How to practice chromatic and diatonic
Hello Everyone;
I have being studying blues harp for a little more than one year with this great website which is helping a lot and is great fun.
I have been using a diatonic harp and just got a chromatic (cx12) which I really like.
My question to you is how should I approach the practice sessions. I practice one to one and a half hours a day.
I focus on the song studies. I do a song study on the chromatic and then a song study on the diatonic and then some bending practice and dynamics.
Would it be better to focus one day on the chromatic and the other day on the diatonic....
I would really appreciate your input.
Thanks
Thanks for the replay. I must say that when I switch from the chromatic to the diatonic on the same practice session I feel that the practice on the diatonic is easier.
personally I'd expect it to be easier to focus on one at a time. when you get very good at one the other should be relatively easy to pick up. Kinda like when my brother in law who's a guitar player comes over and plays my ukulele and he goes 'geez this thing is different' and all I can think is 'damn he plays well . He makes that little thing sound like a guitar. '
Definitely, I agree with you but I find it refreshing to switch between Chromatic and Diatonics keeps me motivated although I am more diluted in my practice...
My main focus is working through the LoA program so as I get a good foundation with the diatonic. I spend 2 hours +a day in the morning on the diatonic. I see the chromatic as complimentary in understanding and appreciating the harp and music more broadly so also study that instrument . In the evening and so as to give my wife some relief from my practice I put in 30 minutes with the chromatic whilst she is showering. Again I use the lessons provided by David on the site. I am fortunate to have the time and commit the time to maintain skill momentum. But to answer your question I find it better to practice both instruments every day. Miss a day and it's two steps forward and one back. In short for me 15 min a day is preferable to 30 min every second day but it must be purposeful practice. That's just my experience others may have different views.