Re: [Harp-L] RE: How we learn blues harp

[Philharpn@xxxxxxx]

There is more than one way to learn music. The apprenticeship method 
described below is just one. One is not particularly better than the other. 

The apprenticeship method gets the musician familiar with her instrument. 
She learns some songs and how to play with others. Very useful information. 
Ear training is important too.

Music notation is just another form of tablature -- symbols telling what 
notes to play for the melody or chords. 

As for "formally trained musicians" -- I just from reading this list over 
the years that many of the people took piano lessons and played instruments 
in school bands during their youth.

The point is not that these so-called "formally trained musicians" are 
superior to others but that anybody can become a "formally trained musician" by 
either (1) reading a book (2) taking private lessons [not necessarily harp] 
(3) checking out the plethora of information on the Internet or (4) all of 
the above.

Someone does not need 10 years of private lessons on an instrument that 
involves reading music, a music degree from Harvard or a certificate from a 
music school or conservatory.

This information is available to everyone -- any much of it is even free.

In other words, it's never to late to learn. For those who are older (older 
than what?) a lifetime of living and a lifetime of learning all kinds of 
stuff makes it easier to make sense out of new stuff such as all this music 
theory/music reading.

Likely, it will turn out that the main new thing these people will discover 
is terminology for what they already know and how the different things they 
have been playing for years all tie into each other.

It's like the case where a player plays his favorite riff then looks at the 
same riff on a musical staff. He doesn't need to learn the riff again, just 
recognize his favorite riff from the pattern of dots on the lines and 
spaces.

Playing guitar and piano are great for breaking down and understanding 
chords. That is why the piano is part of the curriculum at music schools -- it 
offers a graphic explanation of how music works.

Hope this helps.
Phil



In a message dated 7/20/10 9:29:25 AM, bkumpe@xxxxxxx writes:


> Particularly among Americans from a poor rural background, there is 
> another
> tradition at work here.  I think my experience was typical.  I learned 
> most
> of my "music" from an uncle who was a semi-pro country player and cousins
> who worked a country gig when they could get one.  Nobody could read a 
> note
> of music.  I was first taught to "second" on guitar, that is play rhythm,
> typically to I,IV,V country change patterns.  I was taught to listen, keep
> the melody in my head and "feel" for the changes.  Later lessons brought 
> in
> more chord patterns and bass runs.  Lead came later.  What piano I took 
> was
> based on stride patterns and chord theory. Basically glorified playing by
> ear. (I sucked at piano btw ... too much going on).
> 
> Years later, when my hands turned arthritic and I decided to play harp, I
> did more or less the same thing.  Bought a cheap harp.  Learned to do 
> chord
> changes then play a basic melody.  Listen to what you want to play, learn
> where the major chord changes are, get the melody in your head, pick the
> d*amned thing up and play it. Very minimal theory.  Just listen, learn,
> play.
> 
> I know this is blasphemy to the formally trained musicians on the list but
> that is the way players of all types of instruments learned to play in the
> rural south when I was a kid and I suspect it was the same way kids 
> learned
> to play on the streets of New Orleans and Chicago as well.  Country, blues
> or rock and roll.  I talked to a very talented professional guitar player 
> a
> few days ago on this very subject and found that he, like most kids of our
> generation, just picked up a guitar and taught himself.  I know that in 
> this
> day and age of good books, internet instruction, etc. there is no need for
> this type of blind feeling around.  But, I suspect the method will live so
> long as there are poor kids with an old instrument, maybe a friend that
> plays and no money/time/patience for music lessons.
> 
> Bill Kumpe
> Tulsa, OK 
> 
> 
>