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Date: Mon, 15 May 95 15:26:58 GMT
From: steve collins
Subject: Re: 'Blow Brother Blow' CD

> > >On a different tack can I ask about tongue blocking. Would it make sense to avoid trying to play a track that obviously involves this technique or is it possible to sort of play round it? Does that even make sense ;)?
> >
> > Play round it? You wound me! Play it, Steve, play it!

I don't want to give the impression that I'm after the easiest/quickest way to become proficient ;) I suppose what I'm trying to do is make best use of my practice time. From my short (about 6 months) time with the harmonica I assumed 'tongue blocking' was a very advanced technique. Therefore I thought perhaps it was best not to confuse the issue and try to take on too much at
once.

Also I don't yet possess a full compliment of harps (A,C,D and G so far). I find it MUCH harder to try and copy licks or passages from any given track with a harp in a different key to the one being played.

Everything I refer to applies to my experience of playing cross harp. When it comes to straight harp I find things a lot more straightforward. I've managed to work out quite a few melodies, folk songs etc, relatively painlessly.

I suppose when you can't always bend each note it's difficult to match the note being played even if you have got the right harp. Therefore if you know initially that you have a harp im th same key as the one you're listening to you know you not trying to acheive the impossible ;)

Sorry if this all sounds gobbledook _I_ know what I'm trying to say!

> Ear development is critical for harmonica players. Unlike guitarists, bassists, keyboardists, etc., who can view the hands of their peers, we can't watch what is doing inside his mouth (nor am I convinced we would want to), so a well trained ear is what we depend on for copying or stealing licks. (Copy= duplicate the record; Steal= use licks from one tune while playing a different one.)

I've never heard it explained quite like that before. It makes a lot of sense. I will not look upon it as wasted time EVER again ;)

> Chromatic has a sort of "dissonant" chordal sound all its own, and is most frequently used for blues in third position (D on a C harp - or viewing it

I can sometimes pick out a chromatic, I try to compare what I'm listening to to what I remember Larry Adler sounds like! I've often been caught out though... Junior Wells springs to mind :)

> I hope this helps - and most of all, that it provides encouragement to explore and experiment with the harmonica.

I would like to think that one day I will be proficient and confident enough to sit in with some sort of jam session, or informal get together. It was Jon Gindicks book, 'Country and Blues Harmonica for the Musically Hopeless', that got me started in all this. It gives the impression that cross harp is generally the preferred style when it comes to accompanying other musicians, and that straight harp is a more 'up front, take the lead' type style. Has anyone any views on this?