Howdy all. A couple of weeks ago i saw a harmonica in the store i had as a kid and picked it up for 5 bucks. Then remembered i couldn't play and got to work learning.

It was a Missippi Harmonica Co. Regal. (Ten tabs on 40 holes - built for rich volume but not playability)

My wife saw how hard i was trying on it and picked up a Hohner 590 Big River Harp in C for me.

MUCH better.

But now that each tab has just 1 hole instead of 4 (2 push and 2 pull per tab on that Miss. Regal) im getting stuck.

You see, as much as i enjoy what little I'm able to play, i don't have a natural music ear (in fact, all my car radio stations are programmed to talk, news, and comedy)

Here's where I'm getting stuck: how do you know when you hit the right tab when you can't see whats under your nose?

If you're going: 4 4 -4 5 -7...
How do you know that you hit the 7 tab without instead landing on the 6 or 8?
As soon as i have to hop over a tab i get lost.

The only way i know is i either run out of tabs, or after several notes i say "wait... Thats not right. Where did i go wrong?" and go nuts for 10 minutes doing scales again to try and remember what tab sounds like what.
(does this mean I'm tone deaf?)

Any suggestions or advice you have for actually landing on the tab you intended would be greatly appreciated.

Patience. It'll come. You just started and you're wondering why you can't play like someone that's been playing for three months or six months or a year? Try some online lessons such as JP Allen or Jon Gindick. There's also lots on You Tube. Enjoy the process.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/26/2012 04:51AM by rbone.

I've only been playing since April. Like you I had felt, but not so much now, that making any kind of music might be beyond my ability. I also had the very same kind of question: how do I go from a 4 blow to a seven draw without being able to see the numbers on the harmonica? The first days were difficult and frustrating, but the key was to stay with it and practice some every day. It does eventually come to you. I still make mistakes by being "off" by a hole one way or the other, but with practice it gets better. Relax, but practice; have fun - while practicing.

Now I am playing a lot single note, straight harp stuff. Songs familiar to me. Eventually I would like to be able to play some blues and add riffs; but I know that will happen for me only if I continue to learn and practice. I am still very tab dependent, so my next step is memorization.

I'm not very musically talented and still somtimes have problems when moving between a non-adjacent hole on the harmonica. I think for a beginner, you have to start playing tunes which you are very familiar with and where you move mostly between adjacent holes.

I've picked out some examples, mainly from my favorites list. My taste in music might not bee the same as yours, but I hope it illustrates the point . . .

The Streets Of Laredo 2 switches to non-adjacent holes.

auld lang syne 2 switches to non-adjacent holes.

Gypsy Rover no switches to non-adjacent holes.

Sailing 2 switches to non-adjacent holes.

Be patient. It'll come with practice.

Just like learning to dribble a soccer/football, or ride a bycicle, or swim (not to mention different swimming strokes), most of it comes down to muscle memory.

After some time spent practicing (with the same harp, I might add), you'll get to the point where you know exactly where you are on the harp. Mostly because you can feel it. You know what it feels like (here's where the muscle memory comes in) to move the harp x-many holes one way or the other.

Be patient. You'll get it. It just takes a little practice.

Tongue blocking makes it easier to tell where you are on the harp.

I also don't consider myself to have an "ear for music," but it really doesn't take long to get acquainted with whether or not you're on the right note. You eventually just learn what they sound like.

As I recall from my early days, I used to play the Boxer a lot, especially the "lie-la-lie" part.

7 -7 7

Then when I played another song that required a jump to the 7 and missed, I knew I missed because I had heard the 7 enough to know when that wasn't it.

Pick a song you like that requires a jump. Whatever note you jump to, play it until you'd know it anywhere. Then play the song and you'll know if you got it or not.

And like Deb said, eventually you'll hit a point where you know just by muscle memory.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/31/2012 01:15AM by ,,,.

Thanks for the feedback guys. I found the best way to deal with a hard to find note is to just stop being timid and attack it. I find that when i WORRY if i will reach the right tab then i will usually miss it because I'm too concerned about missing under or over.

I've started by working with "Home on the Range", "My heart will go on", "Chariots of Fire", "Earth Angel" (Wrong key but good practice).

I find that using Karaoke vids on YouTube are great for getting song timings down. 

And i was shocked when i tried "Tennessee Waltz" and Lennon's "Imagine" and got them on the first try. So the songs i chose to learn with must of been a good starting variety.

Now if i can only learn how to get a pull on Tab -2 to sound without having to open my nose.... Hahaha

(posted via iPad)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/07/2013 04:59AM by WaxyChicken.

Drop your jaw some, and slowly articulate the word "you" as you draw. You'll learn where the bends are, that way

WaxyChicken Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for the feedback guys. I found the best way
> to deal with a hard to find note is to just stop
> being timid and attack it. I find that when i
> WORRY if i will reach the right tab then i will
> usually miss it because I'm too concerned about
> missing under or over.


There's actually a lot to that. Scientifically and all. When you do something like this you're using muscle memory. If you do it without thinking about it your muscles just do what they're supposed to. If you think about it you only add a new component to the mix that is much less helpful in the matter, and it messes you up.

Sorry, "New and Love Advice" I dropped in on this in the expectation that someone had come up with a new angle on "love"