Folks, I hope I'm in the right place. If not I apologize. In some of JP"s lessons he teaches to use words, too ka, to dill, ow, etc to give some blows and draws more feeling. What other words do you use along these lines to help create more feeling when you are playing.

I hope this makes sense. I did the best I could to simplify and try to ask my question.

Thanks and have a great day.

I play mostly "lip purse" & i don't consciously say words when I play. I think the words are to help gain the correct embochure in the lower part of the harp to get the bending action. Now that I think of it I do make a waa (Baby crying) sound to "scoop bend". It kind, of bends the note and then chokes abruptly as it returns to the unbent position. I also make a gentle backward kiss to make the half step bend on the 3 hole (blue 3rd). I think the key to getting felling is to relax, trust the reed, don't try to hard, move the harp a little further back in your mouth, and hit the right note without getting "slippage" into the adjacent holes. This is just my thoughts & I hope it helps.

Thanks, Turkey_Man, it was a help and I certainly appreciate it. I'm thinking of getting another harp to play a little country with, I like ole Hank Williams songs and Ray Charles. What Key would you suggest I get, since I'm a beginner C was the first harp I got. I really like the lower tones but I have heard they may be a little more difficult to play. Any suggestions are appreciated. By the way when will you be back in Hot Springs?

have a good day.

If you are wanting to play straight harp I would buy an A. If you want to learn how to play cross harp buy a D. Many songs are written in A and cross harp for songs in A are played on a D harp. (Thx Gene). I find that the D harp is the easiest to bend. Also, the D is played on old time favorites like Drunkin' Sailor, Way Faring Stranger, Arkansas Traveler, & a lot of jigs & reels. Like I said just my opinion.

Probably won't get back to Hot Springs any time soon. Moved to NC a few years ago. I still have family in Springfield, MO. So you never know. One thing I do know, you can't find a better place to live or visit than "The Ozarks".

Thanks Turkey_man, I always appreciate your help.. Hate that you aren't closer to HSV but NC is nice also.

Lots of ways to add feeling to a note. How you do that depends on the song and the note. Ya gotta fell the note, ya gotta feel the whole song.

Here's a few things to do:

Change the volume of a note while playing it.
Add vibrato as the note trails off.
Use hand wah.
Attack a note hard.
Play a note whispery weak.

Listen to the feeling Christelle puts into her songs, and pay attention to how she's doing it. Christelle Berthon

Also, put feeling into the whole phrase. Ya gotta feel the whole song. Play what you feel. An actor does not simply read the script; He puts feeling into it. Same as singers. Same as musicians.

Thanks Gene, that makes a lot of sense and I'll certainly listen to Christelle. I'm learning and I appreciate all of your help. Have a great day.
TG

The first thing I would suggest is to look up Larry Adler on youtube and find videos of him actually playing, not just recordings; to get some idea of how hand movement can impart emotion to tone (poor phrase). For myself, I find that changing the timing by leaving a little more space between the note behind or ahead changes the feeling. Sometimes doubling a note here and there adds a bit of rhythm to the song. I try to put a bit of pulse into a note especially a long note, again to add a bit of rhythm to the song. If you're a tongue blocker than doing an octave on the note is useful. You can control how much of the octave note leaks into the note you are playing. Also it can be an octave up or down, for instance if 4 blow is the original note then adding 1 blow sounds great or instead adding 7 blow.

Walt

Thanks for the tip Walt, have a great day!

I am learning in sort of a different way than most. Owned 3 harps for about 15 years with about 10 years off until about 2 months ago. 2 days ago I learned a what I call a "True Blue" bend. What I mean is I am no longer whining my way around the 3 hole I am making individual clicks that generate 4 seperate distinct tones. I am barely able to play recognoizable tune other than 'look for the Union label'. What I have learned is some real smoothi whining up and down the 3 draw. ccording to Tricky Dick and my simplification of what he says is that it is impportant to try all avenues and not get hung on on pursing or tonguing when there are good causes for both in their right moments. I can gliss like an SOB and wail and trill tweet growl and tongue octives like a mad man and a fairly good train with a nice 4-5 drawn whistle. Tecnique - I kinda got a fun grip on quite a few things, tunes and scales... not so much.

I would add one extra step to Tricky's advice and suggest that for good deal of time practice imperfection. Fart around and be a kid with it and lose the regimental part for awhile. saying things like 'diddly doodly' and 'tidly winks' will eventually get you to actually pull off all the bends even the "True Blue" bend which is the 2nd of 4 distinct tones on the 3 draw.

Tricky dick says he had gotten stuck for many many years until recently on mostly tongue blocking and now he is forcing himself to learn not to depend on it always.

If this helps anyone, here is how I can make a lot of noises

I have a semi-purse, I call it. sorta like starting off with kissing the upper rail of the comb. The lower edge of the holes would be about as deep into my mouth as where the tip of my tongue would touch to outer most part of my lip or more like the bottom of the holes would ride along the very part of my lip where flesh looks glassy and no wrinkles pursing would be sorta putting that bit of round to cut the lower corners off a single hole and a tongue can get the top if needed. I have the genetic trait that lets me put a very tight U shape at the very tip of my tongue that makes for lots of fun. That helps with my gliss also. saying tee and tah or dee dah and toodooloo can get you your clicks where you really do not need the particular artifact of a tongued note.

Rule #1 is "keep it fun"

My harps are old and ripped up after buying new and having a ball with them. Now that I have hit my low bends correctly I am trying to actually learn proper riffs and licks at least and that could be a slippery slope into wanting to learn scales



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/12/2015 10:07AM by JerryVan.

On learning scales.....start easy, with the pentatonic scale.