Re: [Harp-L] How ta lern to Play proply

[Christelle Berthon <christellester@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi guys

If I can help one this one:

My view of playing is more a matter of emotions and feelings and the  
way to transmit it to the listener.

I'm not extremely clean while I play, and if you look at it many harp  
players are not that sharp. Having said that, there's a minimum for  
presenting a piece of music. It means that you've to master the basics  
of your instrument alone (tongue blocking, blow/draw in one hole,  
bends notes properly, and using OB/OD). It gives you the tools you  
need to tell the story you want to tell, which mean that you've to  
have the deep will to transmit something. Jean Jacques Milteau said to  
me a decade ago, during my first an only lesson of my life: " if  
you've the impression that what you're doing is complicated, then  
that's not the blues, or music" he's so right saying this. Miles Davis  
at the end was playing single notes, but what notes!!!!!

After that, you've to have TASTE (good or bad it doesn't matter) while  
you play to be an elegant player (like Steve Baker, SBW II, Jean- 
Jacques Milteau, Charlie Mc Coy) chosing your phrases on purpose, or  
to be a wild story teller.

If it can help, my goals when I play any kind of piece of music is to  
reach the shivers goose bumps, to reach the right note. This is one  
aspect who gives to the listener (and of course yourself) the  
impression that you can play....

BUT that's not enough there's a special aspect of the play that is in  
my opinion a crucial point : VIBRATO

Our instrument is too close to our vocal strings, this is the  
signature of every harp players (well yes some doesn't vibrate like  
Charlie Mc Coy). This is as well the way you'll be able to convey  
music and emotions. Just think it as an accent: when you talk your  
accent says who you're where you're coming from it's the part of the  
story you're telling when you speak to someone, and for the ones who  
are foreign language speaker, you know that even if you have small  
amount of words in your brain, BUT a very very good accent, people  
think that you're  speaking very well this language. So for the  
VIBRATO and to give the impression that you can play, this is a very  
important point.

Hope it'll help and sorry for my english mistakes

Christelle


Le 7 juil. 08 à 07:06, Philharpn@xxxxxxx a écrit :

> I think you really covered the bases for the whole nine yards for a  
> hat
> trick.
> Keep up the good work.
> And support your favorite harp player by buying CDs/downloading  
> legally and
> attending performances.
>
> Phil Lloyd
> Back to the woodshed
>
>
>
> In a message dated 7/5/08 10:00:06 PM, drfertig@xxxxxxxxx writes:
>
>
> > Really, to play blues harp properly, it is absolutely necessary  to  
> > learn
> > to read music, understand music theory, and  -
> >
> > OOPS!  I mean, one should just get a harp and suck and blow it a  
> > million
> > times, til you get it right, then -
> >
> > NO! NO! You gotta get lessons, do your homework, play on tape and  
> > listen
> > back, make corrections -
> >
> > OH WAIT, NO!!  What I mean to say is blow it
> > along with recordings whenever you get the chance, and learn each  
> > lick of
> > your harp heroes, only then -
> >
> > UH OH, I misspoke! One should avoid the limits of Western musical
> > conventions, else one betrays one's soul and the origins of blues  
> > music, and that's -
> >
> > OH SH!T! What I really mean to say is - ONLY FOLLOW THE ADVICE that  
> > makes
> > sense to you, your style of learning, the sort of playing you wish to
> > emulate,and allow yourself to change as you proceed.  It's only  
> > important that you
> > feel good about whatever approach you take, and it works for you.   
> > And keep an
> > open mind.
> > Many fine players don't read music, don't overblow, don't wear cool  
> > hats,
> > etc. and some do, the results are what count, and that includes you  
> > being happy
> > with what you're doing.
> >
> > "Take what you need and leave the rest."
> >
> > -Dave Fertig
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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>
>
>
>
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