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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
To: All beginners. Subtleties. Stick with 'em.
To: All beginners. Subtleties. Stick with 'em.
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isaacullah
581 posts
Jan 19, 2010
9:55 AM
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I'm starting this thread as little "public service" announcement to all the beginner harp players that frequent this list. One of the things that attracted me to harmonica was the amazing expressiveness of the instrument. When I came across Adam's YouTube lessons (almost 3 years ago) the first thing I was blown away by was that he was actually teaching us all the little secrets that transform decent, reasonable, run-of-the-mill blues harmonica playing into amazing, expressive, blow-you-socks-off blues harmonica playing.
So I started in on those techniques. I started in on them even as I was first starting to learn how to really bend notes, and to even really get a good embouchure for single notes, and fat wide chords, and tongue-blocked octaves, and all the other standard harmonica techniques. The subtleties included those of the 3 draw bends and micro-tonality. Of Vibrato. Of microsecond-long chords in between single notes. Of how to expel breath properly. Of how to move around on the harp. Of double stops instead of single notes. Etc.
Initially, I practiced these things explicitly. I followed Adam's lessons verbatim. Well, a lot of time has gone by since those first days when I was beginning on the instrument, and my practice routine has changed since those days. I now mainly learn songs, or make-up songs, or vamp for practice. And I do scales and such (etc.), but I hadn't sat down to do technique building in a long while. Until recently, that is.
Many of you will have been around on the list a little while back when we did "It's Slow Blues Day at MBH" and "It's fast(ish) blues day at MBH". Well, I submitted entries on those threads. I felt them to be solid entries, and I felt I was putting out the best of my abilities. And at the time, I was. But my point is that when I listened to the other tracks submitted by other listers, I noticed that each of them had something my own submissions lacked. (And I wrote reviews in each of those threads detailing exactly what I heard in each of the videos). In short, I realized that I had forgotten about the subtleties. I was playing good, solid blues harp, and yeah I had a few subtle things (3 draw bends, etc.) but I realized that I lacked gusto and soul in it. I had no/crappy vibrato. I wasn't doing double stops. I had no chord breaks. I even really wasn't doing octaves when I could have. And so much more.
So, since then, I started going back and working on these subtleties again. But now I do not simply practice along to Adam's lessons in a rote fashion. I've started to try to incorporate all those subtle techniques in my daily playing. And do you know what? I've just now realized that I am starting to do these subtleties unconsciously! That is: I've worked on them enough so that they've just ingrained themselves into my playing. I no longer think "Okay, hit the -3 AND the -4 here as a double stop", or "Okay, hit short -1234 chord between my -2bb and my -2". These things just happen when they need to happen.
So, back to the whole point of this thread. I suppose my take home message to those beginners on this forum: "Don't forget about the subtleties!" They are the things that really imbue soul into your playing. Yes, you need good solid foundational techniques for these subtleties to play against. But without them, your "good solid technique" will sound flat, dull, and lifeless. So how's my playing sound now? Well, you'll have to wait until I submit to HPC3! ;)
Cheers all, and happy harping...
~Isaac
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The magnificent YouTube channel of the internet user known as "isaacullah"
Last Edited by on Jan 19, 2010 10:42 AM
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mr_so&so
261 posts
Jan 19, 2010
10:11 AM
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Isaac, you're right on, my friend. It's easy to get caught up in other aspects of harp playing, e.g. mics, amps, customizing, etc., and forget about learning to play the darn thing. I think Isaac has covered the topic well, but I'll add that it is important to learn all those subtleties both tongue blocked and lip pursed. That makes a huge difference in your facility to shape the sound in subtle ways.
Last Edited by on Jan 19, 2010 10:11 AM
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tookatooka
1033 posts
Jan 19, 2010
10:19 AM
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Good motivational post there isaacullah. I too have gone back to Adams video posts starting from the beginning again. I've fallen into a bit of a slump just lately, thinking I was making zero progress so going back to the beginning is helping me out.
A lot of it has to do with Adams infectious enthusiasm which keeps me motivated, and the other thing which I think a lot of people may find is that first time round I was so eager to learn that I tried to do what he was demonstrating while he was still talking; there were little bits of information that I missed which were important and now make a difference.
However good luck with your HPC3 efforts.
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HarmonicaMick
23 posts
Jan 19, 2010
10:47 AM
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Good thread, Isaac.
The stuff you're discussing is something I've been thinking about a lot, and getting pissed off about a lot, in my own playing. Not the things he describes, but those he doesn't.
Like many of us, I watch Doc's vids over and over, and I say to myself, 'How on Earth does he make that little sound there?' He doesn't, and can't, explain all of those things; they are too numerous, and he probably does them without realising it.
Still, they are what distinguish pure class from OK-ish stuff.
An example, which is never discussed on here, would be that tiny little sound on Front-Porch Blues that occurs at 1:43. As far as I can tell, it's just going 'tuh' without letting any air go through the harp, which is a little harder than it sounds. It's not a big thing on it's own, but it is these small things that make all the difference, and have to be persevered with.
We must pool our knowledge on them soon.
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YouTube SlimHarpMick
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nacoran
825 posts
Jan 19, 2010
11:07 AM
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I was jamming with a friend the other day and I noticed I did a blow bend on purpose for the first time while improvising. I do draw bends all the time, and I've been able to do blow bends for a long time (still no over blows) but I hadn't got the muscle memory etched in enough to think to do it when I needed a particular note. It really made my day.
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Ant138
271 posts
Jan 19, 2010
11:41 AM
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Well said Isaac, great thread.
i still go back through adams lessons from scratch,there's always something new i can take from them.
I also forgot how many video's i had just skipped through because they were too difficult at the time.
I go back to those now and its a real EUREKA!! moment with some of them.
Good luck to all you beginners, its a slow process but a well worth while one.
Oh and to all those who are learning to bend notes, STICK AT IT!!!. That was always my nemisis ,i nearly gave up the harp 4 years ago because i could not for the life of me bend notes, but then it happened out of the blue and i aint looked back!!
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Last Edited by on Jan 19, 2010 11:51 AM
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Stickman
103 posts
Jan 19, 2010
1:00 PM
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I think that happens to everybody Isaac. I think It has to happen. I think the first time around you learn a skill, but the second time you own it. I bet we all have worked on a skill and found it hard and frustrating and finally quit it or set it aside. Then six months later you try it ant find it sooooo easy and think "why didn't I just do it that way the first time around?" I think that is just part of learning. Your OP is a good reminder to go back and revisit those old things with a fresh eye. I am inspired to go back and watch some of Adams early vids and see what I can do with them. Thanks Isaac
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The Art Teacher Formally Known As scstrickland
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Buddha
1273 posts
Jan 19, 2010
5:28 PM
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This thread reminds me of when I was learning to play.
We only had records, no cassettes, no CDs and yes I walked barefoot through snow and shit.... anyway I almost always listened to records at the slow speed to hear the nuances of each note, to hear the space between the notes, to hear the entry and exit point of each note....
I don't think many people do that kind of stuff these days with MP3 players and what not.
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"The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are." - Joseph Campbell
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barbequebob
340 posts
Jan 19, 2010
6:32 PM
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I can certainly relate to what you said, Chris, because that`s how I learned as well. I sure wish stuff like Slow-Mo and the internet were around when I started out. From constantly slowing down and repeating stuff until I scratched the living s**t out of all my vinyl until I had to buy new copies. The subtle stuff that 98% of the average player RARELY pays attention to is often THE most important as well as the most difficult to learn because of they are very subtle and not hitting you upside the head with a baseball bat kind of obvious.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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roberth5
11 posts
Jan 19, 2010
7:01 PM
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Hi Everyone,
I just want to add a bit of a story to support what everyone is saying about the content quality of Adam’s Lessons.
I’m a raw beginner, and I labelled my self musically challenged, because I’ve tried to learn on and off for the past 10 years and basically gave up because I could not get anywhere.
I am reasonably adept at putting my hand to just about any thing I do, and I have a quick learning curve, except for this damn Harmonica. It has been my nemesis for the past 10 years or so, along with trying to start research on my family tree.
So, after finishing my studies at Uni again last year at the age of 59, my partner said it was time to start on the family tree, and get some lessons for the Harmonica.
The family tree was a huge hurdle to start, but now have overcome that, and it is progressing well.
Now it was time to pull out the harp my partner bought me 10 plus years ago, and arrange some lessons.
I did a day class with a local guy in Sydney, Australia, late last year and came away depressed/annoyed, because my expectations of the day were not met. I felt I had spent a lot of money to achieve very little.
After searching the internet for beginner material, and new potential teachers I found Adams MBH site.
It did not take long to realise the lessons were structured to teach good solid foundation while sounding bluesy at the same time. The deciding factor for me to buy the lessons was the Video Aspect and most importantly the Tab Sheets. This was critical for me.
I made a decision to discipline my self to learn each lesson in order of Adams recommendation, and not move on to the next lesson, or skip a lesson till I could play it like, and with Adam in his lesson demo.
It appears so far, that each lesson is structured to teach you something new, and to add a different degree of difficulty, in an effort to build a solid foundation.
I’m currently working on beginner lesson 6 “Same Old Blues”, and as of last night can keep up with Adam’s lesson demo after only 1 week. It took me a month to learn Floyds Hotel. I told you I’m musically challenged. This is progress!
While I still make mistakes, and struggle with timing, at least I can now play along with the first 6 lessons.
There is a lot of material, technique and subtleties to be learnt in each of the lessons, and the lessons are a priceless resource of information.
So, after practicing every day for the past 3 months and totally annoying my partner (at least she can now pick the I IV V change, even though she was not learning it) I feel for the first time in 10 years I’m actually making progress.
This is a major break through for me, where all the other alternatives have failed in the past.
Rob
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Kyzer Sosa
88 posts
Jan 19, 2010
7:49 PM
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When I came across Gussow .024, I told myself then: If i could get all the subtleties down that was expressed in that vid, Id have gotten where I wanted to be. Well, I can put out one hell of a version of Adam's Front porch blues, but it still lacks, heavily, the little nuances that I admire.
I agree, its one thing to make the harp make the noises it can, and quite another to bring those noises alive...
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Nastyolddog
52 posts
Jan 20, 2010
7:14 AM
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Hi Bro's all good info great work,,my paticular method of learning songs is first i learn the song,, say it may take 6 day to get it right..then i take the song and use it as a study case to understand what is going on i may have learnt the song in 6 days but it will take 2 maybe 3 or 4 weeks maybe more to get all those little sweet tones warbles or bled notes right,,i get the Artists Album bung it on a Mb stick have it playing in my car over and over while driveing around or while im doing the house work exersizing or working in the shed,,i don't have to take time out to sit down and listen to the song it's in my head i listen to all the songs of the artist because He/She will use these same technics in other songs turn arounds warbles vibratos these are the artists bag of tricks,,then when i do sit down to practise ive got a great refference of the artists technics i play the song and go Are Huh!!thats it,,might only be one part of the song that i get right i then work on that part,,and move on to the next part and again when it comes time to sit down and practise the Old Bell rings again Are Huh!! and so on..PS this is not to discount all of the above comments this is my style of learning songs i find it a great method to use you may allso find it helpfull thanks for your time Bro's
Last Edited by on Jan 20, 2010 7:20 AM
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