Re: [Harp-L] Re: Diatonic Sounds on a Chromatic ("I was Banned")

[Slim Heilpern <slim@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Well said, Dave.

I would just add that while I have the deepest respect for folks who  
play any or all types of harmonicas, I really do enjoy the separation  
on Slidemeister. The reason is that in my case, except for a few  
months in my teens when I attempted blues on the diatonic, I've never  
played anything but slide chromatic (I mean aside from guitar). I  
don't currently have any motivation to start playing diatonic as I  
feel I have more to gain by concentrating on the thing I'm starting to  
get good at.

I love listening to great diatonic players, or great players on any  
instrument for that matter. And in fact it is the incredible players  
of all styles that add to the conversation here on harp-l that keeps  
me here. There are, of course, many things in common between diatonic  
and chromatic as Rob, Brendan, and so many others keep reminding me by  
their incredible example. But for me, diatonic _is_ a different  
instrument because I can't play it -- if it only required the same  
technique I have for chromatic, then I would think of it as the same  
instrument. I mean, I can get a sound out of it, but I can get a sound  
out of a saxophone too. It's not something I would do in front of  
anyone ;-).

So, all-chromatic discussion happens to be more on target for me, as  
it apparently is for a number of others as well. I read as much as I  
have time to on harp-l because I do find it all interesting and I do  
like the format and think it is very well run (thank you fjm!!), but I  
have learned more about my particular craft on Slidemeister. And A.J.,  
to his great credit, has made that forum a success. So, I'm fine  
playing by his rules, whatever works.... It's not the way I would have  
done it, but nothing to stop any of us from investing the time to set  
up our own forums with our own rules and see if anyone shows up or  
not. Personally, I'm thankful he puts in the effort on our behalf.

- Slim.


www.SlideManSlim.com
www.JazzHarmonicaSummit.com
www.SlideManSlim.com/blog

On Jun 3, 2010, at 6:46 PM, David Payne wrote:

> Here's my take on the slidemeister thing. I have never subscribed to  
> the belief of each type of harmonica being its own separate entity.  
> They are all harmonicas, chromatic, diatonic, tremolo, chord and I  
> play them all -minus a bass, which I don't have, with equal  
> enthusiasm. It would be like somebody playing alto saxophone  
> refusing to talk about tenor saxophones. That's really how I see it.  
> And, my originally being a strictly diatonic player from age 5 to  
> age 32 has made me a far different chromatic player than I would  
> have been otherwise.
>
> A.J. has nailed me a time or two, but I always understood the  
> justness his motivations. On the flip side of that, there's been  
> some times were I was flatout making references to Richter note  
> placement, but gave the disclaimer "I am talking about Richter  
> Chromatics of course" and he was OK with talk about the Richter  
> octaves and other double stops in that manner.
> Here is the deal: there is a pervasive dynamic at play here, besides  
> the fact it's his forum and he can do whatever he wants with it, he  
> has to deal with. Even though such division and exclusion is against  
> the very fiber of my love of all harmonicas, and I run my forum the  
> exact opposite way, I agree and support in general what he does. The  
> chromatic used to be more popular than the diatonic among serious  
> players at least, and in the last few decades, the diatonic has  
> usurped it. Chromatic players otherwise really don't have a place  
> where they can freely exchange with one another without being bogged  
> down by diatonic discussion. There are just so many diatonic players  
> out there. The chromatic harmonica needs for him to do what he does.  
> Slidemeister fulfills a real need for a place for them to discuss  
> what they do. There needs to be places like this for different  
> harmonicas, and there aren't, that's the main reason I started up  
> the chord harmonica
> board and the tremolo/octave board on the Elk River Harmonicas forum  
> a while back. As far as I know, there isn't such a forum for bass  
> harmonica players. Somebody ought to start one. If I were a bass  
> player, I would. We need to be talking about everything, to keep  
> everything alive and there are a million places to talk about  
> diatonics. That's why A.J. runs his ship the way he does.
>
> Dave