Slidemeister (Chromatic & related only - no Diatonic discussion) > Chromatic Playing Techniques

How to hold the chromatic

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beads:
Philip Achille recently posted a tutorial about holding the harmonica.

Age:
I guess I'm just bad! I see stuff like this as the same kinda "Knuckle wrapping, Classical bondage," that has more or less kept me away from classical music all my life. To me: IT JUST AIN'T ALL THAT COMPLICATED! There are people out there that subscribe to this kinda teaching to the letter, and wonder why they don't sound like he does, while at the same time time others play just as well and don't do any of that stuff. Nah! 8)

If it works for you; that's great, but I'd rather just play.  8)

"Stand like this,
head up,
shoulders back,
tip your pelvis up,
relax your fingers,
relax your jaw, 
tighten your neck,
relax your diaphragm,
put this foot here and that foot there,
hold this hand like so,
hold the button like so,
channel Chopin and Beethoven  yadayadayada."
Now enjoy yourself??? Impossible!

Sounds to me like "Eye on the ball," "Shoulder to the wheel,"  and "Nose to the grindstone!" and now lemme see ya get anything done working in THAT position!

Gimme a break!

Study the picture of one of my heroes below. It says it all for me (even the title of the CD - and in this case, especially the title) Sir Charles is a monster player, and he doesn't do any of that stuff and neither will I. Harrumph!  ;D

Age:
I don't wanna overcomplicate stuff. For me, I split the difference; half head and half hand movement. This reduces the effort of both componants by half. What could make more sense than that. (don't tell me, cuz I don't even care anymore. ;D)

The button finger? Again, who gives a rip? Whatever is so easy for me that it allows me to forget I'm even doing it, is how I roll. If it feels "organic" that's what I do. This way, all I hafta think about is the music. While all that other stuff would make a stuffy old maestro smile, it would only make me less of a player, and I couldn't afford that.

IMPO and YMMV of course. ;D

Grizzly:
Did you actually watch the video? Did you pay attention to what he was saying? Little of what he said was rigidly carved in stone. Left hand (with some variation for hand size), move the harmonica instead of the head (uncompromising), which actually makes some sense. I'm with you on that, BTW; I see no harm in meeting large leaps with an opposite head movement, which is almost unavoidable, IMO. The alternative, stationary harmonica and searching head movement really is counterintuitive. But at least in this episode, he was very free about how a player would use the right hand. I don't take what he says as Gospel. It's the approach that works for him, which he is sharing.

Tom

Age:
I watched up to the last minute or so and had enough. :P

No. Like I said, I'm not poo-pooing it per-say, just saying it's snot for me. :-\  As far as the "head movement," although he says not to move it, he does move his head as well! The way I see it, if he would loose that "move hand only" rule (that he breaks anyway) and divides the movements up evenly, he could be an even better player. (and we'd all like to see that)

The way I see it, anything we can learn from another player that actually works for us is gunna be a win-win; but for me (personally) I just see this particular technique as a loose-loose. :P ;D

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