tips on where to start? i don't play any other instruments, i just want to learn this for my pleasure, i love blues music. sheesh dan...didn't mean to wear you out with my redundant question, but thanks anyhow... Same old answer, different day:
http://www.harptabs.com/
http://www.angelfire.com/tx/myquill/Harm...
http://coast2coastmusic.com/general/lear...
http://www.volcano.net/~jackmearl/
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Harmonica
OK, in order of value, go to harptabs and fish around. Plenty of links to information to be found. Then work your way down the list.
If you get a big harmonica with a button, the HarpOn website will get you going. http://www.angelfire.com/music/HarpOn/in...
If you want to pay an expert to answer your specific questions, go to http://www.harmonicalessons.com
It is owned by Dave Gage. He's only going to charge you about $35 a year.
Dave鈥檚 forums are the best in the industry.
If you want to search a database of experts in discussion, go to
http://harp-l.com/mailman/listinfo/harp-...
You can also look at some of the other answers I have given on my profile.
If you like something on film search keywords 鈥済ussow鈥?and 鈥渉armonica鈥?on www.youtube.com
http://members.cox.net/dmurray777/harpVi...
http://youtube.com/user/harmonicamasterc...
Some rational places to purchase a harmonica:
http://www.coast2coastmusic.com/
Coast2Coast customers rate the harmonicas exactly like amazon.com rates it鈥檚 books.
http://www.harpdepot.com/default.cfm
http://www.harphouse.com/shop/
http://www.1847.com
You won鈥檛 be allowed to blow into a harmonica at a music store, and the warranty work is done mail order. So you might as well buy one on the internet. Most experts recommend a Lee Oskar major tuned harmonica in C, or a Hohner Special 20 in C for a beginner. You can branch out from there after you get going. If you want to learn harp, the first thing is to learn to 'cross harp' - that means using a harp that is four scale steps higher than the key you are signing in.
For instance - blues in the key of E - you want a harp in the key of A
The reason is because drawing in breath will create a I9 chord (without the root) and blowing will create a IV chord. That way you cover a good portioon of your chords, have the presence of the b7 and can get all sorts of 'blue' notes.
THen LISTEN to a whole huge pile of harp players and try to copy their licks and sounds!
Good luck :) For the blues, start out with 2 different keys of harmonica. Get one in the key of A and one in the key of C. (Those would play in the keys of E and G in the blues style, but that's all for another day). Spend $17-$25 each to ensure that it's a decent harp. Then, start playing along with what you can. If the song isn't in the same key as your harps, you're gonna sound like crap regardless. If the song is in the right key, you'll impress yourself right off the bat. Ignore the holes above 6 completely for a year. Use the internet for beginner's lessons. Most importantly, keep one on you or in the car at all times. You can get a lot of practice sitting in traffic. You're lucky, when I started playing there weren't many resources for learning to play harp. Now there are lots.
Tom Ball, Tony "Little Son" Glover, Charlie Musselwhite are a few of the harp players who have instruction books/dvds/cds available. Also check out Jon Gindick - his stuff is user friendly.
I would suggest you get a basic instruction book and learn STRAIGHT harp (1st position) first. This will be essential to learning other positions later. Once you pick up the rudiments, you can start on cross harp, fourth position, fifth position, etc.
Get Hohner Special 20s, or Blues Harps. They have looser reeds than Marine Bands, which will make it easier for a beginner to bend notes (especially blow notes)
GOOD LUCK :) I would get yourself a Hohner Marine Band, great all around harp for the blues and reasonably priced. These days, you can get lessons for free on YouTube. Check out KudzuRunner on YouTube, he is the harp player for the blues band "Satan and Adam" His lessons are a little winded but its a GREAT resource for a beginner or an experienced player alike.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqFzNzLPO...
Thats a link to his first lesson on playing blues in first position. Though most of the time you will usually be playing cross harp, first position is important to know if you want to excel and be able to play with a band.
The harp is somewhat simple to learn, but takes years and years to master. Its great fun, even if you can only play a few short riffs. There are hundreds upon hundreds of free lessons on youtube by professionals. most music stores have starter kits with a vid or cd expalining it, check it out That's really good ! You can express yourself to the world, in your own way.
But. But. It is tough and may take some time till you get around to playing something you can recognise. But sure...you can do it.
I suggest you start off with a small and cheap instrument...such as Hohner's 'Silver Star'. This is a diatonic harmonica in it's simplest form. Never, ever, buy cheap Chinese stuff. You'll regret it. So start out with something reasonably good, like what I have mentioned above.
Firstly, get your breath together, 'cause you'll need all you've got. Playing a Harmonica means basically you must learn to control your breath. And you have to learn to blow from the pit of your tummy. That's where the whole control centre is. For the first few days just blow into the instrument and get the feel of the notes you blow, and learn to recognise them by ear. Then start the breath drawing exercise. Mind you, this will take time and you will need to exercise patience to be able to blow and draw correctly, without any wavering. The blowing and drawing should be rock steady. Once you are able to blow and draw, then on, starts the real playing.
Listen to simple songs and try to place the notes on your instrument (well, easier said than done). Get hold of a good book (Idiots guide by William Melton and Randy Weinstein) and watch yourself progress into a good player.
All the Best !! easy.. www.harptabs.com |
