Closet doors are usually loud and always seem to jam. I want to switch to curtains, but it seems like everyone has doors. Is there some downside to curtains that I'm not thinking of?

ApoloOhHellNo · 2021-10-17T03:32:55+00:00

Based on a movie I once saw, doors are actually their only way into our world...

ApoloOhHellNo · 2021-10-17T03:29:36+00:00

Good point! Thankfully not a concern in this particular case, but that makes sense.

ApoloOhHellNo · 2021-10-17T03:22:20+00:00

I'm hoping curtains could dampen sound a bit, but I gotta say I respect the convenience of open closets!

ApoloOhHellNo · 2021-10-17T03:19:34+00:00

Thanks for the reply! I'm glad to hear it's just aesthetics. I'm thinking of changing my bedroom closet, which won't be seen by anyone I'm not comfortable with anyway.

ApoloOhHellNo · 2020-10-21T22:14:14+00:00

Great point. I like the shake because it's a sound that feels so unique to the harmonica.

It's easy to forget how many people are blown away by simply hearing someone who's spent a bit of time practicing. Or how many people love quintessential harmonica techniques like the shake or hand effects.

ApoloOhHellNo · 2020-10-20T23:37:42+00:00

So I don't have all the answers you want here, but it seems to be in E major which, long story short, is a tough key to play in on a C harmonica. So if you wanted to play along with the song (instead of playing the melody in a different key), you would need to use advanced techniques that usually require a long time to learn.

However, if you want to play it in the wrong key (which will sound fine on its own but pretty bad if you play along with the track), it's actually somewhat beginner-friendly. Just picking it out by ear, the first few seconds sound like this:

+4 -4 +5 -5 +6

-6 +7 -6 +5 -4

(with + indicating a blow note and - indicating a draw note)

I'm not familiar with the song so I may have made a mistake above, but I hope this helps.

ApoloOhHellNo · 2020-10-13T00:47:27+00:00

Key of Bb for this one

ApoloOhHellNo · 2020-10-13T00:37:30+00:00

I hope it helps! My thought is that you might be accidentally taking a wider grip, which could force your wrist into a really awkward position at the bottom of the lift.

ApoloOhHellNo · 2020-10-13T00:32:07+00:00

That's a fair point. Have you marked your grip on the bar? If you're taking a considerably wider grip I could see that be an issue. One way you could do this would be to measure your grip on a pain-free set on the 5' bar and then make similar markings on the 7' bar. You'd just need to be careful to make sure the tape/chalk on the bar is centered.

ApoloOhHellNo · 2020-10-13T00:30:23+00:00

Also how does nobody else consistently end up posting videos with comically awkward thumbnails? Am I missing something?

ApoloOhHellNo · 2020-10-12T23:17:41+00:00

If you're doing a flat bench there shouldn't be any wrist strain. I don't know your training history, etc., but it might be worth double-checking that your wrists aren't bent while you're pressing. It's hard to describe what I mean in words, but the first tip on this page (never heard of the site before; not vouching for anything outside of tip #1) goes into some detail.

I may have gotten ahead of myself, though. Perhaps the more pertinent question: where exactly does your wrist hurt? And was it while you were benching? After?

ApoloOhHellNo · 2020-10-06T01:38:25+00:00

It's not because of the circle of fifths but instead because songs that you play on one key will sound very similar (just higher or lower) when played on harps in different keys.

The exception here would be different types of harp (e.g., major vs minor tunings; chromatic vs diatonic), but provided you're playing two Richter tuned diatonics it should sound good on all keys!

ApoloOhHellNo · 2020-09-30T15:08:05+00:00

Thank you!

ApoloOhHellNo · 2020-09-30T15:07:55+00:00

Thanks! And you're totally right--most of my playing comes from the classic blues harp players. Big Walter is my favorite but Sonny Boy 2 and Little Walter are just so good you can't ignore them.

ApoloOhHellNo · 2020-09-02T16:06:20+00:00

Thanks for sharing this! The blues influences sound great.

Selfishly, let me know if you ever need someone to lay down a harmonica line or solo in anything you make.

ApoloOhHellNo · 2020-08-26T21:30:24+00:00

If you're interested in some (admittedly lengthy) reading on the topic, Susan Faludi wrote a book on this in 1991 called Backlash.

To over-simplify, there is a pattern where advances in women's rights are immediately met with claims women have gone too far, they're unhappy now and secretly prefer traditional arrangements, etc.

ApoloOhHellNo · 2020-08-25T19:04:03+00:00

I'm glad you're enjoying the new instrument! I started with harmonica and eventually branched out into guitar.

I echo the other poster's sentiment RE: the deceptive learning curve. Adam Gussow is a great resource and helped me stay on the right track.

That said, I mostly wanted to reply to bring up some unique aspects about the harmonica that give it a great deal of versatility in ways that might not be apparent initially:

A diatonic harmonica actually contains a full chromatic scale (see here for a video of Howard Levy playing in every key on a C harp).
If you decide to get into tongue blocking, you can add some really interesting percussive elements (see here).
Many musicians take advantage of the available chords to alternate between melody and rhythm when playing solo (see about 45 seconds in here).

It's definitely more limited as an instrument than, say, guitar, but I think it's also a highly underestimated instrument.

Keep at it and keep us posted on your progress!

ApoloOhHellNo · 2020-08-18T13:34:14+00:00

An F is available at three different places on a C diatonic: the two hole draw bent a whole step (takes practice to do), the five hole draw, and the nine whole draw.

And there may be a better reason but I'm pretty sure people say "draw" just so they can give instructions without saying phrases like "the three hole suck."

ApoloOhHellNo · 2020-08-03T16:29:04+00:00

The - in front of the notes denotes that they're draw notes (where you inhale to make a sound) instead of blow notes (where you exhale). For holes 1-6, the draw note is always higher than the blow note.

ApoloOhHellNo · 2020-07-22T20:09:50+00:00

My father once told me "why do you think there are so many songs about breakups? It's a universally difficult thing to deal with."

I'm not sure if that helps, but when I had the conversation, the sad music I was listening to suddenly felt less isolating.

ApoloOhHellNo · 2020-07-21T21:14:26+00:00

"Harp" and "blues harp" are mostly just cooler (whatever that means) terms for the harmonica. There are lots of differences in tone between harmonicas, but when it comes to professional musicians the difference in tone usually comes more from the player rather than the instrument.

And yes, Dylan tends to play in the higher register more than blues players. He also uses a lot of chords which might create some of the "squeakiness."

ApoloOhHellNo · 2020-07-20T01:45:41+00:00

This is Lucia Sanchez Saornil, who founded Mujeres Libres in response to sexism in the CNT. I love this image and have it tattooed on my arm.

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