[Harp-L] Re: What is a scale??...damn kid, what the heck's a position??

[Robert Coble <robertpcoble@xxxxxxxx>]

Come on now, people, a scale is one of those flakey things off the side of a
fish, and a position is one of those contortions from the Kama Sutra...
Simple, n'est ce pas?!?

JUST KIDDING!

In all seriousness, there are many paths up the mountain. Some paths are
somewhat smoother in places than others - and vice versa. However, as you
climb the mountain (regardless of your path) and get closer to the top, ALL
paths begin to converge. I learned this on my way to a 4th-degree black belt
in karate and a 1st-degree black belt in jujitsu. BTW, I started martial
arts training when I was 40 years old (I'm almost 59 now). It is NEVER too
late to begin learning new things and new ways - and ENJOYING LIFE!

How is that applicable to harp playing, teaching, and learning?

I first picked up a harp in 2001. I got one harmonica in "C", got a blues CD
by Kim Wilson, and started trying to copy that absolutely wonderful "blues"
sound from the harp. I was absolutely incapable of getting anywhere close to
that sound. Being a predominantly LEFT-brained person, I thought out WHY I
couldn't even come close: I didn't have a harmonica in the RIGHT (-brained?)
key! AND, I didn't know (Bo) DIDDLELY about the blues specifically and music
generally!

So I started a life-long buying habit. Hey, when I got the right key harp, I
could at least struggle toward that LUSCIOUS SOUND a little easier. Maybe
there were "easier" songs...buy more blues CDs...start researching harp
playing on the Web...find some groups, like Harp-L, HarpTalk, SlideMeister,
Bluegrass-L...buy some books...join two harmonica clubs...buy instructional
books/CDs...buy more harps...repeat continuously.

For me, it's kind of an optimistic LEFT-BRAIN thing: when faced with such a
large pile of "s#!+", there has to be a "pony" in there somewhere!

I've had ONE lesson from David Barrett through correspondence. My fault, not
David's: I didn't have the time (at that time) to complete the lessons. BTW,
he is a superb teacher! I've had TWO lessons with Larry Stutz, locally.
Larry was the harp player for the TV show "In The Heat Of The Night" when
production moved to Atlanta. He also (at one time) was a member of Al & Judy
Smith's Harmonica Hotshotz. Doug Puls (Coast-2-Coast Music and HarpTalk)
gave me several good pointers at the Virginia HarmonicaFests - and I bought
some of his instructional CDs. He also was kind enough to provide guitar
backing/accompaniment to a blues seminar that I got drafted into doing at
the HarmonicaFest one year.

I started a local harmonica club a little over a year ago. I try to teach a
little at each club meeting. All of the other players are strictly ear
players, with no knowledge of music theory. Some of them have been playing
on diatonics for a lifetime - and don't know how to (or even that you COULD)
bend notes. None of them are blues players (yet :-)!) I work on stuff that
makes their playing experience more enjoyable.

I was asked to play bluegrass gospel with a group from my church. I had
NEVER even considered playing bluegrass on harmonica. Blues - yes; "grass" -
NO! That's when I started trying to learn about modes, because I'd see in
books (Like Glenn Weiser's book on bluegrass tunes) stuff like "Dorian" and
"Mixolydian" - what the heck does THAT mean?!? Back to searching the
Web...buying more books..trying different tunings...etc. I now play with a
bluegrass jam each month - and they are amazed that I can riff right along
with some of their blazing hot numbers, like "Dear Old Dixie", even taking
the lead on breaks. (I'm still struggling with "Orange Blossom Special" at
300 BPM - LOL!)

I still play predominantly by ear. I am LEARNING this music theory stuff,
and trying to see how it fits into playing what I hear in my head and heart.

Scales are fundamentals of music theory. IMHO, the purpose of scales is to
connect HOW and WHERE the notes are on the instrument to what you hear in
your head, so that when you play, you don't think (left-brained) where and
how to play the notes, you FEEL (right-brained) the notes without thinking.
IMHO, there is technical virtuosity in playing scales fluently - but that
may be a very cold place with no heart. I much prefer a less-technical
approach, with a lot of "soul"!

For learning scales, I'd suggest this approach. Identify the intervals for
different types of scales, and apply that to a diatonic harp. For example,
the major scale interval sequence is W-W-h-W-W-W-h, where the "W" stands for
a whole tone, and the "h" stands for a half tone. Each scale has an interval
relationship. Learn that relationship, and where it lays out on the harp in
every register. It won't matter which harp you are using; the scale will be
there for you when you need it.

Once you have a feeling for the scales available (and there are a LOT of
them!), work on playing those scales over standard chord progressions. For
instance, try playing something other than the blues scale over the I-IV-V
12-bar blues progression. Try different modes (which are also scales),
pentatonic major, pentatonic minor, whole tone, diminished, bebop, etc. It
is amazing how many different things can be used with that "simple" 12-bar
"blues" format! Branch out from the "blues" format to other styles of music,
using different chord progressions, like jazz. Try to find a scale that will
"fit" what you're hearing. Listen, experiment using a specific scale over a
particular chord or progression, keep what works (for you), and throw the
rest away. And don't EVER mechanically play a scale just because you can!

You have to approach it from your own perspective. What floats one person's
boat may sink someone else's ship. Take what works for YOU from the
discussion, use it, and then GIVE SOMETHING BACK!

When you are teaching someone else, IT'S N-O-T-ABOUT Y-O-U! That is the
primary distinction between great PLAYERS and great TEACHERS. You have to
carefully study your students, and try to determine what will benefit THEM
(NOT you) the most. A poor teacher will attempt to cover up his inadequacies
by avoiding those areas; a great teacher will acknowledge them, and either
work to remove those inadequacies from himself BEFORE attempting to teach
that particular area, or will point the student toward another more
knowledgeable teacher who can take the student to the next level.

I owe a HUGE debt of gratitude to the many people who play beautiful music
using the harmonica, and who are also willing and eager to share their
experience and knowledge with others, in person, in tutorials and books, and
on these lists.

THANKS to you all!
Crazy ('bout harp!) Bob
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