[Harp-L] RE: How we learn blues harp



Particularly among Americans from a poor rural background, there is another
tradition at work here.  I think my experience was typical.  I learned most
of my "music" from an uncle who was a semi-pro country player and cousins
who worked a country gig when they could get one.  Nobody could read a note
of music.  I was first taught to "second" on guitar, that is play rhythm,
typically to I,IV,V country change patterns.  I was taught to listen, keep
the melody in my head and "feel" for the changes.  Later lessons brought in
more chord patterns and bass runs.  Lead came later.  What piano I took was
based on stride patterns and chord theory. Basically glorified playing by
ear. (I sucked at piano btw ... too much going on).

Years later, when my hands turned arthritic and I decided to play harp, I
did more or less the same thing.  Bought a cheap harp.  Learned to do chord
changes then play a basic melody.  Listen to what you want to play, learn
where the major chord changes are, get the melody in your head, pick the
d*amned thing up and play it. Very minimal theory.  Just listen, learn,
play.

I know this is blasphemy to the formally trained musicians on the list but
that is the way players of all types of instruments learned to play in the
rural south when I was a kid and I suspect it was the same way kids learned
to play on the streets of New Orleans and Chicago as well.  Country, blues
or rock and roll.  I talked to a very talented professional guitar player a
few days ago on this very subject and found that he, like most kids of our
generation, just picked up a guitar and taught himself.  I know that in this
day and age of good books, internet instruction, etc. there is no need for
this type of blind feeling around.  But, I suspect the method will live so
long as there are poor kids with an old instrument, maybe a friend that
plays and no money/time/patience for music lessons.

Bill Kumpe
Tulsa, OK  




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