[Harp-L] Evening Harp Thoughts

[Leonard Schwartzberg]

Harpers:   As you might know, I'm somewhat of a lower intermediate,
intermediate... type player, enjoy the BLUES totally, and enjoy listening to
David Barrett, Madcat, Jake Knows H.., reading Winslow's Blues for Dummies
(yes, I took your advice and bought the book).   

 

Couple of things re:  Cupping/Volume/Dynamics & Throat Vibrato.   I've been
watching lots of videos and as a rule of thumb I've been closing the cup,
closing the sound, on the blow notes, and opening and screaming at the make
believe audience on the draw bluesy bent notes.    It's really been making
me much more aware of dynamics and sometimes I honestly feel I get extra
free notes because of the difference from cupped and uncapped and loud and
soft and fluttered and, you get the idea.   Oh well, I guess each of the
holes on my Session Steel diatonics almost play 8, 9, 10 or many more
different notes or sounds.. Not just the draws and blows and bends.    Can
the Midi, therefore, produce 50 or 100 notes on each hole?   Is that too
many?   Listen to some of the real blues greats!!!!   They are great!!!!
They make that tiny tin sandwich truly sing.    Bet the Midi can't do that..
and it costs a grand.

 

On throat vibrato, which I seem to be lousy at, I've been chewing the
mouthpiece and therefore producing a good vibrato.   I want to get the
vibrato from my throat on the draws, the blows are easy as they sound like
the rat tat tat of a machine gun.   I can't seem to get good throat vibrato,
perhaps someone can give me the secret.   I try and try at least for a short
time each day to work on it, but I'm convinced there's a secret and I'm just
not getting it.

 

Thanks guys/gals, Leonard

 

 



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