Re: Re; [Harp-L] Position Perception

["Chris Michalek" <Chris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

FJM is right, I actually thought about it after I hit send but I
couldn't recall my message so I just left it out there...

>
>
>
>---- Original Message ----
>From: mktspot@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: Re: Re; [Harp-L] Position Perception
>Date: Sun, 06 Mar 2005 10:39:00 -0700
>
>>
>>Chris Michalek wrote:
>>> 
>>> With the harmonica, there is nothing to feel or see. There is only
>>> sound.
>>> 
>>
>>
>>This is simply not true.  The harmonica is in your mouth.  You use
>your 
>>tongue.  Think about which part of your body you'd rather have a bad
>
>>burn on, hands or mouth/tongue?  Mouths do not have a deficit when
>it 
>>comes to nerve endings.  Many of the hidden things we do with
>playing 
>>harmonica, vibrato, bends, overbends, etc have a lot in common with 
>>speech.  We don't complain we can't talk because we can't see how to
>do 
>>it.  Harmonica may be difficult to teach because we lack an approach
>and 
>>it isn't something we can visually observe in any meaningful sense
>but 
>>that is not at all the same thing as saying harmonica playing
>doesn't 
>>have a tactile feedback loop.
>>
>>Sure, you hit a key on a piano and you get sound.  The same thing is
>
>>basically true for harmonica, draw a breath you'll get sound.  Many 
>>other wind instruments strike me as initially more difficult to play
>
>>than harmonica, clarinet, trumpet, trombone.
>>
>>The deficit with harmonica is in instruction.  Speech pathologists
>deal 
>>with harmonica type issues all the time.  I recently got ahold of 
>>Margaret Price sings Mozart.  I can't imagine that singing opera at
>her 
>>level of acheivement is any more difficult than playing harmonica
>really 
>>well.  The difference is formal training and hundreds of years of 
>>thought and eveloved process.
>>
>>fjm
>>_______________________________________________
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>>

Chris Michalek

www.michalekstrone.com
CD Available
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/michalekstrone