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At TapTheForwardAssist's request, I'm popping in here to give a good beginning primer for the harmonica; an instrument that can be learned (on a basic level) in a day, but can take a lifetime to master. The Diverse and Wonderful World of Harmonicas  The harmonica, while most commonly associated with blues music, was originally invented in Germany for playing polkas. Harmonicas are typically based on a diatonic scale. When you randomly blow into a group of adjacent holes, you get a properly harmonizing chord. This helps make the harp a very simple and intuitive instrument to learn the basics of. It isn't difficult to learn basic melodies. Unfortunately, the diatonic scale also introduces a sordid little wrinkle to the harmonica. In order to play in more than (at the most) 3 keys (more on this later), you need to purchase multiple instruments as a single harp is tied to a single key, usually stamped in the metal of the harmonica's cover plate or printed somewhere on the harp's comb. A C harp (which is what most people start with, is made for playing melodies in the key of C. This same-with-same key matching, melody-playing harmonica technique is called straight harp. When you play the melody of "O Suzanna" (as is traditionally the first tune one learns on the harmonica) you're playing in "straight harp." More commonly used, however, is cross harp. In cross harp, the aforementioned C harp would be used to play a song in the key of G by accentuating different wailing and resolution notes than you would in straight harp. Here's a YouTube video that properly illustrates the difference in sound between cross harp and straight harp. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwIyY-NI2Dw Here's a chart for the straight/cross harp transpositions.  A harmonica can be used in a third position for playing with certain minor key chord progressions. This position is called "Slant harp" but that's a fairly advanced and I'll wait and do a post devoted specifically to it because it's a fairly strange technique and not commonly used. Note Bending: One topic that frequently pops up in the harmonica threads in Musician's Lounge is the subject of "note bending." It's difficult for some people to grok at first, so I'm going to do my best to explain (roughly) how it's done. Without a harp between your lips, pucker like you're blowing into a harmonica. While doing this, blow and while you're at it move the back of your tongue (as well as regulate the airflow from your lungs) as if you're making the sound "eeeeeeeehhhhoooooooohhhheeeeeeeeehhhhhooooooo." Feel the way the air direction is changing around the back of your throat. Now, try doing that while inhaling as well, and then try it while inhaling on the 4th hole of the harp. Once you get it, you'll wonder why it took you so long to figure it out. I'm going to do more posts here on the subject of the harmonica, but I'm nearly out of time on the library computer (my home machine went tits up last week). If anybody has any specific questions, feel free to ask. I've been blowing harp for 15 years (since I was 13 years old), and have built up a respectable degree of knowledge on the subject. AstroZamboni fucked around with this message at 20:03 on Jun 23, 2011 |
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Jun 23, 2011 20:00
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| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 21:35 |
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