Re: [Harp-L] Background (Rhythm) harmonica

[michael rubin <michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx>]

Recently I spent a 6 month period practicing Madcat's techniques an
hour a day.  I find his hi hat rhythm and the basic chug (I cannot
find the little booklet right now, it might be named something else.)
to be useful in a multitude of situations and people seem to like them
a lot.  It also started me on whooping like Sonny Terry between notes,
sometimes to great effect, sometimes not.  I  have had at least one
private jam where I enjoyed myself greatly.

What I did find is that there are some small inconsistencies between
the booklet and the DVD, nothing I could not use my ear to change.  I
also found that after a half a year of serious metronome practicing I
could not increase past certain speeds.  Perhaps if I had hung in
there another half a year.

Really this is the first time I dug deep into practicing a learning
method via DVD and I feel like I came out a much better player with
choices I did not have before.  I give the DVD an A plus!
Michael Rubin
Michaelrubinharmonica.com

On 5/1/09, MLeFree <mlefree@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Ken Hildebrand writes:
> > I suggest getting Peter "Madcat" Ruth's DVD "The Ins and Outs of
> > Rhythm Harp".  Madcat can do it all and plus alot more !
> >
> > Highly entertaining as well, especially the ending demonstration.
>
> Um, well, ah...
>
> I dig Madcat to the max - he's easily one of my favorite players and people!
>
> But... Much as I have tried to duplicate his rythm harp technique as
> described on his "Ins and Outs of Rhythm Harp video," I just cannot do it.
> He uses a unique method to maximize the percussive nature of his rhythm harp
> that is very foreign to my embouchure. In a nutshell, he describes his
> manner of using what he calls "hup-pah's" in which he flips his lower lip
> back and forth over the front of the harp. I just cannot do it no matter how
> I try, and believe me I wish I could, cuz' as I say I idolize Madcat.
>
> I wonder if anyone else who has tried to use Madcat's hup-pah's has achieved
> any degree of success? I'd like to query them about what they did to make it
> work.
>
> I should emphasize that my comments regarding the Madcat rhythm harp method
> should in no way deter anyone from purchasing his video. Even though I
> wasn't able to come away using hup-pahs, I still learned much about rhythm
> harp. Plus, that last 5 minutes is easily the most entertaining in
> harmonicadom, and well worth the price of admission in it's own right.
>
> Thanks for sharing, Pete.  8^)
>
> Michelle
>
>
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