Re: [Harp-L] Does Bill Barrett play altered tunings?

[Eric Nielsen <ericbarnak@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, Jun 4, 2010 at 12:38 PM, Gene Pool <subdomaintain@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Does anyone know if Bill plays altered tunings?  It sounded to me like the
> video on his myspace might be a C diminished chromatic.
>
> http://www.myspace.com/billbarrett23
>
>
>
> HI Gene,

I think Bill Barrett is great--and too little known.

The following is from an interview he gave:

*....Mark*: And your harps?

*Bill*: I just bring a few CX-12's in "C". They're all tuned the same way
with that bebop tuning. The bebop tuning is only slightly different; both of
the 4 blow notes are tuned down one whole step. The C becomes a Bb and the
Db become a B natural. The same is done on the blow notes for hole 8.

*Mark*: What does that give you that standard tuning doesn't?

*Bill*: First of all it gives you more choices as far as double stops are
concerned. Like if you were playing in F# you'd have another tri-tone there,
the E and the A#, or E and Bb. It gives you two more sets of tri-tones so
you've got all but two which means if you've got one tri-tone you can play
two dominant chords with it. So that's four more chords you can utilize. It
gives you a lot more two and three note possibilities to play
simultaneously. It also gives for more fluid and symmetrical blow playing.
If you have those redundant C's and Db's there's an awkward interruption
there. But the harp is still just insane. Somebody had to figure that they
were going to make the most difficult instrument to play jazz on....

By Mark Winborn
Contributing Writer
American Harmonica Newsmagazine

http://www.planetharmonica.com/ph4/VE/InterviewBBUK.htm

Eric

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