Re: [Harp-L] Ghost Notes

[fjm <mktspot@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have said repeatedly on this list that if what you're trying to do is 
play post war Chicago style blues on a harmonica a really really big 
clue as to how to figure it all out is by trying a JI harmonica. 
Dealing with that very flat 5 draw teaches you as much or more than just 
trying to copy the playing note for note.

I don't usually play 7 limit JI although the harmonica on my desk is a 
pre-war Marine Band G in 7 limit.  I do play 19 limit JI harmonicas a 
lot.  I find it hard to imagine giving up the splits and chords on 1 
through 5 and then 7 through 10.  The 1 and 3 draw then bent then the 
blow chord.  You can't do that and have it sound good in equal 
temperament.  My best solo all last night was completely chords and 
octaves leaning hard on the ghost tones.  I was playing through a 
borrowed Jonhson analog delay that had just that hint of a ring as you 
opened up the cup.  Lean heavily into the chord and close the cup and it 
all compresses so perfectly and then the extra tone appears and shimmers 
as you back off and move to the next split.  Maybe you can do that using 
ET but I haven't figured out how to do it yet.

I've come full circle.  A very long time ago I wrote a long letter to 
Hohner complaining about how out of tune their harmonicas were.  Why is 
the 5 draw so completely and utterly flat?  They never wrote back and i 
switched to Golden Melodies and then Lee Oskars and moved on.  Maybe 5-6 
years ago at a Buckeye Harmonica Festival I got to talking with Richard 
Sleigh about tuning.  One thing lead to another and before i knew it I'd 
bought the pre-war G and had Richard tune it up and remount the plates 
on a sealed comb.  He didn't touch the slots or the offsets.  I started 
playing that harmonica and as time went by my understanding of what I'd 
been missing started to emerge.  It's not for everyone and I'd never 
play single note stuff on 7 limit but there is an incredible wealth of 
technique and information contained in just playing this tuning and it 
isn't readily apparent.  or at least it wasn't to me but I am 
notoriously slow about these things. Buy an 1847, play the damn thing. 
See what happens.  fjm