Unstructured Playing
Hi David,
Well, after a year of this I find myself playing popular melodies quite a bit, mostly off harptabs.com. For example, lately I've been playing American Pie, Wish You Were Here, and As Time Goes By; that's an eclectic mix for sure. So, my question is this: Should I forego this playing and stick to the LOA lessons or does playing these songs in first position also count as "practice"?
Thanks again.
Hello Ace
I've been a student here for a year now and am almost at the same level as you, just to finish one part for LOA 3, but it's intersesting to follow your progress and questions
Roger
Thanks, Dodger. Sometimes I feel I ask too many questions. LOL. I signed up for the Hohner free month in September, 2018 and then the paid subscription in October, 2018. How're your studies coming along?
Going ok, you actually ask the questions I think about asking so it saves me asking .hehe
I signed up in August 2018 for the free month trial, had the voucher for 6 months before I decided to give it a go as I just played melodies and thought I needed to learn to play properly with some stuctured learning, liked the way this course works so started subscription after the months trial. I've been playing for over 40years badly with no proper training as it wasnt available back then, so this is basically all new to me now. I did'nt even know bending existed until a year ago an d thought I like this sound. My musical knowledge isn't very great but I can play plenty tunes by ear. Just have the accompinament submission to make to get LOA 3 passed. Work and family commitments get in the way of getting practice in.
Never had any musical training at all, which is odd considering the number of musicians I know. I was Actually given a marine band in C as a kid and also had a tape recorder as well. I probably could’ve done something with that but just never did. Bummer, really. Anyway, I bought a marine band in C on a lark in May, 2018 figuring this had to be easier than learning guitar and at 57 it was now or never. I thought I’d learn some folk songs, just for chucks and grins. Then I ran into Adam Gussow on YouTube And realized what this little tin sandwich can do. It also rekindled a love for Blues that had sort of lain dormant since college.
Gussow says, it’s the easiest instrument to learn to play badly but a hard one to learn to play well. After putzing around YouTube for three months I realized this was true and that I would really benefit from structured learning And signed up for this course. Frankly, I’d never have gotten this far without it. IMHO, David’s course is the most well put together of any online offering.
As David says, LOA3 is the last of the beginner courses; LOA4 is more complex and will take longer to complete. That’s cool. I’m pleased to be where I am, which is farther than I had thought possible in May, 2018. I figure I’ll finish LOA4 sometime in mid 2020. For now, I’m happy with what I’ve achieved. I don’t think I play well yet, but I believe I will some day; I just don’t know when.
I never knew there was so much to come out from a harmonica, I watched some of Adam Gussow's videos and Christelle Berthone to get started, but David's is the best in my opinion as his tone is so deep. I missed a harmonica workshop in Edinburgh a few weks back ran by Tomlin Leckie which I would have liked to get some tips face to face. I'm approaching 54 so not far behind you.
Edinburgh wouldve been great But I couldn’t get away.
Hello Ace. This is good practice. Anything you learn on the harmonica helps. If you like those songs, even the better. This is your hobby, so you should be playing music that you enjoy. Also, as you continue to develop your bending skills (required for everything that you hear pro harp players play), you need material to play and keep you growing.