I picked up a Harmonica for the first time at 63 A 93 year old patient with Dementia plays one. I started trying to play mine while he was playing his. It fits in my uniform pocket and when his dementia turns aggresive my playing makes him pick up his and settles him His tips 1 Slow Down 2 Feel the Music 3 You're getting better Every day 4 Trust in Yourself 5 Enjoy. I'm now 64 and a very competent beginner 😊
I played baritone tuba in school. I quit because the lessons were boring. The teacher would never let me work ahead in the book (despite having a mother who played trumpet who was able to help me with the lessons). I've got ADHD with hyperfocus and basically, his style of teaching basically prevented me from using hyperfocus and just made me focus on the boring part. I joined choir instead, where we actually learned stuff we were going to perform. I took some music theory along the way but never learned an instrument beyond about 7th grade. (I've got wrist problems that hampered my efforts at piano and guitar). When I started harmonica I knew I had to work with my ADHD. For the first 6 months I basically just used it as a fidget tool. When the ads came on in TV I'd play notes. I didn't even focus on trying to learn specific songs. All I was doing was interval training. By making it pure fidget I was able to play around with it enough so after a few months I'd internalized the intervals. At that point I was able to play pretty much any song I could whistle or hum the melody to... I mean, not well, but well enough that if someone else knew the song they'd be able to tell what I was playing. At that point practice wasn't frustrating because I could hear the results. From their, by dumb luck, I stumbled on Adam's channel and ended up on his forum. I joined a band, wrote songs, had fun... I remember being bored by music theory way back in school because I didn't have an instrument to work through it with, but I remembered most of the basics and was finally able to apply them. (Applying theory with singing is a lot harder. I've got relative pitch, but not quite perfect pitch. I do notice when songs aren't in the key I'm used to hearing them in but can't name the key unless I have sat down and keyed the song before). It was a really weird way to learn harmonica, but 15 years later I'm still at it. There are certainly players out there who are better than me (one of the perils of the harmonica forums... one second you are talking to a bunch of new players feeling pretty good about your playing, the next second you get back to back to back posts from Charlie Musselwhite, Jason Ricci and Winslow Yerxa) but I make music that I like. I do wish I'd started younger. I didn't really get into harmonica until my mid to late 30s. It's not so much I think I missed out on some developmental milestone though, as wishing I'd been able to play when I still had hair and was 'cool'. :p
I think some of it is what you are trying to do. I started in April and I just wanted to be able to play taps at a Veteran's funeral. I've never had any interest in playing music before and I am past my prime. I've picked up several beginner tunes since then. I figured out there are several tunes that I like that are beginner level. Listen to the song and check out the tabs. Pretty much my method. Stilll struggle bending a 2 draw (Suprise!).
Currently I have only one problem with the harmonica. On the diatonic models I simply for the life of me can not manage a bend. I suppose that the reason may stem from having bought cheapie pieces in the beginning. As for the rest, I am having a blast. I love my tremolo models, and I am slowly working towards getting more of them in different keys, somewhat of a challenge I may add. The few tremolos I have ai play with the electric piano in church now and then, and I am enjoying them a stack . Bending notes however is up there with a few other impossible things in my view.
I'm glad you're having a blast. Here is a link to my beginner lesson on bending - see if that helps: ruclips.net/video/67ZbI4S-hTQ/видео.htmlsi=j2kH5v4px0aMFK6i Even if you're not a beginner it's always good to go and review the basics! Cheers!
Look in your 40s 50 60 and more you will have fun but like taking up tennis your never going to be playing the US open or Wimbledon. This is click bait just tell the truth. 95% take up harmonica because they think it is an easy ride. All the good harp players and are very few play other instruments and have very good working knowledge of composition and harmony. You have thousands of students yet where are the results. I never hear you running a progression at pace rooted in 7th or 8th position. So it is what it is.
Had to stop you for a second. Schools do not teach about learning styles anymore, it's a debunked concept at this point, everyone is every style. I teach maths and the approach now (which still could get debunked, but it's much more solid at this point with evidence from neuroscience too) is more about Concrete, Pictorial and Abstract. Concrete learning generally involves physical manipulatives and is generally why people have good arithmetic with things like money, we do this a lot with children as it's the easiest way to learn and involves a lot of doing rather than thinking. Pictorial is more about representations of concepts using diagrams, and then Abstract is generally using symbols to represent things. Many students find it difficult to jump straight into the abstract (people who are "good at maths" are better at jumping straight into the abstract) and so more Pictorial representations are normally advantageous (which gave rise to the idea of a "visual learner"), but even this can be difficult for some people so going further back and getting Concrete representations (where possible), is advantageous. ...aaaaand back to the harmonica lessons which I thank you for! =)
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I picked up a Harmonica for the first time at 63
A 93 year old patient with Dementia plays one.
I started trying to play mine while he was playing his.
It fits in my uniform pocket and when his dementia turns aggresive my playing makes him pick up his and settles him
His tips
1 Slow Down
2 Feel the Music
3 You're getting better Every day
4 Trust in Yourself
5 Enjoy.
I'm now 64 and a very competent beginner 😊
Started 8 months ago at 51.. but still at it. Just having fun. Love these videos
I played baritone tuba in school. I quit because the lessons were boring. The teacher would never let me work ahead in the book (despite having a mother who played trumpet who was able to help me with the lessons). I've got ADHD with hyperfocus and basically, his style of teaching basically prevented me from using hyperfocus and just made me focus on the boring part. I joined choir instead, where we actually learned stuff we were going to perform. I took some music theory along the way but never learned an instrument beyond about 7th grade. (I've got wrist problems that hampered my efforts at piano and guitar). When I started harmonica I knew I had to work with my ADHD. For the first 6 months I basically just used it as a fidget tool. When the ads came on in TV I'd play notes. I didn't even focus on trying to learn specific songs. All I was doing was interval training. By making it pure fidget I was able to play around with it enough so after a few months I'd internalized the intervals. At that point I was able to play pretty much any song I could whistle or hum the melody to... I mean, not well, but well enough that if someone else knew the song they'd be able to tell what I was playing. At that point practice wasn't frustrating because I could hear the results. From their, by dumb luck, I stumbled on Adam's channel and ended up on his forum. I joined a band, wrote songs, had fun... I remember being bored by music theory way back in school because I didn't have an instrument to work through it with, but I remembered most of the basics and was finally able to apply them. (Applying theory with singing is a lot harder. I've got relative pitch, but not quite perfect pitch. I do notice when songs aren't in the key I'm used to hearing them in but can't name the key unless I have sat down and keyed the song before).
It was a really weird way to learn harmonica, but 15 years later I'm still at it. There are certainly players out there who are better than me (one of the perils of the harmonica forums... one second you are talking to a bunch of new players feeling pretty good about your playing, the next second you get back to back to back posts from Charlie Musselwhite, Jason Ricci and Winslow Yerxa) but I make music that I like. I do wish I'd started younger. I didn't really get into harmonica until my mid to late 30s. It's not so much I think I missed out on some developmental milestone though, as wishing I'd been able to play when I still had hair and was 'cool'. :p
57 started about 55 ... Found your lessons helpful along with Mr Gussow , Mooncat , Will Wilde and others ... Repetition is the secret
Glad to hear you're finding the lessons useful! Yep, agree that repetition is the secret!
My tip for any age. Learn a song of Liam's. I've recently tabbed out and taught myself two. Great fun.
Liam, thank you so much. I need to know how to overblow hole 4, 5 and 6. Looking forward to your explaination. Regards from Indonesia.
I think some of it is what you are trying to do. I started in April and I just wanted to be able to play taps at a Veteran's funeral. I've never had any interest in playing music before and I am past my prime. I've picked up several beginner tunes since then. I figured out there are several tunes that I like that are beginner level. Listen to the song and check out the tabs. Pretty much my method. Stilll struggle bending a 2 draw (Suprise!).
Currently I have only one problem with the harmonica.
On the diatonic models I simply for the life of me can not manage a bend. I suppose that the reason may stem from having bought cheapie pieces in the beginning.
As for the rest, I am having a blast. I love my tremolo models, and I am slowly working towards getting more of them in different keys, somewhat of a challenge I may add. The few tremolos I have ai play with the electric piano in church now and then, and I am enjoying them a stack .
Bending notes however is up there with a few other impossible things in my view.
I'm glad you're having a blast. Here is a link to my beginner lesson on bending - see if that helps: ruclips.net/video/67ZbI4S-hTQ/видео.htmlsi=j2kH5v4px0aMFK6i
Even if you're not a beginner it's always good to go and review the basics!
Cheers!
been watching your vids but still don't know how to play harmonica 😞
There's 5 minutes of my short life I Will never get back.
At the young age of 64 I wish I started years ago never mind
At the moment I sound like a cats chorus 😂
Look in your 40s 50 60 and more you will have fun but like taking up tennis your never going to be playing the US open or Wimbledon. This is click bait just tell the truth. 95% take up harmonica because they think it is an easy ride. All the good harp players and are very few play other instruments and have very good working knowledge of composition and harmony. You have thousands of students yet where are the results. I never hear you running a progression at pace rooted in 7th or 8th position.
So it is what it is.
Had to stop you for a second. Schools do not teach about learning styles anymore, it's a debunked concept at this point, everyone is every style.
I teach maths and the approach now (which still could get debunked, but it's much more solid at this point with evidence from neuroscience too) is more about Concrete, Pictorial and Abstract. Concrete learning generally involves physical manipulatives and is generally why people have good arithmetic with things like money, we do this a lot with children as it's the easiest way to learn and involves a lot of doing rather than thinking. Pictorial is more about representations of concepts using diagrams, and then Abstract is generally using symbols to represent things.
Many students find it difficult to jump straight into the abstract (people who are "good at maths" are better at jumping straight into the abstract) and so more Pictorial representations are normally advantageous (which gave rise to the idea of a "visual learner"), but even this can be difficult for some people so going further back and getting Concrete representations (where possible), is advantageous.
...aaaaand back to the harmonica lessons which I thank you for! =)
Top tips brush what's left of your teeth and don't suck breath