Quote:
Originally Posted by black hawk
I need some beginners guide to buy one. Can't understand a lot from net because I don't know much about keys and musical notes (I thought one would understand those things when one starts to play one).
|
I know just a little bit about it.
Learning to play a harp was basically a self taught thing in my day, it's that easy.
Playing by ear with lot's of trial and error was the usual way.
So I think it would have been a curious thing indeed to see an accredited harmonica teacher in the neighborhood.
So don't fall for some online sites that propose to teach you. You don't really need them and some are a bit of a trap really.
For a beginner you'd generally start with a basic single row Blues Harp, usually in C and then get hold of a few audio recordings and harmonica tabs to learn the various base notes of the tunes you'd like to play.
With harmonica tabs (look them up) also look up
Richter-tuned harmonica it's easier learning than from a sheet of music or paying for music lessons and you can teach yourself in your spare time anywhere.
You just wing it really, the idea is to mimic at first, then develop a style of your own.
I reckon the harp is such an individual instrument that your own style will definitely arise and very quickly, so go with it.
Your own breathing patterns and capacity to carry the notes, your own sense of timing, pause for effect, etc will dictate your style.
I can tell you
not to try to sound exactly like a recording, the main thing is to feel it and the harp will reproduce that very uniquely for you.
No shiatsu...
PS
Don't forget to break-in your new harp and...
Never play a dry harmonica. (Make that avoid playing a dry harp, you can find out what it all means when you buy the instrument.)