[Harp-L] re: An alternative view... Melody Makers



In reply to Winslow Yerxna:

>The bagpipe has survived and even flourished for thousands of years in
>dozens of countries without "widespread popularity and recognition". In
>most types of the instrument, there are only nine notes.

The bagpipe is a marginal instrument.

>Harmonica is certainly represented in popular music. But it will never
>dominate it the way guitar has for last fifty years.

Why not?

>Harmonica is also
>represented in many other musical styles. Blues is where it's most
>central to the music.

Yes.

>Interestingly, that's also where players figured
>out how to supply missing notes on he diatonic version of the
>instrument, making a major scale (and its pentatonic reduction)
>available in all three octaves and making the major pentatonic easily
>playable in three keys throughout the range of the instrument.

On the Richter version to be precise.

>It's
>also where players managed to utilize it in a manner that does not
>require a pure major scale.

Yes, and while it works in blues, it does not in pop, where the major
scale is required.

Melody Makers are the key to mainstream, it's as simple as that.

Regards,

Sergei

~
http://www.myspace.com/outlawbe




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