Pulls on Gary's Blues
Hi Dave...I am working my way through Gary's Blues, right now. Another great song! My concern is that I can hear the pulls on the related videos, but, I find it difficult to hear the pulls on the mp3's. Probably because the mp3's are an ampified and slightly distorted version of the song. Even when I slow the mp3's down still cannot hear the pulls.
Is there any chance you can add an acoustic mp3 version of this song to the lesson, in order to hear the pulls better, whether it is slowed down or not?
I am glad I discovered your website. I enjoy your lessons and interviews a lot!
Harmonica Homer.
Hi Dave...I remember the days of vinyl records and slowing them down to 16 rpm's and trying to learn a riff, or section, by trying to drop the needle down repeatedly in the same spot. There was some success, but, overall, it was somewhat frustrating. That's what a video is like for me. I try to replay sections and attempt to learn that passage by repetion. Sometimes I restart it in the correct spot, but, most of the time it is just luck if I hit the right spot. Since learning harmonica is mostly an auditory thing, and not visual, not much learning takes place by sight for me. Video would have more value for guitar players, perhaps.
Now, an mp3 is different. We have technology, which allows us to loop a section and play it infinitely, until we can learn it. It has eliminated all the guess work of the past, when we had to drop the needle in the right spot. It's so far ahead of what is was like thirty years ago, it's unbelieveable.
Having said all that, thank you for the encouragement. I will heed your suggestions, and continue to blow on!
The website is great and the material is very well organised and put together. I enjoy it very much. Thank you.
H.H.
Hello Harmonica Homer. I recommend you work with me on the videos first, where I play acoustically, as you stated. When you're away from the video then just use the pulls where you know they should be (as they're notated in the sheet music)... so using the notation will be important. They ARE a subtle technique... I want to you practice... listen... practice... listen... and after a couple of months of this you'll start to hear the pulls easier. So, as you practice this, those pulls that you can't hear will start to become louder... your trained ears will hear them at whatever level the artist plays them at. So, work with it for a couple of weeks, every day, and if they still aren't coming apparent to you, send me an email via the website and I'll personally record an acoustic version for you.