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

[G <gigs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>----- Original Message ----- 
>Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2005 8:03 AM
>From: "Steve McIver" <steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> 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?

Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 09:24:32 -0700
From: "Vern Smith" <jevern@xxxxxxx>
>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.
8<
>You have almost 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.
8<
>Vern 

I've recently had a couple of emails asking  me about scale exercises for
harmonica in addition to whats provided on the Chromatic Harmonica Reference. 
  Richard Martin, one of the first people on Harp-L to respond to my
questions when I originally joined this group, is a harmonica teacher,
writes regular articles on harmonica education, technique, theory, reading
music notation, and offers a number of educational books for harmoinca.
His books include playing techniques and basic theory, a good portion of
them is made up with a lot of standard notation material to practice and
hone your sight reading skills, as well as practicing in different keys.
Richard welcomes questions and is most helpful, he also offers harmonica
education by correspondance.  http://members.aol.com/heducator2/

  Once you've got your basic reading skills started,  its worth looking out
for second hand exercise books for flute and oboe - there are a great deal
of them.  

  Music theory basics for chromatic harmonica
http://www.angelfire.com/music/HarpOn/theory1.html
http://www.angelfire.com/music/HarpOn/theory2.html
  Additional online resources
http://www.angelfire.com/music/HarpOn/theory3.html
  Books & CDs
http://www.angelfire.com/music/HarpOn/forsale.html
  Further articles and tools for learning music on harmonica
http://www.angelfire.com/music/harmonica/miscellaneous.html

Cheers,
-- G.