RE: [Harp-L] hold diatonic right or left hand???

[Buck Worley <boogalloo@xxxxxxx>]

Hello Michael,I have no gig tonight and have time, so, here it goes. And thanks for askin'.For country and b-grass I play the fast "ping pong" C McCoy type stuff holding the harmonica in my right, low notes to the left, SM58 type mic with little cupping. My old friend "The Senator" Gene Winglowe who could burn up McCoy licks like no one else I know (except for B Greene). He did the same except harp upside down and with the left hand. We used to sit around and do McCoy's arrangements in harmony. For blues and rock through a bullet type mic shell, I grip the harp between my left thumb and index with the right end of the harp against the inside of my right hand at the knuckle joint of my right index finger and form a tight cup and seal against my face OR loose seal depending on the type of lick and tone or effect I am going for i.e., Jr. Wells electric/acoustic sound = looser cup. Then there is the broad subject of acoustic blues techniques and how one holds the harp and places fingers on the front side of areas of the harp a la Sonny Boy Williamson. If I were using a shaker or salt shaker type shell I would probably do what Madcat does. I have a WWII military "salt shaker" mic that has killer tone but I do not like the way it fits my hand.
Chromatic, well, a whole other thing and again it depends on what the venue is.
My general take on this subject is that we all learn things in different ways and I do not think that there is a right or wrong way to hold a harp. If one can deliver the correct, quality goods, JIT, with a red wagon or an 18 wheeler, who cares? The end justifies the means. Is it "real world" to actually believe that we all should be in agreement? Of course not. I have never been nominated for a Grammy but I can play pretty good and I am proud of the fact that I am self taught. Never paid anyone for a harp lesson in my life. I learned by stealing licks as I evolved, trial and error and I am of course still learning and stealing licks from the great players like MadCat, B Green, Sam Myers et. al.  
Now, I would usually charge $60 hour one on one for helping a student discover his/her talents and I only take on a student if I believe that he/she has potential. I have a student that I started teaching when he was 7 years old and that kid picked up basic 2nd position like he had done it in a past life or something. I just do not have the time and time is money. So, how do you manage to find the time to do all those youtube elaborations? And I must say, you certainly have a wealth of knowledge.
Regards,Buck Worleyhttp://pancaketurnerblues.com/BIOS.html



> Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2012 07:01:36 -0500
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] hold diatonic right or left hand???
> From: michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx
> To: boogalloo@xxxxxxx
> CC: madcat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; jrumbaug@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> 
> Buck,
> Care to give your version?
> Michael
> 
> On Wed, Mar 14, 2012 at 11:37 PM, Buck Worley <boogalloo@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> > sorry. i disagree. you have oversimplified itBW
> >
> >> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] hold diatonic right or left hand???
> >> From: madcat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >> Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2012 21:55:31 -0400
> >> To: jrumbaug@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >> CC: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> >>
> >> If you are playing the harp with the low notes on the left and high notes on the right I HIGHLY recommend holding the harp in your left hand and using the right hand for cupping.
> >>
> >> If you want to play the harp with the low notes on the right and the high notes on the left (upside down), then hold the harp in your right hand and cup with your left.
> >>
> >> Cupping the low end sounds better than cupping the high end.
> >>
> >> Peter Madcat Ruth
> >> Musician - Grammy Award Winner
> >> madcat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >> www.madcatmusic.net
> >> www.youtube.com/user/petermadcatruth
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On Mar 14, 2012, at 8:42 PM, Jim Rumbaugh wrote:
> >>
> >> > simple answer
> >> >
> >> > use your left
> >> >
> >> > more complex answer
> >> > (FOR DIATONIC)
> >> > If you wanna play blues, or do some chugging sounds, the majority of your notes are in the low end of the harp, holes 1 through 6. It's easier to put your hands around those holes if your left hand holds the harp.
> >> >
> >> > Jim Rumbaugh
> >>
> >> >> Hello Folks,
> >> >>
> >> >> It doesn't get more basic than this. Before I read any book, viewed any
> >> >> free lessons, I picked up my diatonic to try it out. I, more or less
> >> >> naturally for me, put it in my right hand and cupped with left.
> >> >>
> >> >> So  does the left/right hand matter? and why?
> >> >>
> >> >> Al
> >