How hard is harp playin?

[tubesornothing]

There are sooo many good blues songs that have harp in them.  So for a guy who can play piano, play pretty good guitar, sorta sing, definitely play with feel - how hard is harp playin?  I just don't want to spend the  money on a harp if it has a steep learning curve.  I used harp grosses me out.

[EL34]

Ahh harmonicas - the curse of the blues jams. 

It's not that hard to play blues scale harp's.

It is hard to play one well enough so that people actually want you to play at a blues jam. 

We used to cringe back home when we saw someone show up at a jam with a harp.
There were a ton of people that had them because they are easy to blow on and get some sort of note that seems to fit the scale.

It was a real pleasure to listen to a really good harp player, but they were far and few between.

Just get a blues harp in your favorite scale and see how it goes. (get a new one)

[Bassmanster]

I tried briefly.  I found note bending to be hard.

A friend of mine was a dilettante until I heard him blow a few notes and told him it sounded really good.  Then he went berserk and learned Musselwhite solos note for note.  He was a natural.

[tubenit]

I've got a friend (that I've lost track of thru moving) who plays great harp. He took lessons to get started and got to where he really good over about a 3-4 yr period.

I heard this guy with Muddy Waters several times and thought Jerry Portnoy was superb:

http://harpmaster.com/

Paul Butterfield and Charlie Musselwhite are good of course.

Sam Myers who played with Anson Funderburg was excellent:
http://www.sweetsammyers.com/

Darrell Nulisch plays well:
http://www.darrellnulisch.com/

Paul Black (& FlipKings) is really good:
http://www.amazon.com/King-Dollar-Paul-Black-Kings/dp/B000008QTJ

There are some great harp players out there and I've seen many of those I listed. Like EL34, I've heard some lousy harp players at blues jams but I've heard some lousy guitarists at jams also.
 

With respect, Tubenit

[tubesornothing]

Oh yeah - Sam Myers - just so happens that's one of the man's solos I want to do.  He is great.

OK guys, thanks all for the feedback.

[EL34]

Just don't torture people with that harp. 

Got to agree with Jeff on the guitar players at jams also.
There used to be this guy that would show up at the jams and ask to play
The jam host would not let him play most of the time.
I wondered why until they let him up one night.

He turned his back on the audience and started to make a bunch of squeek and squawk noises with the guitar.
He could not play a lick to save his life

The blues jam host went up mid song and told him to stop and get off the stage.
After that, he came over and started telling everyone that he was "A mother of a player"

It was so sad, but it was a great joke forever after that.

[tubenit]

Hey EL34, ......... I've seen "that" guy at some blues jams in Dallas, Tx also.
 
And except that I was smart enough to know I couldn't play (& never claimed I could)  ......... I've probably been the guy there without talent.
 

I've seen Anson many many times in Dallas along with Sam and previously with Darrell. Good shows!

Tubenit

[tubesornothing]

I've seen Anson many many times in Dallas along with Sam and previously with Darrell. Good shows!

Oh man oh man, that would be just great to see.  Another I love is Little Bill and the Blue Notes - not harp but a great band, and a great singer.  Makes me want to drink gasoline to make up for years of not hard enough living and get that raspy voice.

[2twang2]

ToN, I think you should give it a shot. Buy a decent harp--they're not that expensive but will be easier to play. I messed around with harp for a while just for fun (listening to Little Walter play Juke is still an all out amazing experience for me and that's what got me interested). I got to the point where I can bend, but didn't stick with it long enough to tongue block (see below).

I found playing harp to be very physically demanding. I played flute for many years, so knew about breath control and such, but you really gotta wrap your mouth around the harp to get good sound. Also, positioning and cupping your hands around the mike (you're basically over-driving everything to get that good, chewy blues tone). Then of course there are blow and draw notes, so in a run of notes you might be making frequent changes from in and out. And the really good players can use tongue blocking, which only allows certain combinations of notes to sound at once.

If you want some sources for harp training, feel free to PM me.

Pete

[Platefire]

Well I've been playing activly about one year now cross harp. I've always played straight harp all my life but cross harp sounds inspired because that was the sound I had been wanting all the time(blues bends). I'm getting better and can play a pretty decent blues lead line when my heads on straight and I'm feeling pretty good. Trying to be more consistant! I find that I come up short on lung power to do what I really want sometimes--but I'm working on it. Using your tongue to starve and block notes and hand cupping method takes a lot of practice to get right for sure. I haven't tried the bullet mic into a champ yet---I just use my regular vocal mike into the PA. When your doing lead vocals, playing lead guitar and harp too, it takes a lot of juggeling. I'm still working on the best method to switch from playing my rhythem backup, switch to harp--that involves doing something with your pick so you can properly cup, grabbing back your pick, getting rid of the harp to be on que to start back on the next verse with your vocals/guitar rhythem/lead. I have a pickholder that attaches to a mic stand that I use and sometimes stick my pick in cracks on your guitar around the pickguard or pickup--anywhere handy--I usually stick the harp back in my pants pocket. If you can play a decent blues lead guitar
it pretty easy to transfer those same type phrasings to cross harp IMHO--to those who have never played the blues before--would be a lot harder. My musician friends encourage me to keep it up so I must be doing OK? I sure don't want to be like the pest at the blues jams!!!

[2twang2]

That's cool, Plate! Sounds like you've been working hard at it. Combining harp with guitar and vocals has got to be hard.

I have three bullet mikes. Two are vintage, a Shure and an Astatic. They all sound different. Played through my 1950's Gibson Skylark or 1950's Supro Spectator (both are similar to the Champ), even with my limited skills just makes for an awesome sound. The Supro was previously owned by a harp player who would gig with it by mic'ing it to the PA. It has an awesome, dark, growly sound.

[Platefire]

I haven't got a bullet mic but I do have a small mic that came with a revere reel to reel that I converted to a guitar amp that might make a good harp mic---it just the right size too. I got a couple of SE amps that would work good---guess I should try it!

On the harp playing sometimes I amaze myself and other times what comes out is pure pitiful--har! I really need to be on top of my game to play good harp---sometimes when I'm feeling a little off, I skip the harp and throw in a guitar line instead. I can pretty well tell if I'm up for a good harp part or not. Plate

[madison]

He turned his back on the audience and started to make a bunch of squeek and squawk noises with the guitar.
He could not play a lick to save his life

The blues jam host went up mid song and told him to stop and get off the stage.

Hey man, that was me!!

Just kidding but I think I used to see "that guy" at open jams in Seattle too.

What's worse than "that guy" is "that band" from Peru that seems to follow me to every major city with their pan flutes!

[jjasilli]

A foggy memory from long ago:

Student to Zen Master:  "Master, how can I learn to play the flute perfectly?"
Master: "First make yourself perfect; then play the flute."

I'm sure this applies to harmonica's 

[Ritchie200]

I'm sure to offend....but I classify harp playing with keyboard players!  Meant to be barely seen and even less heard!   You know what I miss?  Back in the 70's you had Sabbath and Ozzy blowing the harp on their first album.  Led Zep and Plant blowing on many tunes.  And of course my fav, Purple and Gillan blowing on Lazy.  It's like a lost art.  Tastefully done, it is a fantastic addition.  But I have also heard the harp player afflicted with LSD (lead singer desease) and it is not good music.

Jim

[lightgauge]

have you ever seen tall paul and crawdaddy? crawdaddy is as good as it gets (imho) on harp.i've seen him many times,and even sold him a mike.if you get a chance to see them you will not regret it.