[Harp-L] Helpful Info for New & Intermediate Players

[jon kip]

> 
> On Jul 12, 2016, at 10:47 AM, harp-l-request at xxxxx wrote:
> 
> From: Greg Jones <greg at xxxxx>
> To: Harp-L <harp-l at xxxxx>
> Subject: [Harp-L] Helpful Info for New & Intermediate Players
> 
> 
> Here's a link to an article I have put on my web site for the newer players.
> 
> http://www.1623customharmonicas.com/#!Helpful-Information-for-the-New-and-Intermediate-Player/ccxy/578259fa0cf2289b33b8dcab

This is a very good article to read...

Recently, there've been a few folks (1)  putting up sites for chromatic harmonica who seem to be doing a potential disservice to people trying to learn the instrument, as it's fairly obvious that they are clueless, depending upon the kindness of others to keep them from seeming clueless , and mostly failing. (And no, you don't know who you are, because that's how it works, if you knew, you'd not do it.)

While there are great masses of Good, Bad, and , I guess , Ugly,  Information out there about the Instrument, new players really can't tell what to believe, what path to follow. 

Greg's article is a good start....I also have an older article by him on my site....it's probably worth looking at. I think it's in the Articles section, or perhaps the Online Forum section. 

There's no reason that one can't study chromatic harmonica the way people study More Expensive Instruments....oh, yeah, it's hard to find a qualified teacher, there is that.  And, how does a new player have the discernment to pick a qualified teacher?

It's difficult. For learning  Jazz on the instrument, one idea that I think has potential, is to study the instrument with a qualified player-teacher, and then study jazz with someone who does not play chromatic harmonica. That way, the student (as all of us are) is not held back by any perceived "limits" to the instrument, based on what issues the teacher has on his/her own playing.

Then, after a bit, you find your own limits, and then, you get past them. 

You don't want to accept your teacher's limits as your own....unless, of course, your teacher is Toots, or Tommy Morgan, or someone of that caliber. I expect that, even at that level of mastery, limits are different from person to person. 

This is not to say that there aren't good player-teachers teaching both jazz and the instrument, but, as my high school band teacher used to say: "They're far and few between"....

He was a trombone player, so we let it go.

jon kip
jon at xxxxx