some one said i should record myself. so last night i was a little intoxicated for the first time in a while so i made a recording. been playing for 5 months now. opinions welcome.
I just tell it as it is intoxicated or not: Theres some little things I would work on. Your one hole draw doesn't seam as consistent as the other notes. Try to play the one hole draw and draw bend and blow just as steady and controlled as the higher holes. The train-thingy at the end was nice. I would work on controlling and using the tonal differences (widening & thinning the sound, etc). Another thing I would work on is hitting the intermediate bend notes like the 3 hole bend half and a whole step and the two hole bend a half step.
And in case you don't know what to work on I would just rewatch gussows lessons from lesson one. It always helps me a lot and every time I can play some more of his exercises.
It sounds better than I remember myself sounding after 5 months. Not only that, you did manage to develop the ideas a lot in 2 minutes. Was that improv or did you work on it some, or both, if you know what I mean? ---------- 'If it sounds GOOD to you, it's bitchen; if it sounds BAD to YOU, it's shitty' - Frank Zappa
http://www.youtube.com/user/SlimHarpMick
Last Edited by on Jun 19, 2009 11:10 AM
@ germanharpist ya i just recently started gettin good at the blue 3rd allthough i may have not done it good in the recording. an i see what you mean about the 1 draw.
@mickil it was both. i made the recording about 4 or 5 times an it was totally differnt each time. so ya total improve. i only rerecorded it cause i made some big mistakes that just basically ruined it.
Last Edited by on Jun 19, 2009 11:30 AM
Jonsparrow: I'm not really qualified to give any form of critisism other I'm a MBH member. So I judge it on a body or a piece of work ,musical expression that is it. How long someone has been playing is imaterial to me, It is have they got something to say?
Buddha,Kudzunner and the other pros are far better judges.This is purely as I hear it as a listner.
Does it tell a story. Well everything tells a story. This to me was morose and rather depressing. There was no up lifting feeling at all.It felt lonely and isolated and obscure with no direction.
I think for the listner it helps if you could keep the train on the rails. It is OK to fall off, in jazz as in blues we have techniques to jump back on.I'm not sure which train line your on, the points keep switching ha ha.
(this is an edit to explain.The above paragraph is to kindly point out time and motion,it is crucial.In jazz we have a little saying learn to play inside before you play outside.)
I guess it is how we all come to music and most importantly the APPROACH.
My guess is an odd lesson with a top pro on approach to playing will sort everything out.(Doesn't have to be from Harp Any instrumentalist,top jazz or blues pro should sort it.Use someone local if poss face to face)
Hey what I do hear is belief, you got that so your on your way for sure.
Get the approach right and your harp playing and technique will take care of it's self.
I could also be talking c... so hey it's just my view.Take it or leave it right, just like everything in life.
Last Edited by on Jun 19, 2009 11:52 AM
Jonsparrow: I'd not normally follow up my post like this but I've been monitoring posts when I've had the time, so after the 3 musketeers posts ha ha
Your quote: = ("probobly cause i'm not good enough to go for that yet. but in time")...
Learn to go for it NOW in everything you do because if your true to yourself no one is ever good enough.
In thirty years time you should be still openning new door after door. .( the discovery every day is infectious and should feel the same in 40 or 50 years from now.)
As I said earlier the key is Approach. I was given it hundreds of years ago on sax ha ha, it never ends your always at the start One of my old jazz drummers is still working out in a figure he started with over fifty years ago.Now there is a clue to playing correctly and developing here.
As far as blues goes Sonny boy knew,he played the right way. It's not for the faint hearted.
So the point being always go for it NOW, never wait.
Now this is an old jazz pro talking now given you a key stone.Check it out man because in fifty years time if your still around and playing, play TRUTH.
I will be dead then not long for me now anyway. I tell you Iv'e come across many jazz pros who don't play with truth for sure and blues,so I'm giving you a tip for free.
It will change your life and you will see a big chink of light down an endless tunnel.
Pretty good jon! Especially for 5 months, you're much better than I was at 5 months, great! The way I look at it, is that you are finding your way around on the harp, and that's the most important, the way I see it... The better you can find your way around on the harp, the better you can express yourself, whether it is depressing or uplifting is not important, decribing the mood (YOUR mood) that is important.. Hope to hear more from you! Spread those wings man! ---------- DutchBones Tube
