the shelf but it wasn't the first time. After I go to SPAH I tend not to play harmonica for a few months afterwards.
The best thing you can do right now is stop playing harmonica and then learn the keyboard. When you come back to the harp you will have a new approach and be a better musician.
Learn to read music. If you can read tab you can read music, reading music is universal, tab is a dead end.
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eharp
158 posts
Dec 02, 2008
3:44 PM
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why after SPAH, chris?
is it because you have sensory overload from all the great playing going on there? or is it due to being worn out from all the playing you do there? perhaps it is the harps get lost on the flight back?lol
i ask because it is the opposite for me. i get so motivated that i play constantly for a month, trying to practice the things i learned and heard.
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Chris Michalek
Guest
Dec 02, 2008
4:14 PM
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SPAH is probably different for you than it is for me. I don't go there to learn. I have a responsibility to help others, perform at all the jams and teach. It just becomes too much. I'm naturally an introverted person and for a whole week I have to be extroverted and my energy gets quickly absorbed.
Sometimes all I want to do is smoke a joint with weed and a hang out. But there is always somebody asking me to listen to something, try a new harmonica, show them something or play with them. It just becomes too much.
SPAH is great and everybody should go. I went to my first one in 1991.
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eharp
159 posts
Dec 02, 2008
4:42 PM
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this covers 2 of your points: just say no. lol
it must be tough to have to be part of the convention, it is probably voluntary, too. i think 99.9% of those attending would understand if you politely begged off occasionally.
even though i dont know you, but may have run into you and/or those in your shoes, i want to say "thanks" for what you do at SPAH.
(now could you listen to this and tell me how.....)
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Oisin
54 posts
Dec 03, 2008
1:29 AM
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Chris...I wouldn't wait for SPAH to smoke a joint. I find it an inspirational tool now and again. I much rather do this than say drink beer and play harp.
Don't want to encourage anyone to be doing anything illegal but I know it works for me now and again.
Oisin
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GGiles
13 posts
Dec 03, 2008
4:56 AM
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All of the above is great advice .. I'd only add that if you wat to improvise, start doing that. Get some of the great free blues jam tracks that are out there and start playing along. Keep it simple, add in some simple riffs that you hear in your head ... if it sounds wrong, just move on ... if you hit one you like tab it out, commit it to memory. Improvisation gets easier the more you do it.
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Baker
12 posts
Dec 03, 2008
5:08 AM
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Moony Boy, if you want to learn to improvise blues the best place to start is the 2nd position blues scale over the 12 bar blues progression:
The 2 Draw is the most important note. It is the note of the Key you are in, the tonic.
2nd Position Blues Scale
(Up from the 2 draw)
--------------------------------
2 Draw - Tonic Note
3 Draw (Slightly Bend) - Blue Third
4 Blow - Sub Dominant
4 Draw (Bent)
4 Draw - Dominant
5 Draw
6 Blow - Tonic Note (One octave up)
There are also some notes below the 2 Draw
(Down from the 2 draw).
-----------------------------------
2 Draw - Tonic Note
2 Draw (Bent)
1 Draw - Dominant
1 Draw (Bent)
1 Blow - Sub Dominant
With this you should be able to improvise over most 12 bar blues progressions. Practice this up and down. Play along with stuff. You will eventually figure out which notes sound good and where.
Practice, Practice, Practice.
Adam has a couple of lessons on both of these on youtube.
Blues Scale:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=cAn2EEICyb0
12 bar blues progression:
1. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ICbLTZu5alY
2. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=0ACf2gUQ5I8
3. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=wofpAKwJKFg
I hope this is some help.
If I've got anything wrong please feel free to correct me, my theory is a bit sketchy, at best.
Last Edited by on Dec 03, 2008 5:09 AM
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Anonymous
Guest
Dec 03, 2008
6:01 AM
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MB,
I'VE BEEN PLAYING HARP FOR ABOUT THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME. I PLAYED TRUMPET IN SCHOOL, PLAYED A LITTLE GUITAR, PLAYED ELECTRIC BASS FOR 8 YEARS IN TWO DIFFERENT BLUES BANDS. I'D BEEN AWAY FROM MUSIC FOR A LONG TIME THEN I FINALLY DECIDED TO FIGURE THESE FRUSTRATING LITTLE INSTRUMENTS OUT. I SEEM TO SHARE THE SAME UPS AND DOWN AS I'M SURE EVERYONE DOES. A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO I TOLD MY WIFE I WAS JUST GOING TO PLAY LITTLE WALTERS BEST CD OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND CONCENTRATE ON IT. I BOUGHT THAT CD YEARS AGO BECAUSE I LIKED "MY BABE" AND WANTED TO SING IT IN THE BAND. BACK THEN I HAD NO IDEA I'D BE PLAYING A HARP. ANYWAY, THE SONG THAT HAS FUELED MY PASSION FOR THE LAST 2 WEEKS IS CUT NUMBER 6 "OFF THE WALL". I'VE FIGURED MOST OF IT OUT AND NOW I'M AT THE POINT WHERE I NEED ANOTHER INSPIRING TUNE AND THEY'RE OUT THERE. KEEP THE FAITH BROTHER. IN ORDER TO SUCCEED YOU MUST FIRST FAIL. IT'S HOW WE LEARN WHAT NOT TO DO.
LR
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LIP RIPPER
12 posts
Dec 03, 2008
6:03 AM
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GUESS I FORGOT TO LOG IN. THE ABOVE IS FROM,
LIP RIPPER
Last Edited by on Dec 03, 2008 6:04 AM
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