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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Over-thinking!
Over-thinking!
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nacoran
497 posts
Dec 04, 2009
11:52 AM
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So I was walking back to my car the yesterday. I was feeling kind of rattled and down. I had my harp out, I find it helps me get my breathing back in order when I'm upset, and I was playing a little riff that I'd been working on. Usually I play it fast and hard, but yesterday I was playing it slow.
A kid, probably early high school age, stopped in front of me. I stopped playing. I usually don't play real loud and unless someone is sitting or standing still or walking right next to me they wouldn't here more than a couple notes before they got out of earshot. But this kid had stopped. And I stopped, and he said, no, don't stop, keep playing, that sounded great.
All of the sudden I couldn't even remember what I'd been playing. I tried to restart. We were walking in the same direction and he started asking questions. He started saying you never hear the harmonica anymore. He asked me how do you play. I mumbled something. I'd never really thought about it. You blow in, you draw out. How do you get to play? I explained that it was a little easier to get started on than other instruments, since it is in a key. I had know idea if he knew what a key was. Hell, my bands bass player doesn't know what a key is!
He talked about how he heard trumpets and saxes all the time, but never the harmonica. I got the feeling maybe he was used to school bands. He asked me to play something else. My mind went blank. I couldn't think of anything else to play. Then I really started over-thinking. We'd just had that long thread about who owns the blues and if I'm not middle-aged yet I'm sure creeping up on it, and I'm as white as they come, and I'm trying to think of ways to make this interesting to him, even although he already stopped me just to say that, I mention beat-boxing harmonica, but I can't play him any. I can't think of any song I can play.
I mention ten hole harmonicas, good one for $30 bucks, ramble this, ramble that, and the harmonica and I'm happy that someone likes what I'm doing but I can't communicate anything since I've frozen. I say goodbye. A minute later I think- You should have told him about Adam on YouTube, or Jason Ricci, or anything. But I didn't.
And as I walked away I was feeling frustrated again, although it really did feel awesome to have someone random stop me and say they like my playing. I still had my harmonica in my hand so I started playing again and that helped. I reached my car and drove home.
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wallyns10
99 posts
Dec 04, 2009
2:03 PM
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Thats tough. I was playing last night with my roommate and his older brother. His brother is one of the best guitar players I know and is really a good musician. Much better than I am. Because of this I get real self concious about my playing and about overplaying. My roommate isn't that good, he plays bass and is like 2 years out of practice. He throws me off a lot, like he'll drop a beat or add a beat which sucks especially when your grooving and/or soloing. Then I don't know whether to do my best to stick with the guitar and let him catch up (if he can) or drop back and follow the bass. This coupled with the fact that they don't fully understand harp positions, I seem to always end up playing in first position (which I suck at and hate). It was not a fun night. I couldn't seem to hit the right notes or think of how to follow, and I just got really pissed off and frustrated. I'm gonna go woodshed for 4 or 5 hours I think, Im feelin down right now and even thinking about last night just makes me want to fucking break something.
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Shredder
66 posts
Dec 04, 2009
3:34 PM
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nacoran,
I know what your talking about. Some times it's hard to talk in terms that the uneducated in harp can under stand.I'm 50yrs old and had a 24 yr old that plays in a country band ask about harp playing. He didn't know any thing of cross harp or other positions so I really had a tuff time explaining. Luckley I have a gig Saturday and he was intrested enough he wants to come out and see how I do it. I hope to be able to pass what Iv'e learned on to the next generation. If this kid is really intersted I may get the chance. I do have an 11 yr. old son but he really hasn't hit the stage of life when you get that burning desire to really get out and jam. He's had a harp since he was 3 but just hasn't turned on to it yet.
I guess what I'm trying to say is , the young kid may have gone home and ask his parents to buy him a harp even though you didn't give him much information you still put a bug in his ear so don't beat your self up.
wallyns10, I know what your dealing with I play in a country gospel church band and the dropped notes and leaving you out to dry during a lead break is tuff.
I came real close to quitting several times but I stepped back and thought, what am I really here for and why have I been placed here in the band.Now I play most every Sunday and just grinn when things get off cause I'm playing for the lord not for the others in the band, actually I think it's made me a more diverse player with the ability to work thru the ruff spots when things go wrong. In return I was blessed with another band to play with that has some great musicians in it,all be it I'm playing in night clubs but I wouldn't be there if it wasn't ment to be. SOOOOO
The bass player/ guitarist that droppes notes or gets off beat may use your acompannyment to make it thru a ruff day. You think it sucks but the bassist and the other guitar player may really be having a good time thanks to you. It's hard to see the good we do some time but it's there you just got to look past the trees to see the forest.
Don't get me wrong I still struggle at times but step back and think what a blessing it it to be able to play Blues harp and have others like it.
hang in there, Mike
Last Edited by on Dec 04, 2009 4:07 PM
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Ryan
42 posts
Dec 04, 2009
5:51 PM
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Wally, why would it matter if the other guys don't understand harmonica positions? They're not the ones playing the harp. I don't see how them not understanding positions would force you to play in first. If you've only got a couple of different keys with you just tell them which keys you're comfortable playing in, that way you can choose which positions you use.
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wallyns10
100 posts
Dec 04, 2009
7:56 PM
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I tell them what keys I can comfortably play in, they forget. They know I have an A and a C (the harps I take everywhere) and just figure its cool to play in A and C. I don't want to piss them off by asking to change the song every time I struggle. Plus playing in a more diverse position range will ultimately help me but its hard now. I'm following them, not the other way around. Some people (myself included) don't only want to play the blues or hear the blues scale played over everything! I am so envious of guitar and piano players, all the different music they can make without bending over backwards just to get the notes they want.
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KingoBad
142 posts
Dec 04, 2009
9:42 PM
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I'm surprised that the kid doesn't hear much harp. If he watches the discovery channel at all he will hear it on most of the cool shows(any one involving men or blowing stuff up). Likewise on the food network. I'm surprised on a day to day basis the harp I hear everywhere I go. He may not know it is there, but if you listen closely you will hear it.
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blogward
39 posts
Dec 05, 2009
9:43 AM
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I think most 'kids' don't recognize the sound of the harp as a harmonica - they think it's a synth, or what they've heard on a japanese keyboard. When they hear grizzled people like me making that cool sound with what they know as a cheap toy, they're amazed. I was talking to a highschool girl brass section the other day (don't ask) who couldn't believe that a harp played chords in Bb.
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hvyj
8 posts
Dec 05, 2009
12:30 PM
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The most inspired performances are spontaneous--stuff you play without thinking about it, and sometimes without being able to remember what it was that you just played after you get done.
The trick to playing this way in different positions is simply learning the breath patterns for scales. If you can learn the breath patterns for 3 scales well enough that you can play those scales without thinking about it, you are automatically able to play in 6 different positions. No need to "overthink."
Here's how it goes:
The breath pattern for the major pentatonic scale in SECOND position is the same as the minor pentatonic scale in FIFTH position. Same notes, same breath pattern, different starting point.
The breath pattern for the major pentatonic scale in FIRST position is the same as the minor pentatonic scale in FOURTH position. Same notes, same breath pattern, different starting point.
The breath pattern for the minor pentatonic scale in THIRD position is the same as the major pentatonic scale in TWELFTH position. Same notes, same breath pattern, different starting point.
Now, the blues scale is very similar to the minor pentatonic scale. SO...if you learn the breath patterns for 3 scales, you are able to play in SIX different positions without having to think about it. It's not very difficult. If you can play in First and Second and Third positions you can automatically play in Fourth, Fifth and Twelfth positions, too. It's not any harder. You just start on a different note for root. (You will need to learn the minor pentatonic scale/blues scale for second position separately, but that's something most players learn first anyway.)
People have a misconception that playing in multiple positions is difficult or requires advanced skill. It's actually very easy if you can learn 3 scales well enough to be able to play them without having to think about it. The only problem is that none of the instructional materials I've ever seen explain it this way.
But, if you are going to be playing with other musicians, as a practical matter, you need to carry at least 7 harps anyway in order to be functional.
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