Re: practice makes perfect.......mmmm

[Howard Chandler <chandler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I guess everyone is different when it comes to learning but this is how 
I learned how to learn to play too, about 35 years ago.  I wonder if 
things might be different if I were to start today.  Back then, there 
was no internet and so, if they existed back then, I was not aware of 
such things as jam camps, instructional videos, harp tablature, harp 
customizers etc.  All I had was the paper that came in the marine band 
box with "Oh Susanah" or some such.  I learned the term "cross harp" to 
describe playing an F harp for a C  song watching TV.  I think it was 
John Sebastion on Mike Douglas.  I had already discovered this 
independenly by learning stuff off of records, and then getting friends 
to play it on guitar.  I learned third position the same way, but never 
really knew what it was called until reading about it on this list.  I 
still use this learning technique today for harp and guitar.  Usually, 
at this point I can get the changes without too much effort.  I'll take 
some time working on particular phrases though if it's something I think 
is cool.  I'm a diatonic player, and find I can eventually play about 
whatever I hear other diatonic players playing unless it's one of those 
gol dang overblowers or a speed demon.  Since I don't play nearly as 
much as I used to, I find my speed and lung capacity are not what they 
used to be so now I go more for tone and tune rather than licks and speed.


Harpmac01@xxxxxxx wrote:

> now call me old fashioned but practice to me was always sit in front 
> of a crappy old box record player and wear those records down until 
> they were white that was for up to 3-4-5 hours a day (i was brought up 
> in thatchers reign...but we won't go there) and even then when i was 
> working it was nearly always an hour most nights, just when i hear 
> cats talk about 5 mins it really stumps or your very lucky and have 
> terrific ears and muscle memory.
>  
> mac