Re: [Harp-L] How we learned diatonic harmonica in the "olden days"

[Mojo Red <harplicks@xxxxxxxxx>]

The Iceman queried:

> How did you other "old guys" learn to play before
> 21st Century teaching aids were created?

Back in the olden days when I first realized I
wanted to play harp (early '70s), I went out and
bought a C harp Marine Band and a copy of "Sonny
Boy Williamson Live with the Yardbirds" on the
advice of an experienced harp player whom I'd
begged for lessons (Eben Ross, you out there?).

I wore that record out, stuggled with my lone harp
and had no idea about keys, positions or nothin.
But Sonny Boy's tone got into my soul. After long,
fruitless hours I finally managed to bend a note.

Later, I bought a Mayall album that listed harp
keys and learned that harps worked better in
different keys than the song was in. Not up to
tackling Room to Move, I returned to my nearly worn
out Sonny Boy album and started to put it together.
The world centered around the 2 draw. 

Made some progress with the song "Pontiac Blues"
and then I got together with some high school
buddies for my first garage band experience. We
played "Soul Survivor" and we sucked, but we were
loud and the girls noticed me. :-)

Being a stubborn sort of cus, I refused to search
out too many harp albums as I thought I wanted to
develop "my own style." When "Whammer Jammer" came
out I refused to study it... but the truth was I
was so confronted by how good Magic Dick was, I
almost threw my harps away.

As a result of my foolish pride, misplaced ego and
stubbornness, my real progress on harp was
painfully slow. I'm talking a glacial pace here. 

It wasn't until decades later (maybe 3 years post
college) that I got together with some real players
who liked my playing, and realized I needed to get
some basics of theory in order to understand what I
was about. By then 2nd position was my natural
place, but I didn't know why. Straight harp (1st
position) was for wussies and I hadn't a clue about
3rd, let alone 4th, 5th or any of the rest. 

That's when I started getting more serious about
harp and began looking for instruction books. Years
later, I found the Internet and discovered Harp-L.
I was seeking information on my first chromatic
purchase. Here I realized how deep the pool was,
how much I needed to learn, where to seek help...
and most importantly, how incredible the harmonica
community is. 

I've made great strides over the last 7 or 8 years,
largely because of this resource and this
community.

Harpin' in Colorado,
--Ken M.

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