Re: [Harp-L] Baroque or classical at SPAH

["Vern Smith" <jevern@xxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve McIver" <steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Harpl Post" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2005 8:03 AM
Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Baroque or classical at SPAH


> Robert,
> My new grandson has me listening to Baby Bach 24hrs a day. I own a cx-12
> and a 64 ( can't play either one). The 64 still has the original plastic
> case with the $29 price tag I paid in 1971. I can not sight read, I only
> play by ear. Will the classes in the Grand Canyon be user friendly to us 
> non
> reader converts?

More than half of the attendees at Copake were non readers and I am sure 
they all felt that they benefitted greatly from Bonfiglio's seminar. 
However, he strongly urged everyone there to learn to read.  He had a 
whiteboard on which there were three musical staffs.  He frequently 
illustrated his points by writing notes on these staffs.  He also drew the 
layout of one octave of the chromatic harmonica and made reference to that 
too. He handed out practice material in standard notation.

You have amost a year to learn to read music and to gain a familiarity with 
harmony (sometimes called music theory) and the layout of the chromatic. 
There are good books to help you do so as well as websites with tutorial 
material such as
http://www.angelfire.com/music/HarpOn/   that is specific the chromatic 
harmonica. HarpOn has links to other excellent musical sites. The resources 
are all there and they are free.  The hardest thing will be for you to put 
aside your horror and prejudice of those "black spots on the fence" and make 
a beginning!  It will be much easier than you think.  Your "ear" is a great 
musical accomplishment and learning to read won't require you to give it up.

I think that the other attendees would agree with me that you will get even 
more benefit from the seminar if you learn to read (even haltingly) and gain 
a familiarity with chords and harmony between now and then.

Vern