RE: [Harp-L] When to Study What?

["Bradford Trainham" <bradford.trainham@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I got into alternate tunings gradually.
I played a !!long!! Time before I ever owned a full set of any kind of
harps.
It is overwhelming, but the harmonica seems to be going through this
technical revolution right now and, as with the computer, I've had to figure
out what I could grasp, what motivated me to learn and what might push me
out of my comfort zone.
It also helps to have a good teacher and I think I couldn't have done any
better anywhere than with Michael Rubin.
But what ever else constructive/destructive you do, continue to go to those
jams because it's in that context that you learn best how the harp relates
to other instruments and how you as a harp player are, so to say a member of
a team.
The other event which really seems to have accelerated my
interest/enthusiasm/willingness-to-practice was when I finally "got it' with
a chromatic.
I understand that this fork in the road won't be taken by everybody, but
somehow, after spending a lot of time playing the chromatic, the diatonics,
what ever their tuning seem to make more sense and to somehow be more
accessible to me as real "grown-up" musical instruments. 
(Not that I'm necessarily a real grown-up, other than chronologically)
I certainly hope any of this is at all relevant to what you're asking.
Brad Trainham
 

-----Original Message-----
From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Elizabeth Hess
Sent: Friday, November 20, 2009 7:31 PM
To: Harp-L
Subject: [Harp-L] When to Study What?

Thank you, Robert, for this post.  It gives me a lot to think about.

I've been playing for about a year and a half.  I can improvise basic 12-bar
solos, though I've been told that my bending still needs more work for
accuracy.  I just started playing out in open jams about a month ago; people
at the jams have welcomed me warmly, and I feel encouraged.

I am thoroughly enchanted by the more chromatic playing of players I know
(and players I don't know) who can do overblows and overdraws.  I can get a
couple of overblows once in a while, but not yet reliably enough to play in
a jam context.  I've been inside my harps a few times,  Richard Sleigh's
tool kit and "Turbocharge Your Harmonica, Volume 1" just arrived in the
mail, and I have my sleeves rolled up to work on gapping and arcing and all
that stuff so that overblows will be "easier".  Meanwhile I'm looking at the
theory books I own to try to suss out how to use all those new notes I will
eventually be able to play... what scales to practice and how to apply those
scales to soloing.

But here I am at an interesting crossroads.  I've internalized enough of the
fundamentals, the Richter layout, and the blues scale to be able to play
out.  I want to improve and am willing to work at it.  In light of this
thread on alternate tunings, I am wondering whether I would do better to
keep working on getting overblows and overdraws and continue to improve my
command of the basic Richter layout, or whether I should buy a couple of
Melody Maker and Circular-tuned harps and start getting those layouts into
my muscle memory now (just as some children do well by learning two
languages when they are growing up).

In my grand ambition to be a good and versatile harp player, I'm pretty sure
that I will do both -- overblows and alternate tunings -- eventually.  But I
would be interested to hear people's take on the timing and sequencing  of
these choices.  Overblows first?  Alternate tunings first?  Everything all
at once?  Forget all the fancy stuff for a while (how long?) and keep
hammering the basics?

Of course, there is no single right answer, and I will have to find my own
way, but I am grateful for the guidance and wisdom-of-the-years that the
members of Harp-L provide so readily and so generously.  Thank you.

Elizabeth



On Nov 18, 2009, at 2:15 PM, Robert Coble wrote:

>
> IMHO, the primary reason most people stick with the traditional 
> Richter Tuning/layout is because there is little opportunity to learn 
> that there are alternatives until one has already put in a certain 
> amount of money, time and effort learning-and then it seems like too 
> much of a loss to switch over. The "bricks and mortar" stores carry 
> items that can be "moved" off the shelves, including the "standard"
> brands/models/keys AND the supporting instructional materials. Only 
> long after certain tricks/habits/techniques have been learned AND the 
> newly minted harp slinger travels out of his woodshed does he 
> encounter others who are using or experimenting with alternate 
> tunings.
>
> I started on Golden Melodies. I blew them out so fast that I had only 
> two choices: (1) Find a different harp that would last longer until I 
> learned how to play better; or (2) give up the idea of playing 
> harmonicas altogether. (I still love Golden Melody harps!) 
> Fortunately, I found a very supportive online community AND a very 
> supportive environment at the Cardinal State Harmonica Club and 
> Harmonica Plus Club in VA. I learned more about different brands, 
> switched to Lee Oskar and Special 20s, and most importantly, I found 
> out WHY I was blowing out harps so quickly.
>
> I also learned that there are some great online stores that not only 
> were less expensive, but carried a much wider selection than the usual 
> Mom and Pop music store. From great books (Steve Baker's Harp Handbook 
> and others), I learned about alternate tunings like spiral (circular) 
> tuning. At that time, there were no sources for alternate tunings 
> except customizers, so I didn't pursue that avenue for lack of 
> financial resources. I'm not a "pro" and have no intentions of ever 
> becoming one, so I couldn't justify several hundred dollars for a 
> single harp and obviously am too cheap to buy a full set at those 
> prices. I ain't knocking the customizers' prices; I really can't see 
> how they stay in business at the LOW prices they charge. There are 
> some really dedicated people doing it more for the love of it than for 
> the money.
>
> The turning point (for me) occurred when I started studying music 
> theory AND wanted more notes available without performing unnatural 
> acts to achieve them. I did not (and still don't) like chromatic harps 
> with slides and windsavers. (I have tried the Tombo 
> slideless/valveless chromatics, and like them EXCEPT for the actual 
> note layout.) Concurrently, Seydel made alternate tunings available 
> commercially, with the capability of specifying the desired note 
> layout (within reason) and then getting that "special" tuning for a 
> small additional fee. (BTW, the Seydel Harp Configurator is another 
> great Seydel offering!) I ordered a Circular (Zirkular in German) 
> Tuned harp and loved how easy it was to play things I had struggled 
> with before. I ordered a complete set through Coast-to-Coast Music, 
> learned how to play them within a couple of months of sloppy practice, 
> and have never gone back. If Seydel stops offering them, I guess I'll 
> have to make my own or switch to chromatic.
>
> I play mostly OTM, bluegrass, gospel and country, with a smattering of 
> pop and jazz thrown in just to keep me struggling. I'm N-O-T a "blues"
> player, although I have been catergorized as a "blues" player simply 
> because I play diatonics (sometimes even by members of harmonica clubs 
> who should know better). The diatonic is NOT just for and limited to 
> playing "blues." One of the nicest compliments I have gotten from 
> "bluegrassers" is that I do NOT sound like any other harp player they 
> have ever heard! (They must not have much experience with harp players 
> who can play melody AND harmony on a diatonic.)
>
> Anyhoo, that's MY reasons for switching. I get "more bang for the 
> buck" with Circular Tuning than with standard Richter Tuning. Others 
> most probably don't want to get back on the bottom of the learning 
> curve or the purchasing curve.
>
> YMMV,
> Crazy Bob
>
>
>
>> Date: Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:32:17 -0500
>> From: "Daniel Perrone" <dany_perrone@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>> Subject: [Harp-L] Richter oh Richter, why oh why?
>> To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
>>
>> Despite the title let me say that I love the traditional Richter 
>> tuning, it's just that with all the recent discussion about alternate 
>> tunings like the country tuning by long time professionals has me 
>> wondering, once again as to why the traditional Richter tuning, or 
>> very slight variations of it (country, paddy Richter) is the tuning 
>> most used by pros outside of blues.
>>
>> I've been playing harp for a couple years and by now I have a decent 
>> understanding as to why the traditional Richter tuning is the best 
>> for blues, period. I love "bluesifying your melody" and the standard 
>> tuning serves me well when I want to do that. But so many times I 
>> find myself going for the paddy or the country or melody maker tuning 
>> when playing certain melodies. So I keep having this nagging question 
>> in my head as to why most pros stick with Richter when playing 
>> classical music , jazz, pop etc etc.
>> There is got to be a musical reason. You see, I have heavily invested 
>> in Richter harps and it will make me very happy to know that, LOL.
>>
>> Is it merely tradition ? It's hard to change now?
>> Is it because most manufactures only produce the standard tuning ?
>> Is it the ability to play octaves ? ( not possible with circular 
>> tuning for example) Has something to do with better tongue blocking ?
>> Is it the extended range you get ( a few more notes than with major 
>> cross or circular for example)?
>> Is it the ability to overblow easier ?
>>
>> Anyways, please enlighten me. No sarcasm or off the wall answer 
>> please. I am really trying to grow musically in my journey with the 
>> harmonica.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Daniel
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>  		 	   		
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