Posted by Aaron Lowe (170.253.172.1) on July 28, 2000 at 19:34:53:
In Reply to: Re: Do I need to go to classes? posted by Tuten on July 27, 2000 at 08:00:02:
Not sure if I agree with what Tuten has to say here. First of all, I taught myself how to play the harmonica. I did that with information from books which is basically the same info found at this site. After playing for about 3 years or so, I hired a professional teacher to evaluate my playing and give me tips on how to improve certain things. I was immediately humbled, learned that I wasn't near as good as I thought I was. But having somebody critique me has made me a MUCH better player. And, my teacher taught me plenty of stuff that I hadn't thought about. The way I look at it, everything you need to know about playing the harmonica can be found at this site. But, if you are able to supplement this information with lessons once or twice a month, you will dramatically speed up the learning curve (and you will not get into bad habits. Those are the hardest to undo).
Tuten Says:
: Anytime I hear this question I tend to get hot under the collar. A lot of new players always think they need someone to teach them a boxful of secrets about harp playing and are willing to shell out a lot o' dough to get someone to teach them to use their own mouths. Traditionally harp
: playing has never been something teachable- Noone can show you how to play the harp the way you will wind up playing it.
Not true. A good teacher can teach you how to do and play anything on the harmonica you want to. Sure, the teacher can't go into your mouth and watch what your tongue and mouth cavity are doing. But the teacher can tell you exactly how your mouth should be shaped, how to do this, etc.
Tuten says:
Remember that the harmonica is 'social' instrument, which basically means that all the styles of playing are largely
: shaped by cultural innovations on cultural themes.
: Sound complicated?
Yes. I just want to learn how to consistently hit that damned full-step bend on the 3 draw.
Tuten says:
It only means that the harp is
: a tool of expression, not necessarily an 'instrument'- In the same sense as a piano or a
: guitar. That may be my personal take on things...
I'm not sure I understand the correlation between something being a "tool of expression" and it not being an instrument. The harmonica is no more or no less a "tool of expression" than a guitar or piano is.
Tuten says:
,but
: otherwise my answer is, NO. What you need to do is gain an understanding and familiarity with the music that has made the harp what it is, and moreover, just play the darn thing. That's how I learned. I kept my harp in my pocket and when my mind got upset or bored or whatever, I just started blowin it, and after awhile I started to hear the instrument. This is something important
: to grasp about the harp's role in blues- When a bluesman plays his harp, it's not the harp you're listening to- It's the whole person expressing themselves, allowing the harp to say for them what they can't otherwise. The more you play the more you'll realise that what you hear, is you, and noone else. Even the simplest 'tunes' , like 'Mary had a little Lamb'is more than just a simple voicing of notes. It's whatever it'll be by the time you get through feeling the sounds that compose it. Take any tune you like, and play it, over and over, even if it don't sound just right, it won't matter by then because it'll be you- NOT the song. I hope I wasn't long winded about this issue, but it's just the way I feel about this thing.Anyway, yeah, everything as far as technique is here- But only you can teach you how to take all that technique and make it sound sweet.
: Later.
I agree with a lot of what Tuten says here. Very important to listen to the masters of the instrument (can I call it that?). You will eventually learn more about the instrument from CDs than you will from this site. But you need to start with techniques, and they are all here. And to supplement this info here, a teacher can get you started on the right path, showing you stuff to listen to, what you're doing wrong with certain techniques, etc. If you can afford it (most teachers charge around $20 a lesson), a good teacher can only help.
Didn't mean to ramble on this long.
Aaron