Re: [Harp-L] How we learn Blues Harp



Fortunately. i have a pretty good sense of groove, meter and rhythm because I am incapable of ascertaining timing from sheet music. That's why I either need to be familiar with the tune or have a recording of it if i am trying to learn from a chart.

JP


On Jul 22, 2010, at 9:13 AM, michael rubin wrote:


I have brought many a student from rough timing to good timing with
Modern Reading Text in 4/4 by Louis Bellson and Gil Briennes and a
Matrix MR 600 Metronome.
Michael Rubin
Michaelrubinharmonica.com

On Thu, Jul 22, 2010 at 7:48 AM, Bob McGraw <harpbob@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
This is so true. I am new to reading and have the most trouble with counting
and reading the rhythm of tunes. I went to one of Bonfiglio's seminars a few
years ago; he urged us to study the Bona Rhythm Etudes...
I think it's time for me to do that :-)
WVa Bob


Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 21, 2010, at 2:37 AM, Jérôme P. <peyrelevade@xxxxxxx> wrote:

Well, in fact I totally agree with you on the rhythm aspect of reading.
To me, rhythm is the most important and challenging point in music, and
reading can be of great help. Even in Blues. For example, I've worked some
Jimi Hendrix licks months ago. He used time exactly like a Jazzman (a lot
of
syncopated notes combinations). Ear is so important to get the swing,
which
is usually not present in a formal notation. But reading can make it much
easier to get all the exact different aspects of note place and duration.
For such a player, and many others of course, it becomes crucial, as these
tiny details make the whole difference!


Jerome
www.youtube.com/JersiMuse


-----Message d'origine----- De : Vern [mailto:jevern@xxxxxxx] Envoyé : mardi 20 juillet 2010 19:32 À : Jérôme P. Cc : 'John F. Potts'; bob@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx Objet : Re: [Harp-L] How we learn Blues Harp

This thread seems to assume that the only function of standard notation is
to record pitches. I posit that about 60% of the value of standard
notation
is to display timing. The timing information is the same for all
instruments including all keys of diatonic or chromatic harmonicas. For
me,
reading timing is more difficult than reading pitches. Most systems of
tablature are deficient in conveying timing. Tab also lacks the helpful
analogy that high on the staff indicates high pitch.


Timing is particularly important where several people are playing
together.
I have observed that people who do not read tend to not hold long notes
for
their full time value and start the next phrase too soon. The phrases
"don't
know the score" and "not reading from the same page" come to mind.


Except for a very few fortunate enough to have perfect pitch, readers of
vocal music do not have a fixed key reference. They learn to find "do" on
the staff and then see intervals between notes. They learn and practice
this ability by singing the "do re mi ............" note names in a
technique called relative solfeggio. It occurs to me that since the
intervals are the same on diatonics of any key, this approach would work
for
diatonic players.


It may be that the timing of blues forms are so simple and easily
memorized
so that reading isn't a requirement. Get into CW or other genres and it
becomes much more important. That said, how would you record on paper the
timing of tricky blues riffs so that they could be played by musicians at
a
different place and time?


Vern

On Jul 20, 2010, at 1:07 AM, Jérôme P. wrote:

I do agree, one of the main reasons of not reading music is probably that
most of harp players change instrument often, which makes reading a
complicated task, if not impossible.
Comparing this difficulty with the fact that most of harp players play

Blues

or "Blues derivated music", where music sheet is not so important, it
renders reading a useless task..................













This archive was generated by a fusion of Pipermail 0.09 (Mailman edition) and MHonArc 2.6.8.