[Harp-L] Ranting, learning,gaping, modifing my story

["Abner Galdos" <cdgaldos@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have always loved Old Black and White movies and especially Westerns.
Now my first love and still is the Guitar ( I had 3 teachers and I failed them all). In the movies or on TV commercial I can always hear the harmonica.... 
it has a wonderful sound.
Many years ago my wife bought herself a cheap $5. harp. Her mother who passed away over 20 years ago use to play the harp with a bunch of other woman....
so once in a while I would pick it up like a toy and treat it like one..
Then about a year ago I was listening to a song and the harp was their and I stated messing with it.... you know just listening humming and then I just got lost in the music...
My son came up to me and asked me if I was playing.... now he was ( ok still is) a wise ass.. and I expected him to say I suck and to stop.,.. to my HORROR he said I was good... I looked at my wife and she said the same thing,,, 
Then my son said the worst thing in the world..

"DAD YOUR GOOD AND IF YOUR GOING TO PLAY BUY YOUR SELF A REAL HARMONICA'

That my fellow Harpers is as they say that is how it all began.
Its been a good 4 month ( after cervical spine surgery) that I have more or less been practicing.

If it were not for several good, fantastic, wonderful, joyful, selfless harp players with massive amount of knowledge to part with I would still be playing "Mary had a little lamb" toot toot.

abner (Blueyes, still having fun.)

Learn to have fun with your harp. its not just a toy, its a wonderful, sounding toy that brings great joy to your soul. Play what you feel. I'm finding out each harp is different no matter what.  Just make it your own... enjoy the greats but don't try to be them.... I'm sure they could never be like you.
I'm new, I'm green, I don't know gaping from tuning.... and I hate to lose money. 
I have been lucky not to know if a box harp is good or not.  but when I crushed (MB) one and had no choice but to work on it I did as much as I could learn... Then a fellow Harp L member a great guy (Richard Perkins) has been restoring it for me.
A few days ago another of my harps # 3 reed went bad and I'm trying to bring that one back to life.... its on life support.

Yesterday I modified my first Harp (SP 20) a suggestion I got from fellow Harp L member Richard Perkins. and from reading the last few rants I gaped my SP 20 and it sounds good... or maybe its just psychosomatic. 

This is my rant, this is what I have learned from reading and lots of suggestion from good players...
If you guys don't share your knowledge then why have an open site... just close it off and have some kind of standard if not and you want newbie's who are just learning to hold a harp, and answer their dumb question 10 times over then keep it open..

If it were not for harp L I would not have meet 5 or 6 of the greatest guys and girls who stick their necks out to help.

Thank you
Abner