Re: [Harp-L] Making connections

[Will Vogtman <will_vogtman@xxxxxxxxx>]

A thought,
 
Get out some recordings of instruments other than harp, and music other than blues (Miles Davis' Kinda Blue or Kind of Blue (not sure) is a good choice.  Lots of modal stuff there that fits harp.)  Play along with those recordings--maybe not note for note, but try to capture the feel.  Then, after a day or two (up to a week or two if you're having fun) go back to the blues and the harp.   
 
I've done this a few times with some success.  Hope this helps.
 
Will 

Mark Wilson <markwilson53@xxxxxxx> wrote:
I've had a few experiences where I've looked at and adopted something fairly
basic and simple, that has completely revolutionized my harmonica playing.
I guess you'd call those experiences quantum leaps. This seems really basic
now, but it took me more than 6 months to figure out that playing the root
notes that fit with the I V IV chords sounds really good, all the time,
even if you can't do much of anything else. Of course, I'd come across this
info numerous times early on, but for some reason it took 6 months for it
to stick. Another biggie was the play softly with resonance, achieve big
tone, don't blow too hard, feel the music in your head thing that took me
almost 3 years to get, (even though I'd heard it a million times). It's a
miracle, but now I can make a Special 20 last for more than 6 months. In
the past I'd blow one out in a weekend.

Here's what's getting me now. I spent about an hour recording myself
tonight playing 3rd position over a major I IV V. With annoying regularity,
I went up the the 8 draw on the one chord and worked myself down to the 1
draw. When I went back and listened the recordings, I thought to myself, if
I've played that lick once, I've played it five hundred and eighty seven
billion, gazillion times! OUCH!


This is my biggest problem right now. If you can't tell already, I'm in
major slump mode, and have been there for almost 2 months. I'm looking for
something to snap me out of it.

Any suggestions?

Thanks
Mark


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