Re: [Harp-L] Re: amps for beginners?



I'm gonna say one las thing as concerning amps for beginners. There is no right or wrong answer. Only opinions.
My opinion is that a beginner should NOT feel that an amp and mic is a REQUIREMENT to learn to play harmonica. A harmonica and a *bit of musical sense and some idea of what to play are. We are talking about beginners right?


Isn't it better to wait until the beginner has something pleasant to the ears to play real loud? Not that there's any law against it. Some spouses may wish there were.

Personally, I've heard far too many amped dudes that make me want crawl under the rug.
* Over and out!


Rick Davis wrote:
Garry Hodgson wrote:  "nobody has said they cannot, nor have they mentioned
"permission".  nobody said a new player would be ruined by buying an amp,
nor did they demand that all blues harp students play only acoustic.  dial
down the
rhetoric a notch."

Then what is the exact objection to beginners buying an amp?  Perhaps you
should dial up the specificity a notch.



On Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 11:37 AM, Garry Hodgson <harp@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Rick Davis wrote:

Seriously, where is it written that a new player cannot learn good
"chops"
and good habits while dabbling with amped tone?
...
But it is equally silly to suggest a new player
will be somehow ruined by buying a small tube practice amp
...
And more importantly, when does the new player get permission to start
using
an amp? ...
It seems wrong-headed for us to demand that all blues
harp students play only acoustic music.
nobody has said they cannot, nor have they mentioned "permission".  nobody
said a new player would be ruined by buying an amp, nor did they demand
that all blues harp students play only acoustic.  dial down the
rhetoric a notch.

in my case, i found it a distraction.  and while some may have limitless
resources, in terms of time, money, and attention, i do not.  money i
spent on gear early on would have been better spent on harps in more
keys, or on instruction.  time spent fiddling with said gear would have
been better spent practicing technique.  and i believe i would have made
better choices when it did come time to gear up, with more experience
under my belt.

the OP asked "is there any reason for a beginner to get an amp?"
bill hines offered a good one: to avoid learning bad habits that
will need to be unlearned later.  you offered others, the positive
feedback of hearing "that" tone early on, or the negative feedback
of hearing your mistakes amplified.

it's all about tradeoffs. everybody's got to make their own.



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