Re: [Harp-L] hold diatonic right or left hand???

[The Iceman <icemanle@xxxxxxx>]

I'm with Buck on this one.


Do what feels natural for you. After all, you are a beginner and should work with your natural tendencies rather than fight them.


I play mostly with harmonica held in right hand, cupping with the left. 


Later on, when I concentrated on amplified harmonica playing, I learned how to hold the harmonica in my left hand while cupping with the right in order to get a solid seal against my cheek for bigger tone. However, it still feels unnatural to me, although I do this when needed for the desired results.


Rick Estrin has evolved using this "both way" technique quite nicely.


However, get thee to a good one on one harmonica teacher who will finesse you along and keep you from developing bad harmonica habits.



-----Original Message-----
From: Buck Worley <boogalloo@xxxxxxx>
To: madcat <madcat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; jrumbaug <jrumbaug@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thu, Mar 15, 2012 12:38 am
Subject: RE: [Harp-L] hold diatonic right or left hand???



sorry. i disagree. you have oversimplified itBW

> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] hold diatonic right or left hand???
> From: madcat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2012 21:55:31 -0400
> To: jrumbaug@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> CC: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> 
> If you are playing the harp with the low notes on the left and high notes on 
the right I HIGHLY recommend holding the harp in your left hand and using the 
right hand for cupping.
> 
> If you want to play the harp with the low notes on the right and the high 
notes on the left (upside down), then hold the harp in your right hand and cup 
with your left.
> 
> Cupping the low end sounds better than cupping the high end.
> 
> Peter Madcat Ruth
> Musician - Grammy Award Winner
> madcat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> www.madcatmusic.net
> www.youtube.com/user/petermadcatruth
> 
> 
> 
> On Mar 14, 2012, at 8:42 PM, Jim Rumbaugh wrote:
> 
> > simple answer
> > 
> > use your left
> > 
> > more complex answer
> > (FOR DIATONIC)
> > If you wanna play blues, or do some chugging sounds, the majority of your 
notes are in the low end of the harp, holes 1 through 6. It's easier to put your 
hands around those holes if your left hand holds the harp.
> > 
> > Jim Rumbaugh 
> 
> >> Hello Folks,
> >> 
> >> It doesn't get more basic than this. Before I read any book, viewed any
> >> free lessons, I picked up my diatonic to try it out. I, more or less
> >> naturally for me, put it in my right hand and cupped with left.
> >> 
> >> So  does the left/right hand matter? and why?
> >> 
> >> Al