Re: [Harp-L] Octave Exercises

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

Watching (and hearing) the Ronnie Shellist video, I don't hear octave
jumps like you seem to mention, though I do hear split intervals (notes
separated by the tongue played at the same time) and not just octaves -
he plays some 2-5 draw splits, for instance (this is a 7th, not an
octave, e.g., G and F on a C-harp).

If you want to play simultaneous octaves (and only octave, not other
intervals like 6ths or 7ths), then you can play "scale inventory"
excercises going up or down:

1-4 blow

1-4 draw

2-5 blow

3-6 blow

====shift wide at right side: ()>
3-7 draw

====shift narrow on left side >()
4-7 blow

====shift ()>
4-8 draw

===shift  >()
5-8 blow

====shift ()>
5-9 draw

====shift >()
6-9 blow

====shift ()>
6-10 draw

====shift >()
7-10 blow

You can start at the top and come down. Your embouchure shifts will all
go in the opposite direction. Instead of shifing the left side in or
>() you'd shift it out <() and the right side would also go left ()<.

Once you have command of that, try playing licks, riffs, and lines in
octaves.

Note that Shellist actually uses octaves and other split intervals
pretty lightly in that video - maybe about 25% of what he's playing.

If you want to make quick leaps between notes an octave apart, you
still need to keeps the same width of mouth opening as with a split
interval. But your tongue block needs to be wider because you're
covering one additional hole. Instead of leaving holes uncovered at
both right and left, you're opening only on one side at a time. You
just slide the tongue sideways so that it covers the hole you just
played and uncovers the one at the opposite corner.

You could play the same scale as above, but alternating at each octave
"place" on the harp. try alternating low-high (L-H), and also H-L,
L-H-L, H-L-H. Also try alternating the foll octave (or O) with the
single notes on either side:  O-H-L, O-L-H, O-H-O-L, etc.

Just doing these ecxrecises will give you plenty to work on. As you
play them ideas will come to you for using them in your playing.

Winslow


--- Tony Renshaw <tonyrenshaw268@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Gidday,
> 
> I sent a message to the list yesterday, but it appears not to have
> got 
> through. I am interested in whether anyone has some patterns to
> consolidate 
> octave work into their playing? I am using a pattern called the "saw 
> tooth", hole 9 blow, hole 8 draw, hole 9 draw, hole 7 blow, etc up
> and down 
> the harp, but was wondering if others had anything to offer up that
> might 
> help with octave work? I love the octave work Ronnie Shellist uses on
> YouTube:
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYqfB7HsQwQ
> 
> 
> Thanks in anticipation.
> Reg
> Tony Renshaw
> Sydney Australia
> 
> _______________________________________________
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> 



 
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