Journal #3: Section 2

During this lesson, I went over the section two of my textbook: First Sounds of the Harmonica.  The lesson focused on the different types of harmonica, basic chord progressions, how to play individual notes & some different playing methods. 

I started the lesson fairly excited.  I was able to figure out what type of harmonica I had in my possession (A Hohner Marine Band) and the importance of what type of key it was in, which is G. See, while in a band during high school (in which I played percussion), I remembered having played a lot of songs in G, and further, the best sounding ones were in G.  That was the basis for which I bought my G harmonica.

The book uses a C harmonica in most of its imagery, and that scared me at first.  It was a relief then, when I found out that all harmonicas are played the same regardless of key.  The only difference being in each riff is which key it is in. My book called this the “Principle of Harmonica Relativity.”

In this lesson I did a whole lot of fooling around and playing with my harmonica, the most exciting part. However, much it was rather difficult and I wonder how much I will actually have to pick-up and use to be able to play harmonica.  I had heard that playing the harmonica was rather easy, and thus far it seems rather difficult.  The book does a good job of making sure you enjoy playing, and just fooling around with your harmonica --- which makes me wonder something regarding research: How much can be taught and how much simply needs to be practiced.  Thus the line, practice makes perfect. 

I feel, after today, that I am comfortable holding and playing the harmonica and I also am excited to try out some of the different strategies for sounds when you play.  However, I am a little disconcerted that I do not have anything to “show” anyone after this lesson.

I think if I keep going on like this, I am going to annoy the hell out of the rest of the residents in my building.  To put what I just said into perspective --- the first song I played was the “train whistle.”  And I practiced it, quite a bit.

Possible research topics:

(1)  The inability of online education to teach skills (such as labs, etc.) because my only teacher is the book in front of me and any supplemental texts I am able to find. This reminds me of a ‘teacherless’ classroom.

(2)  The importance of feedback in education, assessment, etc. (because I am unable to get any). So maybe --- the importance of testing to teach someone a subject? To tell you what is important, etc.

(3)  The ability of prior knowledge in a subject to help with the learning in another (I have experience with music and therefore understand it, I wonder how much this helps).

(4)  How much practice is necessary to really “get something.” How much “out of class” time should be spent on something before you get it, etc.