16 replies to this topic

[breakfast]

Unfortunately, I didn't do much research. I bought one in the key of D, and after searching for lessons online I learned that it's best to start with C. Damn!

Oh well, it's a Hohner Blues Harp MS and it sounds great. I already own a Hohner acoustic guitar so I've had previous good experience with their products.

I sat on the bus today wheezing pathetically through it and annoyed half the passengers. It was great!

[FatJim]

Well, nowadays I play more with a D than a C. The reason most folk will tell you to buy C is that almost all instructional material uses a C harp. But you can use the same books etc with your D harp. Use the same holes, it'll just sound higher in pitch than any recordings that go with the instruction.

Anyway welcome to the wonderful world of the harmonica!

[breakfast]

Interesting. Well, tomorow's payday so it might be worthwhile to invest in a C harp anyway. A gift to myself for earning a 25 cent raise! Ha.

It's interesting going from playing the violin and the guitar to playing a reed instrument. I've found that my mouth isn't nearly as coordinated as my hands are.

(yeah yeah that sounds dirty I know)

Anyway, attempting to get the hang of using my tongue and controlling my breath at the same time is proving difficult. Any tips for the poor string player? (My fingers, which apparently my brain associates with music making, keep wanting to move when I play!)

Promise to update as I improve, if any of y'all are interested.

[ElwoodJones]

Breakfast.. Don`t wory about your fingers flailing around... Man Great harp players do the same thing. Ever watch Charlie Musselwhite? his seem to always be moving but as long as you've got your tight seal around the harp it won`t sound any different from the guys who have their hands perfectly cupped around it..

EJ

[Dauber]

Well, I did some harmonica shopping myself. I just signed up for a "Chicago Blues Harp" class at the Old Town School of Folk Music. Even though I don't know how to play, some years ago I went on a harmonica frenzy and bought a bunch at an indy music store (Monmouth Music in Red Bank, NJ). The class requires a ten-hole diatonic harmonica in C, and I'm thinking, 'eyyy! No sweat! i MUST have one in C somewhere; you can't GET multiple harmonicas without a least one being in C! Why...that's the most common key!

So I dug out my box of small music accessories (guitar picks, slides, etc.) and found the harmonicas I bought....D, G, and...E!! Yup, no C!!!

So today I went to Guitar Center during my lunch break (very close to Kingston Mines, one of the great blues joints in Chicago) and bought a Hohner Marine Band harmonica in C.

I can't wait...been wanting to take a class at the Old Town School for years...now that I finally live in Chicago it's gonna happen! (And thanks to the tuition reimbursement policy where I work, it'll end up being free!)

Can't wait to learn...

[FatJim]

WOW! just looked up Chicago Old Town School of Folk Music on the web and there are three harmonica tutors listed. Two I've not heard of, but the third is Joe Filisko. If Joe Filisko is one of your tutors, you are in for a treat - he's without doubt the finest harmonica customiser in the business and he an awesome player.

[enrico.reb]

I can't define me an expert, but i own a C and a A harp and i prefer the C.

[Scott]

Your work reimburses your tuition for anything you want to take? I would only have expected that if it was related to your job. Wish I could find a company like that and do my Microsoft certifications.

[Dauber]

Scott said:

Your work reimburses your tuition for anything you want to take? I would only have expected that if it was related to your job. Wish I could find a company like that and do my Microsoft certifications.

Well...I'm HOPING they will, considering they reimbursed one of my coworkers for a non-credit cooking class because he wanted to learn how to cook, and I know they reimbursed for some weird self-awareness workshop my ex-boss was involved in. Heck, even if they don't reimburse me, 1) it's cheap, and 2) it's probably worth it.

[Dauber]

FatJim said:

WOW! just looked up Chicago Old Town School of Folk Music on the web and there are three harmonica tutors listed. Two I've not heard of, but the third is Joe Filisko. If Joe Filisko is one of your tutors, you are in for a treat - he's without doubt the finest harmonica customiser in the business and he an awesome player.

Well...1) he's not the scheduled teacher for the class, and 2) they called me yesterday to tell me the class was cancelled due to low enrollment. They offered me a refund or another class. So I took an hour to peruse the site and literally by accident discovered this class:

http://tinyurl.com/22m9yo

I pounced on it like Heather Mills on a millionaire!

[FatJim]

Dauber said:

I pounced on it like Heather Mills on a millionaire!

LOL!:lol:

Shame about the harp class, but that looks fun!

[bluesharp]

Dauber said:

I pounced on it like Heather Mills on a millionaire!

Nice one!!

[Dauber]

FatJim said:

WOW! just looked up Chicago Old Town School of Folk Music on the web and there are three harmonica tutors listed. Two I've not heard of, but the third is Joe Filisko. If Joe Filisko is one of your tutors, you are in for a treat - he's without doubt the finest harmonica customiser in the business and he an awesome player.

Okay, I know I'm replying to this thread nearly a year after the message I'm replying to, but...I'm in the blues harp class now, and my instructor seems to WORSHIP Joe Filisko; in fact, I think Joe is his boss. We use his tablatures in the class. Also...Joe's Chicago Blues Harp IV classes begin with a jam session, and everybody in that class is, at this level, a harmonica expert...my instructor says that he's been playing on stage since he was 12 years old and doesn't mind playing in front of people at all, but he will NOT play in front of Joe because he takes notes!

And for a BB connection...I heard Joe lives in Joliet...

[FatJim]

Thought you guys might want to see a clip of Joe in action, playing a selection of DeFord Bailey tunes. His breath conttrol here is amazing!

[Dauber]

FatJim said:

WOW! just looked up Chicago Old Town School of Folk Music on the web and there are three harmonica tutors listed. Two I've not heard of, but the third is Joe Filisko. If Joe Filisko is one of your tutors, you are in for a treat - he's without doubt the finest harmonica customiser in the business and he an awesome player.

Well, I just signed up for Chicago Blues Harp IV.

Guess who the instructor is.

Each class starts with a full-band jam. Once he hears me play, he'll probably boot my ass back to Chicago Blues Harp III.

[Dauber]

FatJim said:

WOW! just looked up Chicago Old Town School of Folk Music on the web and there are three harmonica tutors listed. Two I've not heard of, but the third is Joe Filisko. If Joe Filisko is one of your tutors, you are in for a treat - he's without doubt the finest harmonica customiser in the business and he an awesome player.

Well, I'm now in Joe's Chicago Blues Harp IV class...man, I'm sure I shouldn't be in it -- those guys are REALLY good! The class starts out with a jam, complete with a three-piece band, and whoever wants to get up and play gets up and play...last night's jam went on for well over an hour! I've yet to get the nerve to get up and play...I'm learning Little Walter's "Sad Hours" and have been practicing since the summer and still haven't made it past the second verse, but one of the guys in the class said that if I were to get up and do that, I definitely wouldn't be the first to do just two verses.

I've heard a lot of stuff about Joe's classes from other people, and the impression that I got was that he's an intimidating harmonica nazi...and it turns out that's totally NOT the case -- he's very encouraging, and a really nice guy who loves to cut up...and ABSOLUTELY talented...

I don't think I'll repeat his level IV class, though, at least not for a long time -- again, I don't feel I'm advanced enough really (I've only been playing since February!), and also it meets on a weeknight...I'm just totally dead on weeknights...I'm going to go back to level III for a couple of more spins...but really, for the money I paid for the course, it's more than worth it just to hear other folks play -- they're really, really good...

[Ghostbluesman]

Dauber said:

...an intimidating harmonica nazi...

"Illinois harmonica nazis...."

"I hate Illinois harmonica nazis."


Rob