Help learnin' harmonica
Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 11:45 pm
Just started. Usin' a 10-hole diatonic. Can already do the blues shuffle. Need help on isolatin' holes (fer draws an' such) an' bendin' notes. Anybody know what I'm talkin' about?
O-Kay: Purse your lips and use your tongue to isolate single holes. Each hole has a draw note and a blow note, the draw (inhale) note being higher.
Do scales. Harmonicas are totally controlled by breath pressure and different pressures make differing tones. Try simple, center-of-the-instrument tunes, like "Oh Suzanna" and "Turkey in the straw".
Once you get control down, then start using the flatting bar, (the thing sticking out of the right side of the harmonica) to do flat/sharp notes.
Practice, practice, practice!!!! There is a positive to all this: you'll improve your breathing tremendously!
I have over two dozen harmonicas; some of which are pentatonic rather than the more common diatonic (think Chinese or Japanese). They are in both major an minor keys, and one is a Concert model: Two-and-a-half octaves long, and another is two keyed: one side is "C" and the other is "G"-both major.
I knows harmonicas!
