[Harp-L] minor keys

["Jim Alciere" <jim.alciere@xxxxxxxxx>]

Spent  happy hours yesterday playing minor key harp with a buddy to a
collection of hip hop drum loops I bought myself for Christmas. Fun. Got the
'48 champ playing along with synthesizer drums. A nice irony going.

I also recorded a harp riff with  some harp switching between a G in third
and a harp that's in A Dorian in 2nd. Funny thing is it's hard to hear any
difference because I have a tendency to drift up to the high notes when I
play third.

Maybe it's cheating but if you keep most of your playing from the 4 hole up,
and play lots of octaves, third position is real easy. Much easier to do all
that 3 hole bending in third when jamming because I can hear when I'm off.
4th position is real nice and easy as well, I can't really bend the tonic
note because it's a blow note but oh well. I'll

Some things I remember when I actually practice for more than a week that I
forget usually:

I can get a nice attack on the low notes with just a K sound but it tends to
bend the notes and sound discordant on the holes higher than 3 so I use a
tongue slap for them. Hole #5 draw on the Lee Oskar is especially finiky and
gets flattened in a not fun sort of way.

Keep the harp all the way in the mouth--massive improvement in sound. The
mic is one finger away from the mouth.

Do the vibrato thing from the belly.

Relax the shoulders.

Relax the mouth. I personally find it's easier to get a good tone with
tongue blocking just because it forces me to keep my mouth open and not
squished up. I can do that with pucker, but I have to remember.
I like a full cup on the mic and I keep the harp about a finger away to get
a little echo chamber going.

If I remember all the different pieces needed for tone, I can sound okay on
a lousy rig. If I forget, I get a lousy thin tone even through a nice rig.
-- 
Rainbow Jimmy
http://www.spaceanimals.com
http://www.myspace.com/theelectricstarlightspaceanimals