528hemi
60 posts
Dec 12, 2009
8:30 AM
|
If you had to choose one, Would you choose Howards Site or Davids site.
I realize that Davids site is not ready until the 20th.
Which instructional and teaching videos do you think will be better?
Thanks 528hemi
|
Hobostubs Ashlock
176 posts
Dec 12, 2009
8:52 AM
|
Harmonica academy Tony Eyers very nice school covers blues and celtic styles.a lot less exspensive, very well built study curiculum
|
djm3801
269 posts
Dec 12, 2009
10:02 AM
|
Do not know about Howard's classes and i do have a Barret book which is good. Will second The Tony Ayers site. But it is work so if you want to get through it you need discipline. I think I will re-enlist for another year just for the structure and regimentation. Left to my own devices, I'll have a glass of wine and fall asleep on the sofa rather than practice.. Format is EXCELLENT. Do not overlook the resources Adam Gussow has provided, both free and for a few bucks. A good combination is the structure of Harmonica Academy and the more personal, song centric, and fun approach of Adam's videos.
|
Hobostubs Ashlock
177 posts
Dec 12, 2009
10:48 AM
|
yea your right on that I firgure between Tony's and Adams material i have all i can handle right now.But dont get me wrong if i had the money i might check out Howards site it looks real nice but im on a tight budget,plus between Adams and tonys plus im just about done with a 6 month study of Dave Gage,i dont need any more eggs in to many baskets.lolDave Gage is allright if you use it as a resource for another school.but im not going to renew it.2 is all i can handle.
Last Edited by on Dec 12, 2009 10:49 AM
|
MichaelAndrewLo
76 posts
Dec 12, 2009
11:30 AM
|
For those who have some music background and want to do the work to figure some stuff out on your own, howards site is wonderful. Actually, Howards site has beginner, intermediate, advanced, and virtuoso lessons so this provides structure as well. I think it is interesting how Howard Levy's website concentrates a lot on the basics. He doesn't give you much repertoire for blues or other things, but mastery I think is just perfecting the basics. His advanced stuff and virtuoso lessons get into very unconventional repertoire. I've found the bendometer very helpful to figure a difficult passage out if I just can't get it by ear. Barrett's site looks great. Adam's material is great but I think the approach of learning the harmonica from a classical/music theory approach is beginning to be filled in by sites like Howards and David's. I DO find that experts on blues harmonica like Jason and Adam have a tone different from Howard's and actually have much more to offer for the specific genre. Take it slow and learn it all I guess.
Andrew
|
Aussiesucker
466 posts
Dec 12, 2009
1:05 PM
|
Yes, in particular the HL course looks very good.
I am with the Harmonica Academy & am very happy with my progress. It is a structured course but I find that I pick and choose ie I don't really follow the structure.And I'm not into doing the boring stuff that I should do. But hey, lifes too short!
If we were to go into such courses from day one without ever playing a harp before then its a simple matter of starting at lesson one & working our way through. Going into a course with decades of 'bad' playing habits had me starting at the end & finding out quickly that I didn't know a lot! I found that I was continually having to go back to basics & in some cases having to unlearn. Lots of relatively simple tunes that I had been playing for years, and which were ok, I found were vastly improved with the addition of missed notes. I always have played by ear however I think my hearing was a little too selective!
Another thing ie we all learn differently and we are good at some aspects and not so at others and from the mix would eventually emerge our individual playing style.
I agree with Hobostubs, between Tony and Adams material is more than enough. There is a huge resource now available courtesy of the internet. Much of what we also learn is eg via this forum.
With Adams material I also pick and choose ie I don't ever see sense in learning something eg a tune I don't like. There is basic stuff though that is essential to learn and master. And, more often than not, it is not having mastered the basics that lets us down.
Last Edited by on Dec 12, 2009 1:10 PM
|
Fredrider51
91 posts
Dec 12, 2009
3:54 PM
|
There is so much out there to learn the harp..I started with a cd from coast2coast that showed me the 12 bar blues.. Then I went to the Jon Gindick Camp learn to have a pair and get on stage.Got his book and cd I would do that again.
Had a few lessons from Emile in Phila would do that again.Got the Slow downer I never use that much but great to have if you want to learn a riff and get the book Blues Harmonica with the derby on it.You can learn Sonyboy and Little Walter and see how it works.
I went to group lessons from Adam,Jason and Annie Raines in person and on the web.
I loved all of it.For 20 bucks I think I paid for the Tony Eyers it is worth every penny and if I was just starting that is the way I would go and buy some of Adams songs from his web site also.
I am not just starting and it is helping me.Slow learner here.
I think I am a terrible player but a band leader just called to jam with his band tonight at 9 in Philly.Slimbob and the New Electrics.Off the subject sorry
So if you are just starting to play and getting into this wonderful wacky world of harp use Harmonica Academy in my opinion.
----------
HARP (Harmonica Assn 'Round Philly
|
addict
20 posts
Dec 12, 2009
4:24 PM
|
I don't think the same thing works for everybody. People need different kinds of help, depending on who they are. Most of the things in my life, I learned on my own. But I need help with music. I need feedback from a teacher. There I said it. Hard even to admit.
|
danielbs
47 posts
Dec 12, 2009
11:22 PM
|
With all that was said - i still don't know which one to register with....
----------
http://www.youtube.com/user/Dantheharpman
|
mikolune
13 posts
Dec 13, 2009
1:38 AM
|
>>With all that was said - i still don't know which one to register with.... <<
therefore: the best way to know which is best for you is to try both and decide for yourself. In fact, I gather, the road to musicianship passes through figuring things out on ones own. Good luck!
Last Edited by on Dec 13, 2009 1:39 AM
|
danielbs
48 posts
Dec 13, 2009
2:06 AM
|
@mikolune
You're absolutely right. If i had the money i would spend it on both sites.
----------
http://www.youtube.com/user/Dantheharpman
|
apskarp
84 posts
Dec 13, 2009
2:35 AM
|
I have few books from David Barrett (Improvising Blues Harmonica, Accompaniment playing, Tongue blocking method 1, Play-Along trax) and also two of his instructional DVD's. So you might say that I'm a sort of fan of his educational method.
However, my musical ambitions aren't just on the field of blues but now that I'm getting better at overbends I wish to expand my musical expression of diatonic harp to Jazz and classical music too. So in that sense I would rather subscribe to Howard's school. I also doubt that there would be much more information in the David's internet school that isn't discussed already in the books + DVD's I've got.
Probably the best way to go is what mikolune suggested - try one and move on the other when it feels like it.
|
