Where to begin
8 Jun 2009
I've recently began playing harmonica. I had a couple sessions with an instructor which was enlightening but too expensive to continue. He said I was good enough to sit in on some jam sessions around town and that it would help me improve more quickly than playing on my own. Problem is, I don't understand music very well and can hear that I am terribly "off" at times. I'm afraid of anoying everyone. Is it best to jump in to a jam session and figure it out as you go or should I learn what I can at home and only join when I can contribute comfortably to a group. I seem to be getting no where trying to learn on my own and I don't know anyone else who plays harp so I have no one to learn from. Feelin a bit lost and don't know where to begin.
Christi,
Your teacher's advice was sound - find a few local jams and start attending them. I recommend sitting back to watch and listen at first to get a feel for the style of music at that jam. Each one has a different feel socially and musically.
Find one you like. Then start to play off to the side, which may be hard with a harmonica. Hear the music and fit something into it. You don't need to understand music as much as you need to feel where it is going. That may sound really challenging, but it will work.
As you feel comfort playing, join in. Take a break. I suspect that somebody will wave you in and get you playing quickly enough.
When somebody offers you a break, take it. That's how you'll learn. You'll crash and burn at times. It's better to take the solo/break and crash than not take it at all. After a while people stop asking if you say no too often.
Scott
I would say go to a few jams and find one you are comfortable with. Most folk and acoustic music types are warm and welcoming, not scary at all. Just tell them you are new and just want to sit in the corner and blow softly. The fact that you can hear when you are "off" means you can hear when you are "on" as well. One of your main survival tools will be simply volume control. Don't play too loud until it is your turn and then only when you feel that you are sounding decent.
I've played a bit of harp in a few bands. I assume you are playing a standard diatonic harmonica, with 10 numbered holes. I can tell you a little about that. If you are playing a C harp, any note or combination of notes you blow will fit in with a C chord, any of them! That's because the only blow notes will be c,e and g, the notes of a basic c chord. You teacher may have covered this, but just in case he didn't, I know that little piece of information gave me a great deal of confidence when I started.
Likewise any note or note combo that you draw will fit in with g chord, any and all of them. The draw notes are g,b,d and f which are the notes of a G 7th chord. C and G7th are the 1 and five chords of standard 1,4,5 chord progression in the key of C. (I'm not talking about bent notes, just straight blow and draw notes.) There you go, you're off and running with 2 chords! It's that 3rd chord where the creativity comes in. In general what I do if I hit an "off" note is I just keep going till I find one that "fits" and then just stay there.
A blues player would flip this progression around, if you will, and play a C harp in the key of G. (This is called cross harp.) The progression would be G, C and D and she would mostly draw on the 1 chord,g, and blow on the 4 chord, which is c.
So I'd say go to your local jam or festival, find the 3 chord people, and hang with them! Ask what key they are in, and make sure you have enough harps to cover the most popular keys. C,G,D,A, would be a great start.
You can read up and study about cross harp and harmonic in general on the net, there are lots of good resources out there. Do a search for harmonica tabs, you'll find a lot of stuff.
Also check your local library for harmonica instruction, and good luck!
Richie
Christi,
I agree with both Scott's and Richie's suggestions. I would add a few. Don't be afraid to ask what key the song is in so that you have the right harp. If you are playing straight harp (which is probably what you are learning first), the key of the song and the key of the harp is the same.
When you practice at home, do the exercises or tunes from you book as well as play along with CDs. Figuring out the key may be difficult on a CD, but as you find a harp that sounds good on a particular song, write that down so you know the next time.
By all means go to jams. Many times they are your best teacher. You learn the tunes, notice how really good lead players weave in and out of a song. Besides, musicians are famously generous at jams and will give you tips on playing.
At a jam, play softly until your learn to play out and don't play all of the time (even after you gain proficiency). I play multiple instruments including some high-pitched, lead instruments -- flute, fiddle and harmonica. These instruments can cut through and can be distracting if played all of the time. A guitar break is typically soft and it is a good idea to stop playing those high pitched sustained instruments during such a break.
Practice not only playing through a phrase, but also at being silent while a singer, for example, is singing a line. Then put in a few notes at the end of a line, dropping out again when the singer starts a new line. Playing all of the time, even quietly can be distracting.
If you want more suggestions, check out www.playwellwithothers.com and the book, "Play Well With Others, A Musician's Guide to Jamming Like a Pro." Mike Walker and I (Martha Haehl) put this book together to help musicians learn jam etiquette, understand how rules change by genre of music and some basic music theory to enhance your jamming skills.
Martha
Martha.Haehl@mcckc.edu