Re: [Harp-L] learning to play

[IcemanLE@xxxxxxx]

Good points. Like so much in the blues, an early protocol was established  in 
teaching blues harmonica and it hasn't evolved much over the years. However,  
a few forward thinking teachers are breaking the mold. I believe that Chris  
Michalek teaches out of the box, as do I - but we are not primarily blues  
players, just musicians that can also play the blues. I'm gravitating toward  
teaching where the notes live, whether with bending technique or not, eventually  
putting them into modal or positional contexts for the students. It's amazing 
to  watch a beginner learn to create 3 hole inhale first and second bends as 
notes  early on, without telling them how "hard" or "advanced" it is.
 
 
In a message dated 1/9/2009 9:58:47 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  hvyj@xxxxxxx 
writes:

FWIW,  I've always been puzzled about why harmonica instructional  
materials  usually teach first and second position, and then treat  
third  position as something more advanced and fourth and fifth  
positions  as really advanced if dealt with at all.

I'm self taught.  But it  would seem to me more effective to teach/ 
learn these 5 positions more or  less simultaneously so the player  
learns what to do with the  instrument in order understand how its  
tonal layout works and how it  can be used to play different types of   
material. Trying to  teach/learn the blues scale?  It's technically  
much easier for  a beginner to play it in third position than in  
second.  But  almost all instructional materials start with teaching  
blues in  second.

The same bending techniques apply to all positions  equally.  
Struggling to learn to bend?  Struggle in fifth for a  while as well  
as in second as you are learning. In certain positions  there are not  
as many available chords, but scales are scales. Learn  the blues,  
minor pentatonic or major pentatonic (country) scale in  each position  
as you learn them for the first time. It's not  difficult to do.

Harmonica players as a group would be more musical if  they learned or  
were taught multiple positions more or less  simultaneously.  They'd  
also play better because they would be  able to select the harmonica  
that best works for the material being  played instead of being  
limited by the tones available in the couple  of positions that they  
know about, or looking like a deer caught in  the headlights if the  
band calls a minor key.

It's not  very difficult if each position is approached from the  
beginning  instead of some of them being thought of a something more   
advanced.  For example if a player can play in second, fifth  should  
be no problem.  But i haven't seen any instructional  material that  
approaches harmonica tautology in this manner.  i  certainly can't  
figure out why not.

Just an  opinion.

JP


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