So, im brand new here, and i started playing harp about a year ago. I originally tryed to learn by myself , and it didnt work out so good. So , i came across mr. Gussows videos , and i can say they helped me alot. Thank you ,mr. Gussow!
Anyway, i recorded a video of myself playing, and wanted to ask some opinions on what i should work on. Sorry about video quality, recorded it with a phone camera. Thanks in advance!
Cool man! Really cool! I can't critique you as you're a veteran compared to me! I've been playing only a few months. Some of the other more experienced guys will likely give you some more tips. But you sound great to me. What key harp is that you're playing?
Thanks for the input, gary! I really appreciate the feed back! As for the harp, its in a. Its a harp that was given to me by a friend. It says 'steven tyler' on the top, but i still think it is a hohner. I could be wrong ,though.
Welcome Sal, and thanks for posting your video. I hear all kinds of good things going on there.
What I'd encourage you to do is tell us about what you are working on at the moment in that recording - what more specifically you'd like feedback on? What features do you like in your playing and which would you like to improve?
We aren't teachers in the beginners forum (although we could ask some in) so we are sharing our experiences of learning. So maybe this is relevant to you - I'll mention that one of the things I had trouble with to begin with was hand effects. I could see that people where using them, but when I tried, they sounded mild compared to what I heard on recordings. It's later I found out - from a teacher - just how precise you had to be to get really good hand effects (wahs and general note shaping). Is that of interest?
Thank you for your response! Ive been really trying to work on hand shaping, but it seems my hands are too small to make a difference. Also, im working on tounge blocking and octaves. Its real tricky to learn for me, i live a very small town in florida, and i wouldnt be suprised if i was the only guy with a harp.
Last Edited by Sal on Oct 26, 2015 4:42 AM
I thought that was great, you've got strong fundamentals and good tone.
You're a much better player than I am, but if I was to offer any critique if would be to practice your embouchure and breathing. At some parts it sounds like there is some leaking and you can actually hear you strain while blowing.
Though to be honest, that's just nitpicking. Keep up the good work! ---------- Forum Search Direct Link
Sal - re hand shaping - there really is a technique to this that you can learn. I guess that having massive hands and big sausage fingers must be a natural advantage, however when this subject comes up people often mention Annie Raines who clearly has slender hands. Here is her intro on how to hold the harp, which includes how to cup it for effects...
Now, I first learnt to do this properly with the teacher Ronnie Shellist, who has a couple of different techniques on offer, and for me the penny dropped using what he calls the 'diamond' shape. I'll see if there's a vid about that too - I know he has lessons you can buy on it which are great.
Personally I've ended up using more like Annie Raines' technique.
The key thing is that they are not just randomly cradling the instrument, they are doing very precise things.
Just to mention this is often a bit of a topic on the main forum, and with some people asserting that you have to have a complete seal round the harp to do this properly - including the front and back. I don't know but clearly Annie Raines isn't doing that (you can see the harp sticking out of her hand so it can't be) and in fact says this explicitly. She says you get most influence over the sound by surrounding the holes you are using.
See what you think.
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Oct 26, 2015 9:26 AM
...and just to prove it works - or not you can judge for yourself - I just recorded a quick wah using Annie's technique. I'm sure it could be better, but it's a serviceable wah I think.
I'll just pass on Ronnie's tips which include tilting the holes of the harp into your cheek to create more of a seal and making sure you keep the note going strong throughout - you let the hands do the effect.
Once you have a cup, then you can learn all kinds of expressive note shapings - not just wahs and flutters. Combining opening and closing with bends, that's what the players do.
Welcome Sal. The videos really helped me too and I'm 67 years old! But new players are new players and learning never stops.
The concept of sealing all around the harp, even to the point where no sound can escape, I think was mentioned relative to getting amplified sound especially with a bullet mic to get that compressed, overdriven tone and not so much related to hand effects.
In fact hand effects are more difficult with a hand held mic as you've got the mic to seal as well. Amplified hand effects, I think, sound best when played acoustically into a PA mic on a stand where you can use any of the techniques mentioned above.
Thanks for the videos, MTG, as they are really helpful
ME.HarpDoc - thanks. Yes, you're quite right that complete sealing is often discussed for when cupping a mic. I have also seen in discussed for acoustic playing too (and as I mentioned, Annie refers to that view explicitly in her video).
Of course when you cup acoustically it reduces the sound you put out, when you cup a mic it increases it! And both change the timbre. So it's a general technique that does different things in different circumstances.
There's an interview I've seen where Joe Filisko talks about how he uses an acoustic cup with a vocal mic. He tightly cups the lower end of the harp and leaves the top exposed, then puts the top end near the mic. That way he gets the good timbre from the cup, and gets some volume into the mic!
Good topic as our hands are ad much a part of our instrument as the is the harmonica its self.
MTG...thanks for the mention about Joe Filisko's open top end technique. I'd forgotten about it. On a couple of the songs my band plays I like to play off the mic so I can feather in the harp better while playing under the vocals. My usual way of doing this is to leave a small opening in my grip and aim that opening at the mic. And vary my distance from the mic as needed. Works well for the most part. But I'll try the Filisko's trick this Friday at our gig.
I will add that when playing the chromatic will make you relearn some things about your cupping. The size difference is big. Even between chroms. My 260 I can get a pretty decent, close to full seal with. But my 270 and CBH, no way. Whole different ball game.
Edited for spelling. ----------
I'm workin on it. I'm workin on it.
Last Edited by 2chops on Oct 28, 2015 9:21 AM
It's easy to post embedded videos here. Just go to YouTube, click "share" below the video, then click "embed." Get that code and dump it right into your post. When you save your post, it becomes an embedded video.
Secondly, I think you're doing just great for somebody who has been playing for one year. You're headed in the right direction. You've already got bits and pieces of a plainly idiomatic sound, and you've got a good sense of what a groove sounds and feels like.
If I have three immediate suggestions for places where your growth might come, they're as follows:
1) Play a melody. You sort of do that at the beginning with "St. Louis Blues," but then you morph into general jamming, in several different grooves. That's fine--but make a point, during part of your practice time, of picking songs with a melody, or a sustained set of riffs, and spend some time just playing the melody and making it sound nice. Jamming is important, but don't just jam.
2) You have a habit--and it's a very common habit--of shying away from playing a full, strong 2 hole draw. So attack that head on. Spend at least a little time every day playing that hole, and holding the notes longer than you do here.
3) Once you start to jam in this clip, you tend to play notes that are all more or less of the same short duration. That quickly gets repetitive. So devote some time every day, to getting up on the 4 hole, or 5 hole (draw in both cases) and just playing long, strong notes. If you've got a vibrato in the works, deploy it. But mostly get used to alternating between the short punchy stuff and longer, more sustained notes. Also, don't forget to make the 6 blow a note that you're able to play as a long note--and the 9 blow. And the 1 draw, for that matter.
You're doing very well.
Last Edited by kudzurunner on Oct 28, 2015 1:59 PM
Could suggest a thousand I guess... Something recognisable, 2nd position...how about this? Uses a C harp I think. There's a later version might be better to play along with but I'll have to search wish you would
