harpsurgery.com
Harp Surgery » Let Us Play
http://www.harpsurgery.com/how-to-play/before-you-begin
Life At The Surgery. Trills, Rolls and Trains. Glissando & Portamento. Why 3rd and 4th Positions Are Minor. Got yourself a blues harp but don’t know what to do with it? Well, assuming you are naturally right handed and purse your lips when you try to play, here’s how to get started. The outer curve of your left thumb should fit nicely onto the ball of your right thumb (. Most important: don’t literally blow and suck! We use these terms loosely, but this is not exactly how we play. We actually breathe...
harpsurgery.com
Harp Surgery » Warm-ups and Workout
http://www.harpsurgery.com/how-to-play/warm-ups-and-workout
Life At The Surgery. Trills, Rolls and Trains. Glissando & Portamento. Why 3rd and 4th Positions Are Minor. Ever wondered how to warm up those harp muscles, learn breath control, hone your tone and perfect your chops? Warming your harp up. 8217; Now don’t forget to tap out the moisture when you are done (but forget the cigarette! The following exercises have accompanying sound files. A C major diatonic is used in each recording. The emboldened blow notes should be slightly emphasised. This is one. If the...
harpsurgery.com
Harp Surgery » Accuracy
http://www.harpsurgery.com/how-to-play/accuracy
Life At The Surgery. Trills, Rolls and Trains. Glissando & Portamento. Why 3rd and 4th Positions Are Minor. When I say ‘accuracy’, what I mean is clean single note playing. Moving laterally between adjacent holes without under/overshooting. Skipping holes without missing your target. Moving diagonally from a draw note in one hole to a blow note in another (and reverse). Navigational aids: tongue, ears, bridges, muscle memory. Beef Up Your Bends. Guitar Licks For Harmonica. How Do They Do That?
harpsurgery.com
Harp Surgery » Pucker or Block
http://www.harpsurgery.com/how-to-play/pucker-or-tongue-block
Life At The Surgery. Trills, Rolls and Trains. Glissando & Portamento. Why 3rd and 4th Positions Are Minor. Pucker or Tongue Block. Both methods of playing are correct, neither is wrong. You should be able to switch comfortably between the two. So, which ever is alien will eventually need mastering. At first this is akin to using a knife and fork with the wrong hands. Given time it will drop into place, but you. Have to be patient. Either way you are starting to. Get your chops in. From the French word.
harpsurgery.com
Harp Surgery » Tone
http://www.harpsurgery.com/how-to-play/tone
Life At The Surgery. Trills, Rolls and Trains. Glissando & Portamento. Why 3rd and 4th Positions Are Minor. This is an essential foundation skill for any aspiring harmonica player. The principle steps to good tone are these:. A moist and airtight seal. Work from the diaphragm. This is neither table football, nor a MacDonald’s milkshake. Lose the straw and stop trying so hard, or else you’re going to burst a blood vessel. Inhale and exhale gently. The harmonica, or. When working on tone, you need to focus...
harpsurgery.com
Harp Surgery » Key To Tab
http://www.harpsurgery.com/harp-theory/key-to-tab
Life At The Surgery. Trills, Rolls and Trains. Glissando & Portamento. Why 3rd and 4th Positions Are Minor. 8211; Hole 1 blow. 8211; Hole 2 draw. 8211; Hole 4 first draw bend. 8211; Hole 2 second draw bend. 8211; Hole 10 second blow bend. 8211; Hole 3 third draw bend. Play 2 draw and 3 draw as separate notes. Run 2 draw into 3 draw (. Scoop into 3 draw from below (. First draw bend in hole 3. Play 4 draw after the down beat. Glide from 1 draw up to draw 4 (. Glide from 4 draw down to 1 draw (. Reviews &#...
harpsurgery.com
Harp Surgery » Glissando & Portamento
http://www.harpsurgery.com/how-to-play/glissando-portamento
Life At The Surgery. Trills, Rolls and Trains. Glissando & Portamento. Why 3rd and 4th Positions Are Minor. Glissando & Portamento. Here are a couple of simple techniques that will elevate your phrasing and musical expression. Call them musical ornamentation. Is derived from the French verb. Or it’s adjective. Portamento comes from the Italian verb. Walk On The Wild Side. Apache, FBI, Dance On. Glissando on the harp. There are endless examples! On JGeil’s Band’s. Pack Fair And Square. 4 3 2…. This often ...
harpsurgery.com
Harp Surgery » Draw Bends
http://www.harpsurgery.com/how-to-play/draw-bends
Life At The Surgery. Trills, Rolls and Trains. Glissando & Portamento. Why 3rd and 4th Positions Are Minor. Learning to draw bend marks the transition from beginner to intermediate playing. When we find our first bend, it’s like we’ve won the lottery! It takes a lot of perseverance, but suddenly you’re punching the air and yelling ‘. 8217; like Homer Simpson. You probably want to tell all your friends and start a band too. And fair play to you! Mapping out the draw bends. With the use of 12 regular bends.
harpsurgery.com
Harp Surgery » Blow Bends
http://www.harpsurgery.com/how-to-play/blow-bends
Life At The Surgery. Trills, Rolls and Trains. Glissando & Portamento. Why 3rd and 4th Positions Are Minor. Be aware that blow bends take place at the top end of the harp. We’re talking holes 8-10 in principal. You will also find a slight dip in hole 7, however as there is no semitone interval between the blow and draw note, political correctitude says this is officially not a bending hole. Why at the top end? I would suggest you start on the 8 blow bend as it is marginally more forgiving…. Listen to rea...
