Re: Re: [Harp-L] Barrett Soloing Workshop, Harp Learning

["akc" <meadow.sweet@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Jonathan... ever look at those diet-fad books? People buy them because they 
want to be told that if they eat 'this' for breakfast, 'that' for lunch and 
two bowls of peanuts in between... they will lose weight like magic. Tell 
them, for nothing, that they could eat less and take exercise and get slim 
and you'd get a reply like the one of yours, below. But the only way to 
Carnegie Hall, they say.. is practice, practice, practice.

I'm sorry if I didn't make myself clearer before ... advanced techniques and 
equipment are fine things - once you've reached a certain level of 
competence. They don't, in themselves, make you a great player. Too many 
people - yes, including some on this list - seem to admire them for their 
own sakes. Not the public at large, though... they just seem to like good 
music. Funny, that.

A.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jonathan Metts" <jonathan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, October 05, 2005 10:33 PM
Subject: Re: Re: [Harp-L] Barrett Soloing Workshop, Harp Learning


> Your advice is okay for a few people, but not just anyone can figure out 
> the harp by sheer luck and practice.  Should those people be doomed to 
> fail?  No, and that's why there are books, teachers, and listservs for 
> people who want to learn more about how to play harmonica...which I think 
> would be just about everyone on this list, except, apparently, you.
>
> Sure, if you're a natural talent and have no job, family, or other 
> commitments, you can go into the woodshed and emerge a few years later as 
> an accomplished harp player.  Maybe.  But your dismissal of techniques 
> like overbending is simply inapplicable to anyone who wants to create 
> something different from what the blues players of fifty years ago were 
> playing.
>
> Jonathan Metts
>
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > Message: 9
> > Date: Wed, 5 Oct 2005 21:16:32 +0100
> > From: "akc" <meadow.sweet@xxxxxxxxxx>
> > Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Barrett Soloing Workshop, Harp Learning
> > Materials (long)
> > To: <billhines4@xxxxxxxxxxx>, <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> > Message-ID: <027f01c5c9e9$af3890d0$b5d26b51@YOURDF06B83472>
> > Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="Windows-1252";
> > reply-type=original
> >
> > 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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