What is your MAGIC TUNE?

[Mitch Grainger]

#25012

Hi Guys,

The re-play of this past weekend’s webinar entitled “Pure Practice Power” is now online.

One of the key topics I covered in this webinar was the idea of introducing a “Magic Tune” to your practice schedule.

This magic tune is what I call a power goal and should be a tune (or solo) that you would really enjoy playing, but it requires some practice for you to play it well.

So my question is, WHAT IS YOUR “MAGIC TUNE”?? ⚡️ 🎶

(If you could play any tune on the harmonica what would it be)

[Freddie]

#25016

First of all I loved how much that webinar opened up my world… It was like you think you know your whole house and you peek in your wardrobe And there’s Narnia! I had heard of overblows but didn’t fully understand them and then grasping the complexity of what you were aiming to accomplish…It was super inspiring!

So my magic tune is going to be a journey. Ok I’m reaching high, but I haven’t been living up to my potential and I want to make a committed leap in my playing so I’m aiming for picking out John poppers Solo on rebelutions “The closer I get” by ear. I am on #9 of the Lick library, so my plan is to finish the Lick library series and go through the course again… I’m half way through now… and Patrice scales along the way and slowly pick this song apart!

My second task is starting to play some Sonni Terri licks

And last but not least I’m going to start off by picking out the melody to “The muppet show” Because that was my ultimate jam as a kid!

I was scared to post this but I figured that if I posted this that I would have to be accountable to you all, so here I go!
I am going to set up a new practice schedule And I know it sounds like a lot to bite into but… hey I feel hungry! 😂🍔 🎵

[Jonathan]

#25036

Hey y’all. Well I must be going crazy. I certainly wrote out a reply to this but hey ho, guess I didn’t save it, doh!! ‘Freebird’ solo is my magic tune. Will Wilde plays it on YouTube and it’s awesome. One day haha

[Freddie]

#25038

Ha! I thought the same thing about myself… Like… I could a swore that Jonathan left a response😂 but I’m glad I saw this a second time because it reminded me that I wanted to check that YouTube out. Nice persevering lol!

[Jonathan]

#25039

Cheers Shawn. I’m not ready to invest the time in Freebird yet. I will! I’ve been spending time looking around the web at all sorts of harp stuff the last few months so I’ve neglected my learning a little. I’ve made progress with scales, arpeggios, bending and now blow bending but I’m back working through Mitch’s steps as well as the other stuff. I’m still mad keen playing and listening to harp. Hat off to Mitch for Over The Rainboe, now that’s a challenge. How you playing going?

[Freddie]

#25046

First of all… That free bird Solo… WHAAAAT?!! He is straight up Jedi on that solo note for note! That was very inspiring… Thank you! I think that’s the coolest thing about music is that once you crack the code of picking music out by ear you just listen and play anything. And ya my playing is going good right now. I definitely went through a period for a while there where it felt like I was just playing the minimum amount necessary to just keep the fire alive. Then things in my life have started to shift and I’m glad that I kept that going because I can totally feel a revival of inspiration in me to play. Like I feel catching the wave vs. fighting the current. But it’s all necessary in the whole scheme of things I feel. Playing even little bits through the hard times I feel built up a lot of strength when the energy in my life started to shift. And lately I’ve been really enjoying playing to the radio. I have been using it like a funky metronome. Each song presents a new rhythm, tempo, melody… etc. Its great because you have to listen for which harp to grab and then I practice some rhythm harmonica, play scales up and down, pick out the melody, or play some improv and usually a little bit of everything.

And I truly look forward to hearing that Solo one day! I mean if you think about it in theory it’s no different than learning Mary had a little lamb. Sure it is obviously more complex and can seem more intimidating. And ya learning less complex songs would be good steps to be able to eventually work up to a song of that nature. But outside of that when i look at it all the notes are there on the harmonica… There just right there… it’s just picking them out and putting them together! Like he doesn’t have some super power to make the harmonica do something that we can’t do. I know for myself that watching people who are mastering their craft can seem so damn magical… So much so that it can put up this intimidating invisible wall between myself and them. But then I realize that that magic only happens by thousands of hours of getting the notes wrong and just not giving up. It’s like seeing behind the wizard of oz! Alright well that’s my soap box for the day!😂

Here’s to playing even a freakin note on the hardest days when you feel like hell and jamming on the good days when it is just so damn fun and feels so effortless!

[Jonathan]

#25055

I totally agree. Im constantly looking at new pieces and initially thinking it’s way too hard. Focused practice and pain always yields good results. I just need to focus on little sections at a time and it comes together nicely. Ill let you know when Freeboard is ready, haha…

[Freddie]

#25078

Confesso che solo da poco ascolto pezzi con l’armonica, ma ho già dei brani che mi fanno impazzire… il primo a venirmi in mente è questo… letteralmente da impazzire.

Ditemi cosa ve ne pare 🙏

[Jonathan]

#25126

Hi Sisio. There is so much great harmonica music out there. I listen to many genres of music with much of it now including harmonica. I started learning a year ago and found so much out there. Ive now restricted who I follow on the internet. I started following Jason Ricci a few months ago, I think he’s great, awesome musician and an interesting person, funny too. There are a few others I watch and follow including Mitch, class musician.

[Freddie]

#25449

I would love to learn to play Georgia on my mind. I still haven’t started learning. Just watched a few videos. Waiting to get the harmonica in the mail. I ordered the one Mitch mentioned because I don’t know much about them. Is it too high of a goal for the Magic Tune for a beginner?

[Mitch Grainger]

#25451

Hey Again Allen, not at all that’s a great magic tune, and is exactly what I’m talking about. You will need to set a few intermediate goals in order to play it, such as single holes and bending, but once you have those under control that tune is not too hard. 🎶

[Freddie]

#25641

Depending on the day, it’s probably Danny Boy, Blowin’ in the Wind, or Country Roads. Or I select a blues background tune on YouTube and improvise (or try to😀).

[Linda Stainton]

#25887

Hi Shawn, what a pretty melody that Firebird song is. I wonder if the harmonica is a chromatic because it sounds Stevie Wonder-ish and didn’t he play a chromatic harp? It seems to me that lots of movies from the 50s the 60s featured soundtracks with chromatic harmonica. Larry Adler was a great component. Meanwhile (having side-tracked there…) I had half-learned ‘Juke’ by Little Walter and other great tracks when I first started playing blues harp but haven’t nailed them as I got side-tracked by jams and bands. So many tunes, so little time. One day I hope! Happy practising of Firebird!

[Freddie]

#25903

Aazing and sweet melody by Shawn, sharing here is awsome for all members to share their experience here.

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