Hi folks. I don't know if any of you have experienced this and what you did to remedy the problem. I've been playing harp for over 45 years now, off and on. I think I play okay but I'm always trying to improve. Anyway, I find when I go out and play with different bands or when I'm asked to come up and play, I keep going back to the same old riffs, the same style of playing I've been doing for years. Even when I played with my own band I found myself doing the same. The harp playing didn't change a whole lot from one song to another. Just curious if others have experienced the same and how did you break out of the same old. Thanks to all.
Where do you normally draw your inspiration from? Which players do you normally listen to? Stop listening to them and start listening to something different. Maybe not even harp players but saxophone or another instrument. I love listening to horn players from the prestige Jazz era and old hammond organ stuff by guys like Brother Jack Mcduff. You can borrow licks from these guys and transpose them to harp.
Research on YouTube to find great harp solos that make you think "Wow that's different". Then take the time to learn what they're doing. Convert them to MP3 using an online converter then import into a free tool like Audacity where you can slow down the licks without altering the pitch. Learn from others then try and adapt what you've learnt to make it your own.
Do this with harp players that you think are really unique and original. If you always listen to the old masters, then focus on some of the newer guys. Paul deLay is a great source of inspiration for me as his playing was totally original. Dennis Gruenling has some jaw dropping licks in his arsenal. Listen to Paul Linden on the early Sean Costello albums. Awesome stuff!
If you usually stick to 2nd position, then as Goldbrick says, focus your efforts on another position such as 3rd. Learn the same licks you play in 2nd but in 3rd.
Learn scales and practice them. Just the minor and major Pentatonic is a good start. Play around with these scales.
If you've been playing for 45 years you've probably done all this, but if not give some of it a try. Try and incorporate one new lick a week into your playing.
I hear you, - and to a lesser degree suffer from the same. Blues is hard to do well BECAUSE most of it is so simple and repetitive. It's easy to fall into your old 'licks bag of tricks'- and not so easy to be creative. Being 'soulful' is it's own can of worms, - but I would say, find things that inspire you and you'll get close to it, whatever 'it' is.
I would add another suggestion t those above: Learn to play songs with melodies. Country music's got em a plenty. Try working out other types of tunes that you find interesting but didn't think you could play. Without overblowing you may not be able to (depending on the song and position), - but that may push you to try that if you haven't already.
Take a look at what Buddy Green can do with the little diatonic, - and most or not all of it is without overblows! Blues , Country, Campfire, and Classical are all here:
If you are sticking with blues - work on tunes with defined hooks or lead lines that you have to emulate to do right - and aren't already in your repertoire . Take on tougher licks or melody lines and slow them down (lots of apps and software for that).
Thanks Alot Nick. I was fine wIth MY playing (for the moment). But after watching that video again now all i can think about is the damn 4 blow. And a few other things i do ALOT.
Mastering the draw bends on holes 2, 3 and 4 should keep you busy for a while. I purchase Steve Baker's iOS Blues Harp app, that's got a lot of attention paid to that. Here it is on iTunes . . .
What bonedog said. You didn't say what type of music you play but while I still practice my tried and true I have mainly focused on entirely different stuff for over a year now. It has improved my overall playing ability and has added versatility while accompanying other musicians.
I feel I'm playing a full court game after realizing I was playing half court with rare exception for over 50 years. It's much more fun for me now; playing the harp from top to bottom and in other positions.
If you´ve been playing for 45 years, even if it´s "off and on", I´d be surprised if you haven´t found yourself in this predicament a number of times before? For me, in the end, time is the only healer. My crappy playing can bore me to tears -- and it happens a lot, but here we´re talking extended periods -- and at such times I´ve frequently thought of given the whole thing up. (Especially when the harmonicas die on me, one after the other ...) My only active antidote is to use whatever time I have to play harmonica in such way that I play boring, but educational, stuff. Never let it rest entirely except for a short time. (Cf Clapton´s memoires: the only discipline in his druggy life was to keep up the guitar work.) Then I wait. I play my boring stuff, and hope for that something extra to return. In a sense you could see yourself as somewhat priveliged here, since the overwhelming majority of harmonica players never realise how boring the are. (E.g. those hole 4-5 draw trillers that can go on and on every night. Some are even famous.) At least you have a diagnosis and, possibly (can´t tell since I haven´t heard you), an insight.
Having teachers has kept me busy for years. Thanks to my teacher and workshops like SPAH or Collective I've no problem finding things to practice for hours.
Thank you so much to all that replied to my post. I've found it all insightful and informative. And to you Martin, you are so spot on when you say how harmonica failure can keep me in the same old. Every time I start to get comfortable with the higher notes, the harp fails and I go back to holes 6 and lower again. It seems I have to push myself to areas I've never been comfortable with and if notes don't work, replace the harp. Thanks again for all the helpful suggestions. Wail on, my friends.
I think when i get nervous [which is good in my opinion]---I tend to go to same ol safe things--think thats normal- in martial arts u learn way past the point of the basics-because in a real situation yr nervous and tend to only use the basics- but because u practiced way beyond that –the basics seem very easy--------- AND YR LEVEL OF WHAT IS “BASIC” RISES. THE MORE U PRACTIC NEW STUFF
Years back, I was obsessed with learning overblows—worked on my harp set up-watched videos-drove my girlfriend insane, with squealy sounds etc—but then it hit me “I still don’t play the entire harmonica, meaning holes1-10----I don’t transition from low end to hi end smoothly without a break in the sound—
Learning to ‘ascend and descend smoothly’ from 1-10 became my deal--- still kept workin on ob—but ob’s were secondary----- playing the ‘instrument’ ---holes 1-10—in the blues mostly, but also in other styles----I quit just playin blues harp holes 1-6 in the blues and started playing an instrument in the blues ‘holes 1-10
I personally started developing patterns and drills ascending and descending---I started to analyze ,’slow way down’ Sugar Blues stuff-he ascends and descends all the time—yes he’s very busy. ‘all the time’ ?? ---but I couldn’t do it any of the time— In practicing [sugar blue-A gussow—Rod Piazza-etc] licks over and over again –to different speeds---trying in shuffles –straight ‘not schuffle’—different keys- then taking breaks and going back==
What happened was my level of “basic’ changed—for the better—I realized –I was now beginning to play the entire harp as a “basic’. Some of these licks came out when ‘ nervous‘ naturally without thought-
Last Edited by snowman on May 05, 2016 6:51 AM
Yes I find that to learn a new technique, if you just slowly add it more and more it comes naturally after a while.
Learning New Licks or New Techniques always gets me out of a Rut. Especially a new song. Then you get many new phrases and licks to throw into your playing. And if its a different style song that just adds flavor all the more.
Try learning some Funk. Its pretty addictive. Repetitive, but mess with the time and just keep mixing it up.
Try Cissy Strut. That's Really Fun to Play and mess with.
Another Favorite of mine to mess with and use as an improvisation Base is Next Time You See Me by James Cotton.
BTW. Both of these songs happen to be tradebit videos of Adams. ----------
