Harpbear profile picture

Harpbear

About Me

Hello, Harpbear here!! I'm a quite young bear with fluffy white fur. My favourite thing is playing harp. People are often telling me to do other things like go outside, or talk to people, but I always tell them "I'd rather be playing my harp!"
I have been playing harmonica for about a year, so I'm still a beginner. At the moment (September 2007), I can play single notes and bend notes with tongue block (I'm trying to play pretty much everything with toungue block) and octaves, intervals. I can also do tongue slaps, chugging, throat vibrato, and throat tremolo.
I decided to make this page to keep a record of my practice - writing a blog about my practice and putting up recordings and photos. It is to encourage myself to carry on practicing but it also might encourage other beginners...and more over, it is wonderful to make friends with harp lovers, music lovers, and bear lovers!
Love & Peace
Harpbear x

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 22/09/2007
Influences: Little Walter, Big Walter Horton, George "Harmonica" Smith, Junior Wells, William Clarke, Sonny Boy Williamson I & II, Sonny Terry, Paul Butterfield, James Cotton, Paul Lamb, Kim Wilson, Rod Piazza, Tom Ball, Jason Ricci, Jerry Portnoy, Adam Gussow, Joe Filisko,
and Dennis Gruenling!
Sounds Like: Harpbear
Record Label: Unsigned

My Blog

Hand Wah-Wah

Still learning Sony Boy II's stuff. He does such an amazing hand wah-wah! Sealing hands is quite difficult for me as I've only got small paws. I see that Sonny Boy had really big hands...I guess I jus...
Posted by on Sat, 06 Oct 2007 23:33:00 GMT

Copying Sonny Boy Williamson II

I am now working on Sonny Boy II' s "Let Me Explain". This is hard!! But it has been a very good practice for me.The notes are quite simple but Sonny Boy plays all the notes so expressive! He also pla...
Posted by on Thu, 04 Oct 2007 13:53:00 GMT

Ta, Ta Da, Ta Da Ka Articulations

I am working on "Syncopating Chords" on Jerry Portnoy's "Blues Harp Master Class". This is quite tricky! I have to tongue slap, then articulate "Ta" or "Ta Da" or "Ta Da Ka". The last one is specially...
Posted by on Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:42:00 GMT

Chugging with Single Notes

I have been practicing chugging as Jerry Portnoy indicated in his "Blues Harp Master Class". This is a very good instruction box set -  comes with 3CDs and a book. Jerry is  a very good ...
Posted by on Mon, 24 Sep 2007 07:51:00 GMT

Big Walter Riffs - "Gonna Call the Angel"

Copying Big Walter's riffs form "Gonna Call the Angel". This song is from Johnny Shines' album "Evening Shuffle". Big Waltie sounds so good on this album! It will be a long long way for me to play lik...
Posted by on Sat, 22 Sep 2007 18:34:00 GMT

Bending Exercises

My bending  with tongue block is getting better but  it's not consistent. Sometimes  I can feel a good grip in my throat but  not always....gotta practice! Exercise 1 Hole3 draw -...
Posted by on Sat, 22 Sep 2007 03:41:00 GMT