Re: [Harp-L] The old gear debate - keeping it simple

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

My take on the old gear-vs-acoustic-tone debate is that:

1) New players have a lot to focus on.

2) Focusing on fewer things is better - they will make faster progress.

3) Good acoustic tone will serve a player well in ALL circumstances.

4) Therefore, focus first on good acoustic tone and save complicating factors like microphones and amplifiers for later.

One of the things I often see in new players is the urge to run out and buy a lot of fancy stuff. This depletes their cash on things they may end up not liking or using, and it is a distraction from the real work of learning the basics of playing. It can also suck them into a trap.

Harmonica players sometimes fall prey to an obsession I call  the "wannabe syndrome." This occurs when a player obsesses on the right mic, amp, blues clothes, etc., but never actually learns to play. If you learn to play well and meanwhile integrate the gear and the threads, that's fine. But I've seen players delude themselves that the gear and the threads will magically make them a good player, and they neglect to actually learn to play. They get all duded up and then strut around making a lot of weedwhacker noise. I *know* that you've encountered characters like this at jam sessions.

I feel a responsibility to protect my students from the wannabe syndrome. They can do what they want, of course, but my advice will usually be to develop some technique on a small number of harps first, then start to branch out to more harps, mics, amps, etc. in a carefully considered way. I'll help them at every stage, but part of that help is advising them on what they need to know or learn to prepare for the next step. If they still have embouchure or breathing problems or need to work on the way they hold the harp, my advice will be to strengthen those before trying to add a microphone or amplifier.

Winslow

Winslow Yerxa

Author, Harmonica For Dummies ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5

--- On Wed, 4/1/09, Rick Davis <bluesharpamps@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
From: Rick Davis <bluesharpamps@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] The old gear debate
To: "Harp-L" <Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wednesday, April 1, 2009, 8:07 PM

<snip>

New harp players sound bad.  We all did.  They sound bad acoustic or amped.
They get better by playing, either acoustic or amped or both.  There is no
earthly reason why a new player cannot improve his techniques while
playing with a mic and amplifier.  If his goal is to be a good amped player,
that would seem the logical way for him to spend his time.

<snip>