The Harp Weasel?

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  • JeremiahJeremiah Frets: 631
    Spent quite a lot of time learning to play the harp because I thought it would be a good idea to have an instrument I could play without amplification as I don't much like acoustic guitars. Eventually realised I don't really like harmonica either, unfortunately.
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  • OilCityPickupsOilCityPickups Frets: 9984
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    Jeremiah said:
    Spent quite a lot of time learning to play the harp because I thought it would be a good idea to have an instrument I could play without amplification as I don't much like acoustic guitars. Eventually realised I don't really like harmonica either, unfortunately.
    Cats hate it
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  • Drew_TNBDDrew_TNBD Frets: 22445
    @Viz - How do you even get into playing the harp? Looks amazing!
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  • vizviz Frets: 10645
    edited October 2015
    I think you have to be a demanding teenage girl to start with, that's what we found anyway. Then find a harp teacher and just do the grades and do school orchestra etc. The strings are colour coded and you can use the cam pegs at the top to raise certain strings by a semitone or tone to get different modes in whichever key you want. This is a starter harp. On proper ones you have 7 pedals rather than pegs at the top.
    Roland said: Scales are primarily a tool for categorising knowledge, not a rule for what can or cannot be played.
    Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
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  • Drew_TNBDDrew_TNBD Frets: 22445
    viz said:
    I think you have to be a demanding teenage girl to start with, that's what we found anyway. Then find a harp teacher and just do the grades.
    lol, ohhh right. It's not yours, your daughters??
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  • vizviz Frets: 10645
    Yep :)
    Roland said: Scales are primarily a tool for categorising knowledge, not a rule for what can or cannot be played.
    Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
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  • My muse is not a horse and art is not a race.
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  • SassafrasSassafras Frets: 30273
    Drew_fx said:
    @Viz - How do you even get into playing the harp? Looks amazing!


    It's a good idea for beginners to buy a harmonica.

    Listening to harp players is a good start to get the feel for it and to realise that it's a very expressive instrument. As Ash says you shouldn't over play it, just concentrate on the sound and not so much on the notes.
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  • OilCityPickupsOilCityPickups Frets: 9984
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    Thanks for the derail guys ... happy to return the compliment
    Professional pickup winder, horse-testpilot and recovering Chocolate Hobnob addict.
    Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups  ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message  

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  • vizviz Frets: 10645
    :)
    Roland said: Scales are primarily a tool for categorising knowledge, not a rule for what can or cannot be played.
    Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
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  • Another part time harmonica player here. I also like Lee Oskars, Golden Melodys are also pretty good- VERY air tight & therefore good for over blows etc.

    If you're looking to get started, the best advice is to buy a harmonica (a good one is under £30 new) and give it a whirl. 
    It's worth bearing in mind that if you're playing blues you'll need to play in second position to get the notes for the blues scale.


    There are several excellent harmonica tutors on youtube. my favourites being Adam Gussow and Tomlin Leckie (the latter taught me).

    The main restriction to my own playing (apart from a lack of talent) is the fact that harmonicas are LOUD and there's no way to play them quietly. With two kids under 5 that's a fairly significant obstacle to consistent practice & progress.
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  • ↑ wise words. .. I started playing melodies. .ie. 'Michael row the boat ashore' theme from 'last of the summer wine' then progressed to like of drty old town' 'Billy Joel piano man'.then started in 2nd position bending the blues. .. as people have mentioned it's a great instrument and what started as a kids instrument, which was then taken to another level in the 20's/30's in the deep south all the way up to Chicago :-)
    and they were also issued in the first world war to frontline troops on both sides. ....
    I don't practice as much as I should, to take it to another level...but life gets in the way. ....
    great thread by the way , thanks to Ash for starting it =D>
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  • OilCityPickupsOilCityPickups Frets: 9984
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    There is an art all in itself to playing in a band setting ... knowing when to lay back and just play little rhythm 'stabs' The volume control on a harp mic is essential here I find. I try to use a small amp really wound up, and when you are not playing it can feedback like hell. Learning to turn right down when you are not playing, up for 'horn stabs', and flat out for solos ... body positioning on stage can minimise feedback too. I have successfully used a Laney LC15r with a 10 inch speaker ...  
    Professional pickup winder, horse-testpilot and recovering Chocolate Hobnob addict.
    Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups  ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message  

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  • DominicDominic Frets: 16012
    Never understood why it is called a ' harp ' ....doesn't sound anything like one
    Is it just because it sounds cooler than 'mouth organ '
    No offence to the players but this is my most hated instrument sound - singlehandedly spoiled almost every decent Dylan track !
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  • OilCityPickupsOilCityPickups Frets: 9984
    edited October 2015 tFB Trader
    Harp is short for harmonica ...
    Dylan murdered the harmonica ... 
    and this is what it is meant to sound like ... in my opinion
    Professional pickup winder, horse-testpilot and recovering Chocolate Hobnob addict.
    Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups  ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message  

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  • stimpsonslostsonstimpsonslostson Frets: 5418
    edited October 2015
    I've posted this before, but here's my inspiration for starting to play harmonica
    the fun starts around the 1.00 mark. It's Eric Oberlander of FIve Horse Johnson guesting with Clutch:

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  • OilCityPickupsOilCityPickups Frets: 9984
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    That's brilliant ... I did a gig supporting the Blues Band with Paul Jones once ... that made me want to play.
    Professional pickup winder, horse-testpilot and recovering Chocolate Hobnob addict.
    Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups  ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message  

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  • JCA2550JCA2550 Frets: 431
    My other main instrument ... well, guilty pleasure is blues harmonica :-)
    Ever since the days I played in 'the Jukes' with Pete Hoggman ... the guy who did the 'My Boy Lollypop' harp solo ... I have been fascinated, and gigged many times as a harmonica player.
    Have always chewed the fat with other harp men about amplification, effects, being drowned out v drowning out the guitarist lol ... 
    image
    Ha! That wouldn't be smilin Pete Hoggman by any chance?
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  • OilCityPickupsOilCityPickups Frets: 9984
    edited October 2015 tFB Trader
    It would be ... a fabulous caracter
    And a fabulous harp player. He was an absolute git to work with, total blues perfectionist, but it taught me loads. I played bass with him ... and his Mrs Jill shared the vocals. If she called for a bass solo I knew I was in for it ... Jill loved them, Pete hated them ... and he would just glare at me till I finished. Later at the bar he would have a go for playing that 'fancy s--t'.
    Professional pickup winder, horse-testpilot and recovering Chocolate Hobnob addict.
    Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups  ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message  

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  • That video of clutch with guest harp player. Awsome stuff. ..remind me a bit of 'blues traveller' sound. On listening to it without visual you don't know whether it is overdriven harp or guitar.

    And Ash I have wanted a laney lc15r for a while and wondered ...what valves and speaker your running. . ?
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