hi i am working though one of jon gindicks books and he talks about safe notes and un safe notes when you are improvising. i was just wondering if you need to know scales? or if it is not esentual?
Hi Scotty – Personally I think learning scales it's a pretty essential part of learning any instrument. I don't know Jon Gindick's book but I'd have a guess and say that the safe notes he mentions probably make up a scale of some sort.
Knowing which notes are "safe notes" is a good place to start improvising, as nothing you play will sound "bad". However I think this approach has a limited shelf life. Once you get better you are going to want to explore other approaches.
I think about scales as kind of colour palates to choose from. If I want something to sound bluesy I might choose to use notes from the blues scale. If I'm looking for a happy/sweet sound I might choose to use notes from the major scale. If I'm looking for a sad/melancholic sound I might choose to use notes from a minor scale – and even then I think of them as a kind of base level starting point, I may choose to use notes outside of the scale too depending on the feel I'm after.
For me knowing which scale has what sort of feel is essential when writing and even more important when improving – you need to serve the song. Playing something happy sounding over a sad sounding song is probably not going to work very well.
Hope this all makes sense.
Last Edited by Baker on Jun 10, 2015 3:14 AM
Hey Scotty:There's no reason in the world heart and mind can't work together! Scales are an essential aid in developing your own voice on your instrument for almost all of us. They are much like words in a sentence with perhaps notes being the alphabet. They are the building block of ear training, they both build and break down muscle memory and put us back in control of our instrument. There's no reason in the world heart and mind can't work together'
They teach us to play deliberately what we want and help us to understand what the notes we are not playing do and say, both when avoided (as n any scale) or when played accidentally or when the scale is intentionally ignored for a single note deviation. The notes that are not in a scale are as important or more as what notes are. They teach us the power of limitation and through that limitation they teach us to focus less melodically and more rhythmically. Because they usually operate on seven notes or less they also give us a manageable group of notes to draw harmonic reference to so we can see how "Unsafe notes" BECOME safe notes, How "Safe" notes can become "Unsafe" how a "wailing note" can become bland. Thats basic harmony!
Scales and modes are a part of almost every basic and higher music curriculum in the world for a reason. They teach us: relationships, intervals, math (addition, subtraction,algebra and division) , visualization, discipline, individuality, culture, moods, timing, swing, speed, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MAJOR and MINOR (like Baker said), basic harmony and MORE and more if we let them. They are nothing short of a recipe for musical divination.
Pythagorus and 6,000 years of his students can't be all wrong Scotty. Anyone who tells you other wise is most likely not really interested or dedicated to crafting their own sound/voice or even finding an easier route to learning others styles! Some people may be gifted or lucky enough to stumble upon their own voice, the rest of us have to work and a large percentage of those "gifted" students are playing scales they don't even know are scales… I wasn't gifted, I don't think, I worked and still do really hard always thinking about music and trying things differently and scales are a huge litmus test for new ideas to be worked out upon, especially rhythmically. Knowledge can never hurt you if you don't let it despite the opinions of some. The key to playing whats in your head is understanding the mechanics of your instrument, it's lay out, it's 3rds, 5ths, octaves and everything in-between man. Nothing begins to break this down faster and practically not to mention fun like the dedication to a few a scales for a period of time. Theres nothing wrong with not dong 'em either just a great idea and nothing dangerous about using every tool within reach. ---------- www.mooncat.org
Last Edited by Moon Cat on Jun 10, 2015 10:28 AM
Your ear should tell you which are the wrong notes when you free play...it's good to know the names and like the mooncat says the mathematical relationships....and then the notes to be avoided become the reason a particular scale 'works'.
Scales are the doorway into theory. However, for a beginner, to lay out the whole story dating back to Pythagorus can be too intimidating for a beginner.
Best to start slow and simple, making it fun.
Teaching the "avoid note" concept is ok, but it limits one from actually understanding what is going on. Intellectual understanding is the way to go for the serious player.
I start with the major scale - most know it already as do-re-mi.
So, try learning that scale starting on hole 4 exhale.
Once you have these 8 notes "under your belt", start to understand which simple songs live in these choices. For instance, all simple nursery rhymes/Stephen Foster songs are merely note choices from those basic 8.
You may be surprised at how easy it is once you make this connection.
---------- The Iceman
Last Edited by The Iceman on Jun 10, 2015 5:13 AM
Chord progressions are more important, I think (but really about scales anyway and a practical place to start). Starting with standard blues and figuring out what 1-4-5 means helps to navigate across harp keys, tunes and with bands. This harp chart, which Jason posted on FB as another response to this thread, could help a lot. The numbers on the top and bottom (not the white ones) show the chord numbers for cross harp. The two hole draw is the 1 chord because it's the key of the song (in cross harp). Then, if you locate the 4 and the 5, you have the standard blues notes -and chords if you play the chords. The pattern is the same on all 10 hole harps (diatonic).
Littoral talks music theory, guess there had to be a first time :)
I live on the other side of the fence having never studied any theory or had thinking in my approach to music. For what I do - a spontaneous stream of consciousness with words and music- learning to think would kill my way of doing music. I am self taught on the harp, vocals, keys, guitar, bass, drums, and it was all through discovery -noodling on it until the sounds meshed with what I hear in my heart. Do I know a scale? I have no idea and really don't care because I can get the music I hear in my soul to the voice and instruments. I learned from the old blues greats and not a one ever asked me if I knew a scale or theory. They at best called the key and you had to go from there. IMO this approach creates ones own sound and the "limited" technical knowledge that comes with it is of no hindrance. I am not saying this way is the better, but voice it because it will most likely never appear otherwise. Walter ---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year in the Tunnel of Dreams Studio. " life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
I'm in your camp Walter. I don't know any scales or theory. I learned by ear, by listening to my Grandad, Dad and Uncles play when I was a kid. If I hear a song and can get it in my head, I can most likely play it. The down side is I can't improvise like you can. I can't jump into a blues jam and take a solo that I would make up on on the spot. ---------- Wisdom does not always come with old age. Sometimes old age arrives alone.
The alternate approach offered up by Sarge and Waltertore remind me of studying jazz piano in college.
I had two teachers - one was an amazing Bill Evans type player with extreme knowledge of theory. The other was a famous local black Detroit Jazz pianist with no theory knowledge.
Detroit jazz pianists' philosophy was "Go out and jam/play as much as you can, playing all the notes you can, and eventually you will learn which ones not to play."
Private teacher schooled me in theory and understanding how to pick and choose notes depending on the situation.
Both paths led to the top of the mountain, but the Detroit teachers' path was a much longer winding road. ---------- The Iceman
Iceman is right in that the discovery road is much longer and frustrating to most. In todays world fast is the key and the theory approach will always be the norm.
dragonbreath: I appreciate you sharing that but if you understood my way of doing music those numbers will never transfer because I don't think when I play and to play those numbers would make me think :-) Walter ---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year in the Tunnel of Dreams Studio. " life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
I never know what note or hole I am playing. I just know where to go on the harmonica to get the sound(note) I want. ---------- Wisdom does not always come with old age. Sometimes old age arrives alone.
If you play harmonica, you are playing with the concept of a scale. The thing was designed using the major scale for heavens sake. Choosing to remain ignorant of the instrument, well, it's a bit like selling yourself short.
It reminds me of this guy at the garage. He's always ranting about freedom and the police and this and that....yet he's never read the constitution. Yeah, he can stir up the fellas and cause a commotion, but he's very limited in his dialogue and defenseless when pressed. He got some notions right and some wrong, he would be much more effective if he just put a little thought into his emotional diatribe. ----------
My philosophy is usually to show how I do it. The tune "Ain't No Sunshine" can be played on diatonic and Chromatic. I think of the tune as laying in A minor. To me this opens up a lot of possibilities. When I play with Mikey Jr he uses a G Chromatic I use a C chromatic. He is in 3rd position and I think just A minor. In this I example I use the A blues, A minor pentatonic, A harmonica minor and A dorian.
The end is the Amin with a major 7th 9th.
As you can see a knowledge of scale was helpful in this solo.
My opinion, from a less-than-masterful harmonica player/musician who continues to learn:
With some players, learning scales is EXPLICIT from the beginning: taught, studied, and practiced. Notes, or in some cases intervals, are named. Standard musical tuition emphasizes learning to play scales and reading sheet music for one instrument. When learning to play a traditional chording instrument, chords are named, and the student is taught how to build a chord. If you studied music in grade school on up, this is how you learned to play your instrument. This teaching approach is used in music education because most instruments used in band and orchestra are chromatic and not diatonic. Most musicians don't carry multiple keys of their instruments for songs in different keys, so the students need to learn to play the one instrument in many keys. Most music for these students of chromatic instruments is played from sheet music. The diatonic harmonica can be played chromatically by higher skill level players, and learning to play scales and to read gains much more importance for those players as they expand the limits of the instrument and learn to play music that is not diatonic and may change scales or keys.
**** With other harmonica players learning scales is IMPLICIT, learned because it is built into the music they have learned to play by ear and built into the diatonic harmonica. Each key of harmonica has easily accessed scales (and modes) built in. Implicit players choose notes by avoiding the ones that don't "fit" the song. This is done internally, without the extra step of thinking about the name of the note, or the names of the notes in the scale used by the song. This is an intuitive approach, not an analytical approach. Note names and interval names may not be even a passing thought while playing music by ear. On a diatonic instrument modes become more important than on chromatic instruments, because modes offer different easily accessed scales related to the key of the diatonic instrument. Positions playing begins with using the built in modes for that key of harmonica, and then with more skill, playing other scales on the diatonic that go beyond the easily played modal scales. Some choose to not study music theory or scales beyond this, because this approach serves them well with the music they want to play.
**** Most harmonica players start with the IMPLICIT approach by learning their way around the instrument and playing melodies they sound out by ear. Then, as they expand the music they play, they may find that they need more knowledge to play it, and begin to study music EXPLICITLY. Players who began to learn by ear may choose to study more theory and scales in order to expand their understanding.
**** I suggest that beginners start by playing songs on their harmonica, picking them out by ear, learning to play songs using the scales built into the diatonic harmonica. A beginner will likely stumble into playing modes of the “built in” major scale, and expand this later into playing positions. As they progress musically, the beginner will want to learn bends and perhaps overblows to fill in missing notes as they find the need to play the songs they want to play. Learning to play songs by doing is a valid approach on harmonica. A teacher will likely be able to speed up your learning if they adjust their approach to your individual goals.
I think that leaning intervals and scales and modes are important, but I don't support a one-size-fits-all approach demanding repetitious playing of scales. That approach can make music more work than fun, and I think we all started harmonica wanting to have fun making music. The question of if or when we should begin studying scales and theory depends on each player's musical goals and has no one answer.
People made music before sheet music, before note names, before scales were explicitly defined. But sharing information about songs (other than the aural tradition of just playing it, listening, and copying) is made much easier by these inventions. Playing certain kinds of music requires understanding that is difficult to achieve unless music is studied explicitly. In the long run, scales and theory are important. More knowledge about music cannot hurt you. It is a matter of your individual goals, and you can change your goals as you develop as a musician.
NOTE: HARMONICA TAB offers a shortcut to sounding out melodies and riffs. It will get the job done, but will not teach you theory or ear skills. It is useful at times, but I recommend not building a dependency on it. It is like trying to learn carpentry by using an IKEA assembly manual. ----------
Doug S.
Last Edited by dougharps on Jun 10, 2015 10:27 AM
From long experience, knowing scales is very important, and it's part of learning basic music theory and along with learning to get your time straight (which is also something the 50-70% of harp players who are NOT pros are badly in need of working on because far too often, their time is absolutely awful).
Scales are essentially note patterns and for a harp player, it's also a big part of knowing where each and EVERY note is on EVERY harp you play and once you learn them, you won't get easily lost or noodling trying to find your way and embarrassing yourself in the process.
The chart that's been posted will help, but if you also have some sort of chordal instrument, most especially a keyboard instrument to go along with a note layout chart on a harmonica, you can see how the pattern works and with a keyboard, unlike a harmonica, you do have a much more visual aspect that allows you to see the scales as essentially note patterns and then from there, you work your way into understanding chords and chord progressions, which is also VERY important to learn.
The longest running freebie music theory site on the internet, www.musictheory.net, you can learn this at your own pace. It's an excellent site for it. There are some books in print on music theory specifically designed for harmonica.
I can guarantee that once you learn these things, you'll never regret it one bit and it will improve your musicianship a lot and separate you from the rest of the pack. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
That take was awesome. Kudzu should cut and paste that take onto a seperate page which should be titled: Beginners, should you learn scales and theory? And when the question comes up as it does from time to time, the questioner could be directed to that page.
Oh yeah, and Scotty, if you decide to go the theory route, check out Michael Rubin's youtube page, it's outstanding. A bunch of free theory lessons applied to harp.
Last Edited by Honkin On Bobo on Jun 10, 2015 11:20 AM
Thanks Honkin on Bobo. My website has an in order archive, michaelrubinharmonica.com
Although I may be synonymous with scale learning today, I spent around 10 years being aware of major scales but not really applying them. I made some great music just by using my ear.
Ultimately I just kept getting hired by better bandleaders and it became clear I wasn't going to keep the gigs unless I figured out their communication methods. Now I do things on harp that I couldn't have before. It bust the doors wide open. But when I perform I try and forget all i know and return to the ear.
Jason just gave you the key to UNDERSTANDING what u play . Heed his words.
Only a glutton for punishment would choose to remain ignorant of the language of their craft
As I was taught in art school you need to at least know the rules before you can break the rule
I dont know much but I have learned enuff basic theory to get by and play with other musicians and that is a life saver on the bandstand playing with strangers
And for those folks who think BB King was just playing by feel:
I took a few math classes in college. If I sat down and did the math and laid stuff out on the harmonica, I could do it. I actually did this on the chromatic a few years ago. It felt like work.
I went back to playing by ear and trial and error. It seemed easier.
A lot of the old blues guys learned by licks and feel and didn't know scales.
However, more than one of them rued not knowing that stuff because they felt that it limited them, not only musically but in terms of getting better gigs.
By the way, I've watched Jason teach scales at the Harmonica Collective. He makes learning and using them a dynamic, interactive, exciting experience. =========== Winslow
kudzurunner has a few vids on this. They make it seem less like work.
Here's one.
The first guitar player I played with actively discouraged me learning any theory because he liked that I played entirely by feel. I have increasingly felt the need to understand theory to know why something works or doesn't, as well as experiment and talk to people I'm playing with at a jam for example, especially when I am the singer and thus have to call the shots.
the bottom line on this discussion is - Can you create the music you hear in your soul? If so, you have arrived. Music is a vehicle to channel this stuff and whatever route you took was the right one if you are there. Nobody can tell you it is right or wrong. If you are satisfied and excited that is what it is all about. Walter ---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year in the Tunnel of Dreams Studio. " life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
Lot's of good points here. I totally agree...knowledge is great! I've enjoyed learning theory myself.
I have 7 students now with no musical background. Each is doing pretty darn good after 9 classes.
I prefer to start with three key points that are brought up every lesson. Relaxation, rhythm, and feel. Each of these needs the other to continually improve. I NEVER let up on this.
I start with lip blocking single notes. Focus on clean and relaxed. On to moving around the first 6 holes. I guess the closest thing to theory I teach is where the root note is in cross. Adding other notes of the scale as we advance.... by number (flat 5th), not note name.
Anyway most are to a point they can play simple licks, bend some on holes 1-4, and know the blues scale. I'm ready to bring in the jam tracks.
Last lesson I gave was to learn the harp part to Low Rider by War. Not by tabs , but by looking for it. I gave them the first note and harp. This is theory to me, but some might say not.
My point is that a little theory is needed from the start, but wait on the heavy stuff until it's time.
My main focus is ALWAYS the big three...Relaxation, rhythm, and feel.
When I feel they are ready I'm going to assign Michael Rubin videos. Review and discuss to start each lesson.
All do respect Walter and I mean it, I think your very cool, the bottom line of this discussion is: "Should Scotty learn scales?". No matter what I think or don't think of scales, theory, etc I wouldn't want to be responsible for discouraging musical investigation of any form. Jason www.mooncat.org
Jason: I am not advocating either way and never meant to say one way was the only way. Whatever way or both ways or whatever methods get one to be able to express their music is the right way. I say whatever way your heart pulls you go to it with no questions asked. For me music is about the artist expressing himself with no concern other than to have to create whatever it is they are creating because it has to come out or real life blues will consume you. Money, acceptance, fame, are not part of the musical road I follow. I walked the walk with this for 20 years around the world simply because I followed my heart blindly and things always worked out even though it was an major struggle playing totally spontaneous music. I also think you are pretty cool and one of the true honest pro players willing to share info on forums like this where people often take pot shots at people that have a cool thing going. Walter ---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year in the Tunnel of Dreams Studio. " life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
Jason: The same to you and I hope I get to hear you play live someday. We will be moving to Reno, NV this fall to open a pizzeria that will continue my work training/employing with people with disabilities for work. I will probably perform every few months and you will be the only other performer I would have do a show. So if Reno is in your travels you will be fed well, keep all the money coming in, and have a stage with no interruption from the management :-) Walter ---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year in the Tunnel of Dreams Studio. " life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
"... continue my work training/employing with people with disabilities for work." Walter
As a disabled person I find that to be very impressive. Nice one Walter. I shake your hand with much respect.
Thanks to all you guys for this thread, I've already learnt a lot just from reading this page.
Is there a thread here about breath control. I find I'm running out of breath when I try to play riffs/licks, is this normal? And is it the case that with practice my ability to play long riffs/licks will get better. I try breathing through the nose when I play these licks but after a short time I get light headed as I quickly run out of breath.
As an example I have learnt this riff from a video on youtube by Ronnie Shellist entitled, 'Harp Talk Thursday: Tongue Flutter, Vibrato and Funky Blues News!' I can play the riff, it didn't take long to learn, just a day or so to get fluent, but I keep running out of breath.
Next up is Adam's 'Rope-a-Dope' Riff.
This place feels like a family, I really like this place, it's good to know all you guys.
Thank you all of the people that shared their views on my topic and I am so gratfull for the speed inwich you guys were able to reply I only put it on yesterday and I checked this Morning to find over 30 harmonica plays had replied it is brilliant. I just wante3d to say that I respect all of your views and you have all helped me think of how I should approach the harmonica now with learning the blues scale and moving to other scales and using my ear to improvise. I am so thankful for your responses and I hope I will be able to do the same thing for you someday. For now goodbye and God bless
"wtf does this pizza joint you've been going on about in thread after thread have to do with scale theory?"
Jlnx: You have taken shots at me like this for as long as I can remember. My life is my music and my music my life. I don't compartmentalize it. To get back to music, please post a link to yours and prove me wrong because I have a feeling your playing is third rate because ones music reflects their personality.
Walter ---------- walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year in the Tunnel of Dreams Studio. " life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
Hey Bubba just bring some more blow notes into your riffs/licks.....the harp is a breathing instrument And PS.......I've played all my life (50 now)by ear (major scaling it hugely as a child with melody and hammering in the 1st pos stuff)..then 2nd pos in late teens with rock and bluesbut have not been able to resist backing it up with theory for the last 10 yrs or so..the scales being the hard work part with which I am only beginning to deal with recently. I am discovering scales by the emotions of songs works well and have to ditto the comments of our harp family with the harp being quite suited for positional playing. In other words.....GO FOR IT SCOTTY!!!!!!! LEARN AS MUCH AS YOU CAN AND HAVE A BLAST DOING IT!!!!!! ( oh and welcome to the club..) ---------- Old Man Rubes at Reverbnation Dads in Space at Reverbnation
Last Edited by Rubes on Jun 11, 2015 5:36 AM
I spent a entire summer working on a scale exercise which my recorder teacher showed me. I tied myself to a metronome, and only allowed myself a higher speed when I had mastered the slower one. I should have done a lot more, but it helped a lot.
Those who argue that the feel is all that counts, and that many of the great never bothered with scales and the like have a point. In the end, what matter is the music.
However, sloppy playing due to poor technique will always remain just that. If scales tighten up your music, so much the better. If you're in the camp that scorns such effort, then perhaps try a week with a metronome and the blues and/or major scale.
Just to prove me wrong.
You may surprise yourself. ---------- Tony Eyers Australia www.HarmonicaAcademy.com everyone plays...
Scales and a metronome are a powerful musical training tool. The metronome is a feared instrument because it really shows how far off your timing is. If your timing is bad, things you think you can play easily become difficult as the metronome forces you into correct time.
I agree with Tony, the results are worth pushing through the initial discomfort.
I would definitely encourage anyone to learn scales. I tend to want to know how to do every technique and know all the theory and read all the books right now. The harmonica is teaching me to slow down. My personal philosophy with harp is to learn something new when the stuff I already know gets boring (and sounds good).
I'm not sure that what Jason had to say early on in this thread can be improved upon. It bears some study.
I will try to add something though. Scale notes, it seems to me, are like blazes on trees that mark a trail through a forest of notes. They will take you from your home to somewhere else and back again. If you wander off the trail, you may have pleasant or unpleasant experiences, and any such excursion can come to a safe ending by finding one of those trail blazes. ----------
Last Edited by mr_so&so on Jun 11, 2015 1:20 PM
@Scotty16; I played for years without knowing scales and little or none theory but once I learned basic scales (and that leads to theory of course)much more informed and a different kind of confidence! Get in early along with learning complete songs!
Actually it has to be easier these days surely with YT it's all out there now all I had was Tony Glovers blues harp book look at it now its a blues harmonica wonderland!!!
----------
"Those British boys want to play the blues real bad, and they do"
@Bubba Goldsock -- Breath control has been discussed more than a few times on this forum and if you find yourself constantly out of breath, your real problem is that you're guilty of using FAR too much breath force AKA playing way too damned hard all the time and from the experience of when I once taught, 98% of beginning players and 50-75% of intermediate players are gonna be CLEARLY guilty of this and unfortunately, the vast majority of players who are guilty of this almost NEVER think they're playing too hard, and this is also bad playing technique, plain and simple. One thing I've always recommended that harp players go to a vocal coach and take some breathing lessons because all good vocal coaches are gonna check your breathing before anything gets started because vocals, just like harmonica needs proper breath support plus relaxation and those are two things they heavily emphasize, which I can tell you from personal experience.
@Winslow Yerxa -- From my own experience with many of the older black blues guys, a good part of what you're saying is true that more than a few never learned scales, but also many of those very same musicians were also, unfortunately, functionally illiterate as well, but on the other hand, I've worked with more than a few that knew scales/music theory quite well and then some.
There is something new on the market recently for those who are trying to get their time straight, which is something too many harp players are in absolutely DIRE need of getting together and it's basically a drum machine in the form of a pedal that can also be used as a metronome called the Beat Buddy, in which you can set it up to be just a metronome, or dial in some beats that are preprogrammed, but also on the screen, it also visually counts out the beats right across the screen for you and goes from common time signatures like 4/4 or 3/4 all the way to some extremely complicated time signatures you may find if you played certain jazz or classical music styles as well.
Part of learning scales is also learning where each and EVERY note is on your instrument, regardless of what key the instrument is tuned in as well as regardless of what positions you're playing in. Scales/Music Theory and get your time straight are absolutely ESSENTIAL tools that needs to be in EVERY musician's skill set and in the long run, being hard headed and avoiding it will hurt you in the long run because it'll put pretty severe limitations on what you're going to accomplish. Will it be an easy go of things??? Obviously not, but I know for a FACT that it will help you in the long run and also prevent you from reinforcing the negative stereotypes about harp players being the dumbest musician on the bandstand and when you're reinforcing negative sterotypes, your opening yourself up to getting heavily dissed by those who play other instruments. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
Bubba, like Rubes said, harp has blow notes and draw notes and you can mix them to make sure you have enough air. There are other tricks as well. I came to playing harp having played the baritone tuba and when I first started playing harp I had a tendency to draw in as much air as I could whenever I could which caused all sorts of problems with not being ready for draw notes!
The trick is, a little bit, to think ahead and plan whether you need more or less air and try to adjust ahead of time. I don't know which video it was, but Adam had one where he showed how to let a little extra air out blow notes by letting some air out over the top of the harp or through your nose while playing blow notes if you need to get rid of air.
I'm no good at it, but circular breathing is an advanced technique that uses the air in your cheeks as a separate chamber from the air in you lungs. Christelle Berthone has a video where she plays a note for 5 minutes non-stop by blowing with her cheeks while she sneaks a breath with her nose then switches back to blowing from her lungs. (Kind of a long 5 minutes but it demonstrates what's possible!)
Mostly though, it's about managing your air and making sure not to over-inhale or over-exhale, and remember, most tunes have natural spots for breathing. Most wind instrument parts are written with natural pauses just for that reason.
Also, posture is very important. If you are slumped over in a chair you will be constricting your lungs. That's bad both for breathing in and for breathing out. You want to sit up straight so you have the most capacity available. (You can look up any good video on singing posture and it should work fine for harp posture).
You also want to learn to control how much air you are letting out at any given time. Back in choir we used to do an exercise where we would make a shshsh sound for as long as we could. It helps you learn how to regulate your air flow and that gives you both better breath support and better control over your dynamics. (I suppose for harp maybe we need an inhaling sound too?)
The big thing for me though still comes back to planning how much air I'm going to need from rest to rest. As time goes on it becomes more automatic, but at first you may have to really think about it.
And as for the original topic of scales- never be afraid to learn anything. Knowledge never hurts. It's possible to play well with no theory but theory will only make you a better player. It's always a balance for me. I get distracted pretty easily, so I don't put in the time I feel I should on the theory (I miss the classroom setting. I seemed more focused) but that doesn't stop me from picking up as much theory as I can. Sometimes it fascinates (particularly the more theoretical points) and sometimes it bores me (memorizing note/hole names, sharps in a key etc.) but I keep chipping away at it.
Here is a scale exercise I have been using. I think it has helped me, as Iceman says, "learn where all the notes live", and as Waltertore says to "create the music I hear in my soul" The more I work with scales the more often I get the note out of my harp that I have in my mind.
Yes there are a few mistakes but I think you can get the gist of it. I am still an amateur practicing until I can get it right, not a pro practicing until I never get it wrong!
Last Edited by STME58 on Jun 11, 2015 11:34 PM
With all those teaching videos available on youtube, etc, talking about scales and modes, you've just created the simplest, shortest and clearest explanation and demo of all.
Why not try the same exercise, but slowing it down so that every note hangs in the air for a second so you can really hear it and shape it?
Sometimes playing an exercise REAL SLOW is not so easy, as impatience may rear its ugly head, but it will reveal a whole lot more than speedy practice. ---------- The Iceman
