[Harp-L] Harmo Torpedo

[Leonard Schwartzberg]

Thanks!!

-----Original Message-----
From: Jerry Deall [mailto:jdeall at xxxxx] 
Sent: Monday, August 21, 2017 10:33 AM
To: harp-l at xxxxx; flyingv8 at xxxxx; dh at xxxxx; Leonard1 at xxxxx
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Harmo Torpedo

There are also many FREE apps for your Android phone or Tablet "Functional Ear Trainer" and "Perfect Ear" being 2 of them.   Perfect Ear also has rhythm and theory lessons as well.   

I've even used a guitar tuner app to watch for the tonic or 1 chord. 


Jerry Deall
SPAH Secretary 

-----Original Message-----

From: Leonard1 at xxxxx
To: dh at xxxxx,flyingv8 at xxxxx,harp-l at xxxxx
Cc: 
Sent: 2017-08-21 9:12:14 AM
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Harmo Torpedo

Dee:   Thanks for your reply.   Although you've not directly addressed my questions, you've surely brought out some good thoughts.   Do I expect to be another Jason Ricci?   Not a chance......... hes' played (apparently) a long time.    I'm 65 and try to play 1/2 hour or more daily.   My goal is:   to play for my own entertainment, relaxation, mind exercise, and to provide myself with lung exercise.   That said, I do know how to read music, read timing, use the circle of fifths, and can readily dictate the 12 keys.   I can't play Mary had..... only due to lack of practice, not lack of understanding.    I enjoy to BEND, and trying hard to BEND as I tongue block, which is difficult for me.    I can pucker the bends, but trying to play them TB, I just think is probably a better way to go.   I read lots of material on harp, and watch lots of videos.    Seems like the more I watch, the more questions I have (which is probably a good sign of learning).   So far, I've not done any OBlowing, ODrawing, OBending and just trying to clarify what they are and what they will add to my playing and what the differences are between all these terminologies.    One  of the "enjoyments" I get as I ride in my car (playing my Harp.... I only play during local rides going 25-30mph) is to pick a radio station (I enjoy blues music) and try to play along with the song.   BIG TIME QUESTION:   very difficult for me to pick the correct HARP to match the song (I mostly like to play 2nd position).    How do I do that?    Is there an app to help?   Anyways Dee, thanks again for your thoughts and advice.   I want to continue to play, play, play my harps.   Leonard

-----Original Message-----
From: Harp-L [mailto:harp-l-bounces at xxxxx] On Behalf Of flyingv8 at xxxxx
Sent: Monday, August 21, 2017 9:31 AM
To: harp-l at xxxxx; Leonard Schwartzberg <Leonard1 at xxxxx>; dh at xxxxx
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Harmo Torpedo

Hi Leonard. Whenever I see questions like yours my first thoughts are that you need to relax and get a good understanding of why you want to play the harmonica and what your goals are. I have a customer who is 85 years old who sends me harps to repair. He doesn't bend any notes! Never! None at all! He loves playing diatonic harmonica and plays old folks homes 20 to 25 days a month. My question for you would be what are you trying to accomplish? If you are aiming at being a harmonica superstar on the level of Jason Ricci you better be prepared to put many, many, many, hours into practicing. I am thinking 8 to 10 hours a day for years. So many people want to move so fast in their learning but they skip the basics. A knowledge of music theory is necessary as well. Do you know the cycle of fifths? Do you know the sharps and flats in all 12 keys. Do you know chord construction? Then there is timing, quarter notes, eighth notes, sixteenth and thirty second notes. Do you understand 4/4 time? 3/4 time? Can you play Mary Had a Little Lamb in 3 different positions on one harp? Do you know where all the octaves are? There is way too much emphasis put on overblowing, overdrawing, and speed playing these days and not enough on style. Are you playing to impress others or to make music? Playing the harmonica or any instrument should be fun. The better you get at it the more fun it is. Overblows and overdraws have been explained on this forum before but your best bet is to schedule a lesson with a player who can show you the idea. You could also take up the chromatic if you really need the missing notes. It all depends on what your goals are. What are you trying to do?
Dee
Dee's Finely Tuned Instruments
Erie,PA.
www.deesfti.com
---- Leonard Schwartzberg <Leonard1 at xxxxx> wrote:
> Hi;   Thanks for your essay on the Harmo Torpedo.   Just about when I'm
> finally starting to play a "song" (in other words, the folks no longer give
> me dollar bills to STOP playing), I'm MORE CONFUSED than ever.   I'm
> somewhat of a lower/middle intermediate harp player and trying to do 
> ALL my bends (on my Seydel Session Steels) through Tongue Blocking, which I'm
> starting to do ok.   I'm not familiar (yet) with over (???).   What is (and
> what is difference) overblowing, overbending, overdraw, overdrawing?   Do I
> need your Torpedo Harp for this?   Can I use my Session Steels?   Do they
> need to be specially tuned?   What notes will I hit (that I'm not hitting
> now) with these other techniques?   Seems like Jason Ricci uses some of
> these unusual techniques.   Why is he using them?   How does he know when to
> OB, OD, OBend, OBlow, Regular Draw, Regular Blow, Draw Bend (1/2, whole, 1
> 1/2)?    Thanks, Leonard


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