Re: [Harp-L] Barrett Soloing Workshop, Harp Learning Materials (long)

[Joel Fritz <jfritz666@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I used to work with a guy who played oboe, string bass, and piano.  He'd 
had years of formal lessons--mostly classical.  He'd also played in his 
high school jazz band. I never heard him but I'm sure he was reasonably 
good.  At least he was actively pursuing music in his forties.

We got to talking about playing music and my envy for his reading 
ability.  He said to me "You can improvise?!"  He needed a score to play.

I can understand it.  I'm no good at making up stories or drawing or a 
variety of other artistic pursuits. I'm not particularly good at 
improvising, but I can go for twenty four bars or so playing blues 
without repeating myself.  I even (not that frequently) stumble on 
something original to me.

I've made repeated serious tries to learn to read. A couple of times I 
spent more than a year of daily practice at it.  I know the names of the 
notes if they're not too far above or below the lines on the staff.  I 
can count off the rhythm if I think hard.  I still can't learn from 
written music as quickly as I can from listening.  I use software that 
plays back notation to help me with guitar. Being as work and family 
take up time that could otherwise be spent doing things that are useful 
and important I don't think I'll master reading real soon.

The moral, such as it is, of this digressive post is that people learn 
differently and no one method of teaching works for everyone.  Also, 
everyone, regardless of what Dr. Phil might say, has limits.

I never became a professional baseball player either. <g>


akc wrote:
> Sorry Bill, but I found this post a little sad... that you''ve learned 
> all that from a book but still feel unable to jam.
>
> Any other aspiring players out there? OK... this is all you need to do. 
> Ignore Bill... then..
>
> Firstly, the diatonic harp is dead easy. Only ten holes and you only 
> need half of em, 6 at the most. No manual dexterity is required... you 
> don't have to do one thing with one hand and something different with 
> the other unless you want to smoke a cigarette while playing.
>
> Step one.... just practice finding out where the notes are... kind of 
> like 5 the finger piano exercise... keep doing them till you can fairly 
> easily know which hole sounds like what.
>
> Step 2. Before you're note perfect, get yourself a few harp CDs... three 
> is enough, more is better... a Little Walter and a couple of 
> compilations. Go through them working out what key the songs are in, 
> then go through them a few times more trying to copy what the soloists 
> are doing (Just do your best at this.. you won't be as good as them, so 
> don't worry about it).
>
> Step 3. Keep playing them.. do your own fills and solos if you like, as 
> you get better. Play over the singer... keep going till you feel happy 
> that you're keeping up.
>
> Step 4. Go to a jam... don't worry what they think of you. They'll be 
> knocked out, especially if you do a few wah wah wahs... they'll think 
> it's the real thing cause they don't know any better.
>
> While you're doing this... get yourself a cheap mike and amp so's you 
> can hear yourself properly at home.
>
> Finally.... forget about overblows, Dorian and Phygian modes, third 
> position, the 'right' amp etc.
> The technique will come to you as you make yourself express what you 
> want to express.
>
> Remember... you know all the notes Sonny Boy ever knew.. think he read a 
> book?
>
> Happy harping, A.


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