Re: [Harp-L] teach position playing

["Rick Dempster" <rick.dempster@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I second this approach. I have my group classes play a 12 bar vamp, which I annotate as draw 1-4 (4 bars) blow 1-4 (2 bars) draw 1-4 (2 bars) draw hole 1 only (2 bars) draw 1-4 (2 bars)
When they can do this without looking at the tab, I introduce an alternate last 4 bars: draw hole 1 (1 bar) blow 1-4 (1 bar) draw 1-4 (1/2 bar or 2 beats)
blow 1-4 (1/2 bar or 2 beats) draw 1-4 (1 beat) draw hole 1 (3 beats)
I also change the fourth bar of the 12 bar to read 'draw 1-5' to introduce the b7th as a 'pull' to the IV chord.
I have them play chordal rhythm to all tunes taught. I teach a heap of Stephen Foster tunes (because most people know them) having them get used to the three chord positions: blow chord (I) draw chord (V) and draw 5-6 (IV)
I've been running these classes now for ten years, 32 nights a year, 2 x 90 minute classes of around 12 people a night.
I have now got a pretty good idea of what works! Backing them on the piano is a big help, even with my cruddy keyboard skills!
Getting people to learn things well enough to chuck away the tab is the holy grail of teaching, for me.
RD


>>> Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx> 12/03/2009 4:37 >>>
Robert - 

Think about how positions first evolved. Blow chord for first position, and draw chord for second position. Play chordal rhythm patterns centered around either one, then find licks, etc. As you get away from these two positions, the chord approach works less and less well, but this gets the student started.

The other thing you can do is find modal tunes that work well in various positions - certainly in the first five. You can find some of those tunes (and some fund chord exercises) in Harmonica For Dummies :)

Chord patterns and tunes give the student something concrete to learn without having to digest a big does of theory (and I love theory, but to most beginner's it ain't anything even near to being sexy).

Winslow

Winslow Yerxa

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

--- On Wed, 3/11/09, ynfdwas@xxxxxxxxx <ynfdwas@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
From: ynfdwas@xxxxxxxxx <ynfdwas@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] teach position playing
To: "Harp-L@Harp-L. Org" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2009, 8:56 AM

Harp teachers,
 
What's your best method for teaching position playing?
My musician students relate to scales and intervals,
but non-musician beginners are mystified by it. 
  

Robert Hale, "the Duke Of Wail"
http://www.dukeofwail.com/ 
Gilbert, Arizona
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