I took piano lessons when I was in second grade. I was taught by a nun at Most Holy Trinty in St Louis Park, MN. I remember being reluctant to practice, and reading music was akin to Mandarin to me. One of my neighbors and playmates was Philip Teslow. Philip learned to play the piano, and I understand he could make a living doing it as an adult. The lesson here, Practice makes perfect.
https://www.facebook.com/phil.teslow
When I began my series of midlife crises, I thought I would learn how to play the guitar. Again the discipline of practice and the inability to read music lead to a mediocre result. I can't remember what happened to my guitar. I'm sure I gave it to someone
https://www.facebook.com/phil.teslow
When I began my series of midlife crises, I thought I would learn how to play the guitar. Again the discipline of practice and the inability to read music lead to a mediocre result. I can't remember what happened to my guitar. I'm sure I gave it to someone
.After my father's death, I had the task of going through his 'things.' One of the things I found was a harmonica. It was a Horner Tremelo in the key of G. It had an excellent sound, but it had a wood comb, which can be hard on your lips or tongue depending on your technique.
I guess that the last sentence foreshadowed my track. I messed around with that 'harp.' But I was still struggling to try how to figure out how to play it properly. To my astonishment, I could play along with some songs. I was surprised that some of my efforts sounded reasonably good.
I took a couple of lessons and found out what caused my off-and-on performance. My teacher informed me that harmonica musicians have to switch instruments depending on the music's key. I added harmonicas in some of the standard keys that the music I enjoyed was performed in. The other critical thing from my teacher is that I could play by ear, meaning I didn't have to read music. Soon, I was filling in the range of keys of my harmonica's.
Bob Van Asten introduced me to his pals in what has become The Expansion Band. This group has been meeting informally for years. As for me, my first meeting with the gang was the first time I played for anyone, much less other musicians. The name is perfect in that the band gets together, usually every Wednesday evening, at someone's home or another venue. Sometimes we have twelve or more people show up, and on other occasions, we've played with six.
In this group, I met Lee Nimmer. Lee is an accomplished harmonica player and performer. He guided me down the path of learning the etiquette of band performance. I learned when it was my turn to solo. I found a time to quit playing and let the other guys solo reign over the song. I now know how to play in the background and what technique to use to add to the mood or message of the music. Lee encouraged me to play through a microphone. That was frightening because it meant it amplified my mistakes. In the spirit of honest respect for Lee, I tell people I'm the second chair harmonica in the Expansion Band.
I'm not comfortable calling myself a musician. I play with musicians, but I humble enough to know I'm welcome and appreciated, but I haven't paid the dues most of my band members have.
I took a couple of lessons and found out what caused my off-and-on performance. My teacher informed me that harmonica musicians have to switch instruments depending on the music's key. I added harmonicas in some of the standard keys that the music I enjoyed was performed in. The other critical thing from my teacher is that I could play by ear, meaning I didn't have to read music. Soon, I was filling in the range of keys of my harmonica's.
Bob Van Asten introduced me to his pals in what has become The Expansion Band. This group has been meeting informally for years. As for me, my first meeting with the gang was the first time I played for anyone, much less other musicians. The name is perfect in that the band gets together, usually every Wednesday evening, at someone's home or another venue. Sometimes we have twelve or more people show up, and on other occasions, we've played with six.
In this group, I met Lee Nimmer. Lee is an accomplished harmonica player and performer. He guided me down the path of learning the etiquette of band performance. I learned when it was my turn to solo. I found a time to quit playing and let the other guys solo reign over the song. I now know how to play in the background and what technique to use to add to the mood or message of the music. Lee encouraged me to play through a microphone. That was frightening because it meant it amplified my mistakes. In the spirit of honest respect for Lee, I tell people I'm the second chair harmonica in the Expansion Band.
I'm not comfortable calling myself a musician. I play with musicians, but I humble enough to know I'm welcome and appreciated, but I haven't paid the dues most of my band members have.
Comments
Post a Comment