The other "Harpfriends Playalong Contest!" thread got too long. Here you have the updated information:
First off: EVERBODY CAN PARTICIPATE!
Oldwailers Slow Blues III is the official backing track for the competition (same as in vid above).
Please upload your take to the Harpfriends YT channel. Add it as public or private (to your choosing), remember also to add it to the "Harpfriends Playalong Contest!" playlist (if you don't, I will ;).
It would be nice if you could name your vid " HPC - 'your username' " so that it is easily distinguishable to the other harpfriends videos.
If you don't have the Harpfriends Channel login info. Ask for it and it will be sent to you.
Isaacullah, I deleted the old playlist and renamed the old backing track vid... hope you don't mind. Cheers. ---------- germanharpist, harpfriends on Youtube
Nice Sounds Good. I was Jammin' too the older one too and I realized how good it actually was. Very out of the normal box stuff and I was doing completely different licks than I have before. Nice playing Oldwailer. ---------- ---Go Bears!!! (Richard Dent for Hall of Fame)---
Once we start submitting our videos, perhaps we should stick to some "uniform" naming? eg: Old Wailer Blues - DutchBones... Slow Oldwailer Blues would be: SOB - DutchBones... naahhh doesn't sound right. anyway, you get the idea.... a similar format so it is easy to identify it's an entry for OW's Slow Blues and who is the culprit... I reckon if this goes well, more "contests" will follow... so the next time might be " COW Blues (Chicago Old Wailer Blues) who knows...... ---------- DutchBones Tube
lol Dutchbones. This is actually a pretty good idea. Although the Playlist should help identify the vids it would be nice to have a uniform title. Inspired by your abbreviations I would suggest HPC (for Harpfriends Playalong Contest) and then the Nickname. Any other ideas...?
Oops! I already uploaded my 1st entry, pls take a look.
Here is a copy of my other post*
"Added my 1st entry with OW's slow blues. I saved it as a private video,so you need to log in at harpfriends and select "My Videos" from the menu at the top. It was not clear if it was an "open" contest, meaning that anybody can watch the videos or for members eyes only, hence the "private" selection (and no link here)... As mentioned here and at other forums, telling a story is important when making music, I tried to, but I don't know if I succeeded. I spend a few days just listening to Wailers track and this is what I came up with. I'll probably will do something different later.... Anyway, boys and girls, let it roll!"
btw if you don't want to log in or you can't, I've posted the video also on my own channel DutchBones Entry ---------- DutchBones Tube
Last Edited by on Mar 30, 2009 2:27 AM
Well, I would say the videos should be posted as "public". This makes it easier to judge them. Then it should also be added to the "Harpfriends Playalong Contest!" (which is displayed above).
Don't worry, Dutchbones, I changed that for you (I hope you don't mind).
About the title: I thought that an abbreviation and the username would be good, because of how YT displays titles. If they are too long, part of the title is cut off.
So I would suggest: "HPC - Dutchbones (entry #1)"
Btw: Thanks for going on the limb here and uploading the first vid.
No problem, thanks for the help. As far as making it public, I don't see any problems there, except for that I vaguely recall some members saying that they wouldn't like their videos open to everybody (because of their level) ---------- DutchBones Tube
Last Edited by on Mar 30, 2009 3:44 AM
Making it public would just be a lot easier: I.e. -You can post the vids as playlist... -you don't have to login. -Private videos tend to get lost in your video collection (as far as I know: you (the admin) can't even search them...).
On the other hand some people obviously don't want to post their stuff openly on the internet.
I have to say: Just for the sake of having a higher participation I would go for "private".
Isacullah, what do you think? ---------- germanharpist, harpfriends on Youtube
Last Edited by on Mar 30, 2009 5:07 AM
Ok, dumb question, I know. What are most of you guys using to record the videos? Are you using a webcam, digital camcorder or what? Also how are you mic'ing it? I have no experience recording these videos and wanted to know what the most usual (read: inexpensive) way is.
I pretty good with this stuff once I know what to get.
Oh I didn't hear about this... I'll be sure to join- do we just record a video and post it here or do we email it to someone? ---------- "Without music, life would be a mistake" -Nietzsche
rusty - I have an iMac with a build-in camera, build-in mic and iMovie (build-in software to make / record movies) I just sit in front of my computer and record, that's all there is to it. iMovie also lets you up load directly to youtube, it doesn't get any easier... even I can do it.... inexpensive? I don't know, but surely no hassle with having to buy stuff later on to do some basic recording ---------- DutchBones Tube
The video at the top has a 2nd entry I thought, but it's turns out that it's a "riff of the day" video. Perhaps it should be removed from the playlist? ---------- DutchBones Tube
@rustym: Of course you could just record the sound (for that you only need a mic) and post a vid with a foto of you (or whatever...). However, a webcam doesn't cost a lot (I think)
@Patrick Barker: Well you post the video on the Harpfriends Channel as described above. Do you have a YouTube account that I can send the login information to?
@Dutchbones: The "riff of the day" vid is my mistake. Wanted to check something out and forgot to remove it afterwards.
Sorry guys, school is a little hectic right now... I haven't had much time to devote to this since last week. I will be freer next week.
As for the public/private thing... How are members of this forum, who are not also members of harpfriends supposed to vote for videos if they are all "private"? It would also be quite difficult for voting in general if folks had to go to YouTube, logout, login as harpfriends, watch all the videos, then come back over here to place a vote.
I suggest that videos be uploaded as public for the duration of the contest and voting period. This way we can embed a playlist in a voting thread on this forum, and anyone who is a member here can vote on them. After the voting time has ended, any participants who want can go back to harpfriends and make their video private. Does that seem fair?
@rustym I just use my little pentax digitial camera. It has a "video" mode. The camera's mic is a little crappy, so I sometimes record the sound seperately (direct to my hard drive) with a good mic, and over dub the good audio onto the video (I use windows movie maker cause it's on my laptop) ---------- -------------- The magnificent YouTube channel of the internet user known as "isaacullah"
Yeah man, I was barfing the next two days, and the other effects lasted thru the weekend! It was rough, but I made it thru the other end... I'm now back to normal. Well, at least as normal as I can be!
It was indeed pretty cool to hang out with you an Chris. I just wish I hadn't blown chunks everywhere! :)
If some people feel shy about having their vids openly displayed on YT, well.. we can always turn off the option for people to add comments to those videos.... this way nobody's feelings can get hurt... hows that for a solution??
Actually I would like to see/hear a reaction from somebody who would like to keep it private, cause the people who DO discus this "problem", all don't really care about the privacy if I'm not mistaken.... So IS it REALLY a problem??? ---------- DutchBones Tube
Last Edited by on Apr 02, 2009 2:55 AM
nobody should be shy about putting their stuff out there. if you're going to be a musician you have to have thick skin. We all start somewhere and that's normally the Island of Suckville. There was a time, I played like everyone on this board, it's all a matter of progression.
If you're going to get bent out of shape because you can't play like somebody else then you prolly need meds or a new hobby. Seriously, getting nuts over comparing yourself to others is like feeling like shit because you're not as weathly as Bill Gates. Remember, you are who you are and in this moment of time, you may or may not be a good player. So you have a choice, try to be better tomorrow or get worse tomorrow because somebody said you don't sound good.
Thanks for the encouraging words, Buddha. However, as DutchBones sais: its mostly the people that have no problems playing public anyway that comment. Let's hear it from the people that would like to keep it private.
At the end its isaacullahs choice...
Dutchbones, I had an idea how to make the competition friendlier. People just say beside their video what comments they would like: - criticize me till death - only tell me whats bad (no nice comments, please) - take it easy on me. - only tell me whats good (no bad comments, please) - i know I'm CRAP but tell me I'm AWESOME.
So people don't have to fear buddhas straight forward, professional, honest but (sometimes) devastating comments, if they don't want to.
It's just an idea. I don't want to overcomplicate things. But the more people feel comfortable participating at this contest the better.
Hey GermanHarpist Can you add me to the MBH freinds youtube list.My youtube is 'binghiDub'. AS well as the contest I'd like to put some guitar jam tracks for our harpers.Including some reggae. r.e criticism for contest-Im with Budda.
G- I'm with Budda, just make it open.. even if I request to "pls take it easy with your comment" you can't avoid messages like " You Stink" or "Your Blowing Sucks!"..... it comes with the territory... just let everybody decide for them selves to enable comments for their video or not... simple is best... ---------- DutchBones Tube
Yes I think we all still are. I'll get a reminder up a week befor the deadline. I'm still working it out. I need to get a block of time to just sit down and jam to it for an hour or so... i'll get a vid up before the deadline though! :) ---------- -------------- The magnificent YouTube channel of the internet user known as "isaacullah"
Well, the competition is starting to heat up--I'll have something to post by next week--but I gotta see a few more videos first so I can steal the licks--that guitar player is hard to play with.
Maybe a medium tempo blues would have been easier to start with--pretty hard to play slow blues for me these days without sounding like I'm ripping off Adam's Front Porch--mainly because I am!
Great job Preston, Interesting how you can get such very different versions, using the same back track.
Wailer - the tempo is fine, it's going to the higher notes what throws people of perhaps. That takes some time to get used to, I had to listen to it a zillion tim.... no that's not true... about 50 times, till I got in the "groove" .. looking forward to what you're gonna do with it... some lazy lowdown BACK PORCH blues maybe....?
The first 43 seconds was great - as good as anyone can play on a tune like that. At :44 you lost the connection to the music until about 1:09 which was good again until about 1:34 were you were doing nothing but showing off you're technique until about 2:32 where you get grounded and connect with the the music. The Bent OB6 was very nice and very much part of the music. BRAVO!!! That was great!
Everything after that is what I call cerebal vomit. There was no emotion, your ideas severely lacked cogency, that was no music coming from you.
You need to work on dynamics, usage of space, texture and layers of music. Sing though the harmonica like you did in the beginning rather than spit through it like you did in the end. Learn some fast runs that you can interject between your slower more mournful notes.
In music performance, the end is what matters most because that's what people will remember.
I recommend that you stop playing harmonica for at least two weeks and sing/hum/whistle everything. This will establish your connection to music and create stronger pathways for your creativity.
Last Edited by on Apr 23, 2009 7:48 AM
you disagree? Then tell me where I am wrong Christelle.
"This is my humble contibution to this contest:"
A thank you would be more appropriate. Don't forget, it's my duty to listen to every clip that is posted for this contest.
Last Edited by on Apr 23, 2009 8:14 AM
Preston, you're using an amp!? How could you!? Get out! Just kidding!! :D Dude, nice work man. I can tell you're cooking up a very distinct style of your own. Your control sounds good. I am however hearing something that is thinning your tone. I'm really not sure what is causing it. Could be the amp or mic? Could be an impedance mismatch or something. Sorry just trying to help! Other than that you've definately caught my interest. Lookin' forward to more videos from you man! I'm really happy to see a new entry!!
(edited because I don't want to be part of any shitstorm)
Took: I realized after I embedded it that it is set to private on the harpfriends channel. You'll have to go there and log in to see it. My mistake.
Zhin: Thanks for the comments. It could be something in my rig, I have no clue about any of that stuff. I'm a master electrician and can wire any Office building, warehouse or home, but I don't have clue one about electronics, other than basic ohm's law. The other possibility is my natural tone sucks! I really try to work on my tone, but when I'm thinking of my next riff, or listening for the changes, I lose it. I know I do, and I am trying to make a conscious effort to stop that, but what can I say? I'm a work in progress! Sorry I used an amp. My first couple of trys at it was accoustic, with a different harp melody, but when I decided on my final take, it just felt right to me amnplified. Gotta go with your gut.
