[Harp-L] RE: practice harps

["Ian Chadwick" <ichadwick@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

In my limited experience (see www.ianchadwick.com/essays/harmonicas.htm),
buying inexpensive harps for practice is wasting money. They're never as
good - in either sound or build quality. I have a box full of inexpensive
harps I'll likely never play again. 

It's also a bit misleading - I've found it takes more effort to get a sound
like a bend or overblow from an inexpensive harp, but when I pick up a
better one I'm often using too much force, which can wear out reeds sooner.

Practice with what you plan to play. And the sound will be sweeter.

While I haven't bought any $100 harps yet, I expect I will buy a couple this
winter just to test them. I have bought some $60 harps, though. I'm not
gigging - just learning and playing for myself, so I play all of my better
harps (they're scattered throughout my house right now...) and try to
practice at least a little every day. 

I hope to be able to jam locally this winter or next spring, and then I'll
use the harps I like the best, but I won't save any harp for that day.

Ian

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ian Chadwick
Web: www.ianchadwick.com
Forum & blog: www.ianchadwick.com/forum/
Email: ichadwick@xxxxxxxxxxxx
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~