Dec-13-04 3:48am  

Hi all,

I just joined. I live in Melbourne, Australia and only picked up a harp for the first time a week and a bit ago. Stumbled on a free workshop and was hooked.

I am a nearly 40-year-old frustrated musician from way back, having flirted with the piano, trumpet and guitar but never finding/making the time to continue with any of them. I'm hoping that the harp being so portable, this might be the one.

Progress has been pretty good so far - the kids can recognise what I'm playing, which is a good sign! Biggest challenge so far is capacity when drawing - I guess that will come with practice. Look forward to learning more from this site - and from its members.

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David

    

Dec-13-04 9:13am  [ re: djb21au ]

Hi David,

Mark from the UK here, good to have you aboard.

Breath control and just straight breathing is probabley the biggest problem when you first start out. I think one reason for this is that you put so much effort into hitting the right notes that you actually forget that you have to breath as well. Leaves you a bit blue in the face!

But hang in there. As you get more comfortable with your harp and the tunes, the breathing will come naturally.

Just enjoy making a noise with your harp, don't let the kids put you off when they fall on the floor laughing cause you hit a bum note. Play for your own enjoyment first and before you know it they will all be listening with their mouths open.

Oh one other thing you need to keep in mind. It is harder playing harp in Oz cause your upside down!

Keep harpin

Cheers

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Mark

    

Dec-13-04 4:34pm  [ re: djb21au ]

Hello and Welcome to the club David. From the bear.

I know what you mean about the breathing thing my friend. You see I have Emphysema (COPD) and am on oxygen 24 hours a day 7 days a week. I also have to use a couple of different inhealers just to help my breath. But you know what my friend, I have only been playing my harps for a couple of months now and I can see a big improvement in my lungs already.

You said your kids can recognise what you are playing! You must be pertty good at music. When I first started my dog bit me and my wife would throw rocks at me. Hang in there my friend it gets better.

As far as the learning thing goes David, you sure came to the right place. There is a lot of talent here at the club along with a super bunch of nice folks that are willing to and want to help us newbies out. I have learned a lot here myself. But be careful some of us like to kid around sometimes. It makes life a little more fun. Anyway any thing you need to know about harp playing you can find right here. As well as some tools/software to help you in your playing.

the bear said that

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BillyRay

    

Dec-13-04 6:28pm  [ re: bear ]

great to meet you. i'll find lots of good stuff here.


todd

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Todd

    

Dec-13-04 8:39pm  [ re: djb21au ]

Greetings, brother man!!!
Elmo here from Texas.
Welcome aboard! This is really a cool site with lots of good fun loving people that are ready willing and able to help with anything you might want to know about the harmonica.We all have one thing in common and that is to get better and better on the harp.Glad you are with us and look forwrd to talking with you in the members chat room someday.

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LARRY MOORE

    

Dec-13-04 8:52pm  [ re: djb21au ]

Thanks to all of you for your kind and welcoming words. Isn't the internet a wonderful thing! How else could I be comparing notes with people from the UK and Texas all in the same day?

I look forward to sharing my progress and hearing about yours.

Kind regards,
(upside down) David

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David

    

Dec-13-04 9:03pm  [ re: djb21au ]

Hey David,
Nice to meet you! We have a couple of other upside down guys in the club so watch out for them.Now you can exchange notes with a guy from the great northwest of the U.S.A. too.
Ralpht

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Ralph

    

Dec-14-04 4:22am  [ re: Ralpht ]

Don't forget the bear! Who lives on top of a mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains in Western North Carolina USA.

And your right David, this internet stuff is mind boggling. we can actully go into the Voice Chatroom and talk to people all over the world at the same time.
Its Fantabulously Wonderfullistic

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BillyRay

    

Dec-14-04 11:19am  [ re: bear ]

welcome david or should i say as i have before (gidday mate). glad you joined us to learn and have fun . as well as share our harping experiences with each other. only keep a close eye on elmo and bear they have a tendency to go a little wild on you at times. no one need tell you this it will become apparent with time. and just an (fyi) seamus is actually pronouced (shamus). I am the spider here, and there, as well there, and so on so welcome to the webb.oh yeah and sometimes ralph gets a little frisky also! later bro welcome.

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drew

    

Dec-16-04 2:30am  [ re: djb21au ]

Welcome to the club David. You are among friends. I never had any idea how many harp players the were before I became a member. I also live in the Pacific Northwest of the USA in Portland, Oregon.
jim

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Jim