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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Gidday All
Gidday All
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Blocker
3 posts
Jun 09, 2009
1:18 AM
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I thought I should just quickly write and say hello to everyone, as I have been reading all the posts here for the last few weeks.
I have been playing now for the last six months (well trying anyway) and only came across Adam's stuff a couple of months ago which has been like finding gold (extremely helpful). I seem to have become slightly obsessed with listening to, and playing harmonica blues. I'm not really sure why it took 43yrs for this to happen.
Anyway, where I'm at currently is the intermediate level nudging advanced intermediate. My problem at the moment though is translating what I have learned into improvising over a jam track. I'm not intuitively musical however I feel like I have it ready to burst inside me as I really want to be able to play well (hope that doesn’t sound too weird!). Adam was right in that post he put up recently “Basic blues harp” I would kill to be able to play like that guy! its that "crucial bluesiness threshold" I would like to cross :)
Any tips, advise, or your own experiences that may help me with increasing my improvising skill, would be very much appreciated.
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kudzurunner
501 posts
Jun 09, 2009
1:55 AM
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Start with a very simple riff--something involving the 2 draw, bent 2 draw, blue third. Make it funky. Nothing fancy. Just make it sound good. Tap your foot. Repeat. Repetition is your friend. When it's sounding good, try small variations. But keep tapping your foot, keep the groove. If you mess up, go back to the original groove. Keep it simple and make it sound funky.
If you can't do this, why bother practicing anything else? Make the simple things sound good. If you can't--well, at least you're starting in the right place.
The point is to "think music." Slow down and simplify to the point where your musical imagination can function.
Keeping the tempo and groove constant, try varying the durations of your notes, rather than moving from hole to hole. Think music. Think musically. Music can be made from small but important variations.
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Blocker
4 posts
Jun 10, 2009
5:20 AM
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Thanks for the advice Adam. I will definitely slow down and try to simplify things.
I guess I bought your Play along sessions, and hear you playing all those really cool licks and I want to do the same, clearly though after only six months I need to walk before I run.
Once again many thanks.
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djm3801
140 posts
Jun 12, 2009
3:19 AM
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Been at it for a year. one word - practice. I have a lot of Adam's stuff. It is a great way to learn. I also take a break and learn a couple of Irish Fiddle tunes - toally different, fast, no margin of error. Movien from one to the orher is maddening but good practice. I just have to practice more than 3 days a week. Another tip - listen to the pros. I drive a hour each way to work and do a lot of listening. Like Sonny Boy 2, little Walter, and William clarke a lot.
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Blocker
5 posts
Jun 13, 2009
12:40 AM
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Thanks djm will do :)
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