[Harp-L] Re: Standing at the chromatic

[Philharpn@xxxxxxx]

You sound like you are half way home. You understand the layout of the chrome 
and the double tonic notes -- but still get lost.   

One trick to handle the double Cs is to always play the second one, skip the 
first.   Going up the scale go from B to the 2nd C. When coming down the scale 
do the same thing. Always go from D down to the second C.   For example, if 
you can play the scale up and down the chrome without tripping over the double 
Cs, you are on your way. 

If you haven't recorded yourself playing you problem area -- where you get 
lost -- you should. Because it's really tough trying to fix it if you don't know 
WHERE the problem is.

You don't have to go public to find your problem area, you can try to 
duplicate it at home. But record yourself so you can hear where the problem is.

If you keep getting lost on the chrome, you have to practice with a chromatic 
tuner (not a guitar tuner) that you test with your harmonica at a music 
store. Sure you can save money by buying one online, but you might not get one that 
reads all the notes on the harp. This will tell you what note you are 
playing.

The reason the chromatic is helpful is it tells you what note you are playing 
without taking the harp out of your mouth. If you keep taking the harp out of 
your mouth to find out where you are, how do you know that you are putting it 
back in your mouth exactly where you were? You don't. But the tuner may help.


Remember the trick to playing fast is to play slow. You have to play 
whatever-you're-trying to play slow enough so that you hit all the right notes. If you 
can play it slow; you can play it fast. But if you try to practice fast 
before you know how to play it slow, you will always mess up.

Also, there is a reason why you don't let lost on the diatonic. You have 
1,000 hours of playing time working on it. Maybe only a 100 hours on the chrome. 
It's called woodshedding. If you want to get as familiar with chrome as you are 
with the diatonic you need to spend the same amount of time on the chrome. 
Obviously, it will be easier then when you started on the diatonic because you 
can already play a clean note.

So there is no shortcut. If you want to get better on the chrome, you have to 
practice. And you have to practice with a goal.   And probably a metronome. 

 If you're improvising with blues, perhaps working on the blues scale and 
maybe pentatonic scales in the keys you usually play in until you are really sick 
of hearing them.   If you're trying to improvise over certain chords, that's 
what you have to work with.

Failing any of the above, sit down at a keyboard and play along with yourself 
and see if that helps you keep your place. With the keyboard, at least you 
can see where you are.

A guy was working on a really tricky piece of music and pulled it off without 
hitting a clinker. His buddy says, "That sound like it's really hard to 
play."

The guys says, "It used to be."

Keep woodshedding.

Hope this helps.


Phil Lloyd







In a message dated 6/23/08 7:57:23 PM, hvyj@xxxxxxx writes:


>     I'm the guy who submitted the post about the difficulties I 
> experience trying to play the standard chromatic.  The problem I have 
> is not that I expect it to be the same as the diatonic.   I know what 
> the differences are and I have a reasonable understanding of how the 
> chromatic works.  BUT, if I'm improvising at a medium or fast tempo I 
> tend to "lose my place."  I'm frequently unable to keep track of what 
> note I am playing by ear alone. And, if I hit the button at the wrong 
> time, it's a mistake everyone in the room will notice.
>     I don't have a problem keeping track of where i am on the diatonic 
> because 1) there are fewer holes on the diatonic and 2) since most of 
> the intervals on a diatonic are different, each hole has a different 
> "feel" in the mouth to an experienced player.
>     Other than ear training (which I could probably use) does anyone 
> have any suggestions on how to keep track of where you are when 
> improvising on a chrom at fast tempo?
>     JP
> 
> 
> 




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