bad mechanics
how do ya'll keep from falling into bad habits, escecially when trying so hard to learn something techcial as bending then using the mechanics in a song?
I've struggled struggled struggled to the point of some days wanting to throw the thing down and quit because I could find the make the bends happen in the exercises or just practicing the technique then fail miserably when I'd come to a 4 draw bend (for example) in "feelin' for the blues"
then yesterday, I figured out that I'd developed a habit of scrunching up my face and lips. slowed slow downer back down to about 75% and began to focus on playing without moving lips and minimul jaw movement, forcing the tongue to do the work. then today, to add to that, I discovered by all that, my mouth cavity had decreased, affecting tone and tongue's ability to work and that added stress leading to mouth closing even tighter may have added to discomfort of the crossover's shape. I noticed when opened wider and played the discomfort seemed do disipate.
so now at slow speed, I have to unlearn bad and learn the good. it's back on the right track but my question is...how do ya'll keep from picking up bad mechanics?
Monty
I don't know about other ppl but for me, and I'm no expert, I just practice LOTS on my 'tone' not song or any specific practice but just making a clean, nice sounding note.
In fact I have many different practice regiment and I do the ones I feel like haha.
So firstly I always have a harp in my pocket. When I leave in the morning I go through my check list: car keys, wallet, harp.
Then as I'm out and about during the day, any time I have 1-10 minutes to myself I'll either practice bending 1-2-3-4 or I'll practice a chord or I'll do the blues or pentatonic scale or even just go 1 trough 10 and back down.
I do it so much I started bending by accident. I was reading a work news article one day and putsing around with the harp with out paying attention to it and boom a bend ! Heck I almost dropped it I was so surprised.
Also it's a great idea to have a little rift you like that you can play well for those days that you don't feel like learning anything and just want to play the harp with no headache. For me it was love me do from the beetles and I only did the first part of the rift with no bends and then when I learned to bend 2 and 3 I added that part. ( that song also taught me that you can really get 5 draw to wail! haha XD ). Then when I'm more focused I load up the website and go through some of david's lessons.
I think experience will eventually get rid of bad habbits also if you can find a mentor that's a really great way to have someone help you out. If nobody is giving courses in your area try to call music stores and ask the guys working there if they know someone they can introduce you to who'd be willing to help you.
I was lucky when I started and got a mentor right away and first lesson he told me 'don't worry about bending this year' and so I put it out of my mind and it came all by itself. I think that's sound advice, David also talks about this in his lessons. To quote him ' it's not about if but when' so don't worry about that one specific thing. Bending isn't all that there is to the harp even if it's really cool. 5 hole draw into 5 hole blow into 4 hole draw is also really cool, growling is also really cool, tremolo is also really cool, hand wawa is also really cool mix it up and have FUN !! ;P.
Always be mindful of relaxation when learning something new. Be aware of body parts and run a "system check" and go through a point-by-point checklist - hands, wrists, fingers, arms and shoulders, neck, chest and diaphragm, throat, tongue, jaw, lips.
When incorporating a new technique, such as a particular bend, into the context of a song, first isolate the bend along with the note immediately preceding and following - and do it SLOWLY.
Doing it slowly gives you time to think, prepare, then execute. After several times running through it slowly, you can start speed ing it up.
By isolating the technique in its immediate context, you work on getting into the technique and back out. Once you can do that, you can ad more context, placing the new technique in the context of the entire phrase that contains it, and then into the larger context of the verse and, ultimately, the entire song.
Well, for me, I strive to use patience and deliberate focused effort for about ten minutes at a time, as frequently as possible, ideally every day, and that, from the start of the learning process. Obviously, some new aspects are easier or harder than others to get a grip on and will take more time. Once you can bend on a hole, others will come easier. And when you find you become frustrated, stop and come back later.