Re: [Harp-L] two questions from newbie

[IcemanLE@xxxxxxx]

You've gotten some excellent suggestions from this list already.
 
I've found that 5 min/day of focused practice is a good way to start -  
however, with this 5 min/day, I add two requirements:
 
1 - It has to be EVERY day - you can't skip a day and tell yourself you'll  
do 10 min tomorrow to make up for it.
 
2. It has to be the SAME TIME every day - in other words, you have to  choose 
a time that becomes "sacred" to you and honor it. It also has to be in a  
quiet environment where no disruptions occur. Playing in a car does not count,  
as you are distracted by having to think about driving.
 
After your committed 5 min, you are done with your homework and can go  
outside and play with your friends. However, if you feel like going longer than  
this 5 min, it is like extra credit. However, don't force yourself to go longer  
if you don't feel like it.
 
Within this 5 min, you should choose to work on one or maybe two aspects.  
Don't try to cram a bunch of stuff into the 5 min.
 
What happens is that you slowly start to commit yourself to a very  serious 
or sacred personal time to devote to this endeavor through  discipline. 
"Sacred" practice time is more focused and productive, achieving  better results 
faster as well as helping you to evolve into someone serious  about their craft.
 
Try it for one week and see what happens. 
 
Long tones are a great way to get inside the sound, hearing it  clearly and 
figuring out what you are actually doing inside yourself. Long  tones hang a 
note in the air for 10 seconds or more.
 
The other point I might suggest is to breathe the harmonica rather than  
blow/suck. The energy level used is much closer to humming than whistling. If  you 
start to feel tired muscles in your face or lips, you are wasting your  
energy in inefficient technique.
 
The Iceman
 
 
 
 
In a message dated 1/8/2009 5:02:27 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
igobox@xxxxxxx writes:

Dear  All,  

Sorry if somebody already asked such a questions, I  couldn't find in 
archive.  

I started to practice diatonic  harp(C-Key) starting last summer, but I 
didn't use any system  
in my  exercises.  
But it's already one and half month as day by day I do  recommend exercises  
using metronome. My daily practice is about  45-60 minutes.  

Sometimes my lips are trembling and badly  tired, that I even cannot play in 
row  
several single notes.   

1)Please advice how much time I need to spend per day  practicing the 
instrument.  
I can understand that it's quite  individual depended, but in any case would 
be welcome to hear  
your  opinion.  

2)The second question.  
What  metronome speed I need to use during exercises e.g. to play scales etc. 
  
It seems that I can play pretty good e.g. C-Scale at metronome speed  54, 60, 
70,  
but cannot handle it at speed 48. Since it takes much  more efforts.  

Please advise.  

Thank  you.  

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