Re: Subject: [Harp-L] Advice on learning to play chromatic

[Grant Walters <grant@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

As a person who has played chromatic...( just a bit) for many years...
and I am still not real good as I almost always play Diatonic...
There are limits to just learning on your own....( although I do read music and it helps)
It is my observation that those who learn the chromatic along side 
learning another  primarily chromatic instrument...seem to really learn much faster and better.
The only guys I know who read music with the Chromatic...fluently, 
learned to read while learning another instrument first and then moved that knowledge over the the harp.
Sax and Piano guys...seem to really catch on quickly....

I mention this not to sound like a know it all...or to disagree with 
either comment here...but rather....to see if most other accomplished Chromatic players
often start with or learn along side another instrument...( not nec. diatonic harmonica).
As I do not consider myself accomplished on the Chrom...I defer to those who are...
what do you think?....(or is it  a function of the fact that  in yesteryears...Flute lessons were easier to come by )


Grant Walters




On Jan 19, 2012, at 11:14 PM, EGS1217@xxxxxxx wrote:

> 
> I don't wish to have any argument with a pro like George who plays  
> multi-types of harmonicas far better than I could ever do, but a chromatic  
> certainly was a self-taught instrument for me.
> 
> In fact nearly everyone I meet up with in real life who plays a chromatic  
> and at Harmonica Conventions such as SPAH and the Garden State Harmonica  
> Festival admits to beginning on the instrument when young and noodling with it 
> on their own. In my case I was probably around 7 years old after beginning 
> on a  tremolo at age 4. There were no teachers - I had no musical 
> background. I played  by ear because there simply was no other way for me to do it. 
> Still do, in fact.  Some of the best players I know are self-taught and play 
> by ear. It really does  depend on what type of music you want to focus on. 
> For classical, I think  there's no question you'd want and require a good 
> teacher. I don't play  classical.
> 
> Since I gave up playing harmonica for a very long time coming back to it  
> only a few short years ago, I'm hardly an expert and will be perfectly  
> comfortable remaining an amateur. For someone wishing to go further with the  
> instrument a teacher IS highly recommended but no one should be scared off a  
> chromatic thinking it's impossible to play unless and until a teacher is  
> available since there is a ton of teaching info out there too: YouTube videos,  
> Mel Bay books and Hal Leonard play along CD/books (for example). I wish I'd 
> had  even a fraction of this information when I first began playing. Imho 
> there's no  such thing as too much information about something you wish to 
> learn.
> 
> If you already play a diatonic (you haven't said..I wasn't sure if you were 
> including a diatonic in your 'playing no instruments'), you might find it 
> fairly  easy to transpose your ability to a chromatic.
> 
> There are people who teach via skype or over the telephone; many times  
> local musicians in one's area who would be only too happy to give lessons -  
> perhaps an ad in a local paper or library might find them? But to be frank, 
> I'd  suggest you look into Slidemeister.org/forums since it's the chromatic 
> website  sister site of Harp-l set up purely for chromatic players (at least 
> that's how I  think of it). I belong to both.
> 
> Much advice is available there, quite a few of the same people post on both 
> lists (but not enough): discussions pro and con re every style and type of 
> chromatic abound and you just might find a willing teacher in your own 
> town. 
> 
> Much luck
> 
> Elizabeth
> 
> "Message: 3
> Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2012 01:57:42 +0000
> From: dan  <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [Harp-L] Advice on learning to play  chromatic
> To: _harp-l@xxxxxxxxxxx (mailto:harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx) 
> 
> Hi, I'd like to learn to play a chromatic harmonica, I can't play  any
> instruments or read music, can anyone give me some advice on the  best
> way to learn how to  play?
> 
> Thanks,
> Dan
> 
> 
>