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

["Tom Muck" <tommuck@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

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

I'm not an old guy (well, ok maybe a little old) but I did learn the old way 
because I didn't know what was out there. After playing guitar for many 
years, in the early 90's I decided I wanted to learn to play blues 
harmonica. I had tried many times over the years, but always failed because 
I didn't know about cross harp. I would play some blues in G on a tape and 
try to play along with a G harp. I never got anywhere. I went to the music 
store and found the magical "Blues Harp". I took it home and thought I 
finally had it cracked, but had the same luck -- a G harp sounded bad over 
the key of G. Finally, I picked up a blues harmonica book at the music store 
and read a few paragraphs where it talked about cross harp. That was all it 
took. I didn't buy the book and don't remember what it was, but I didn't 
need it. After that, I started playing along with all my CDs -- Jimmy Reed, 
Little Walter, Big Walter. I started buying one harp at a time when a song 
needed it. I started with G and A, then C, D, Bb. For a while, that's all I 
needed. Eventually over the years I managed to track down almost every 
Little Walter recording (still missing two obscure studio tracks and a few 
live tracks) and learned about 3rd position and a few other basic things, 
but really didn't have any direction.

I only discovered the harp community less than a year ago, but my playing 
has improved 100% since then. All the talk of overblows, overdraws, 
tongue-blocking, etc is over my musical head at the moment, but I'll 
eventually start getting some of it. I went to a Dennis Gruenling/Allen 
Holmes Jam Class a few weeks ago and got the ball rolling to re-learn 
harmonica again. I play strictly blues because that is the only music I 
understand and feel from a player's perspective.

I've had several "wow" turning points in my harp playing life, aside from 
the cross-harp revelation. First, hearing Little Walter (probably on Country 
Blues) play amplified. That turned me into a harp fanatic. Next, hearing Big 
Walter on a Johnny Shines album, which seemed to introduce a whole new color 
to the music. The playing was simple, smooth, and soulful. Then I heard John 
Wrencher on a CD with Robert Nighthawk/Johnny Young and fell in love with 
the heavy vibrato that I still can't get a handle on. Listening to Sonny Boy 
gave me a new appreciation for playing acoustic. He sounded like the harp 
was part of his body and he was able to make it sing. Hearing Paul 
Butterfield play on the Fathers and Sons album made a huge impact -- the 
fire and power in the playing was definitely something I had to strive for. 
Then I heard Jason Ricci which impacted me more than anything else over the 
years. His playing made me realize that the harmonica is not just a 
instrument where you try to figure out how to make someone else's lick sound 
tasteful and original, but can create truly original and inspired music.

Tom Muck