[Harp-L] 1st Chromatic ?



I'm new to chrom, but I really like my Suzuki SCX-48 and SCX-56, both in C. Very airtight, nice consistent response, and not at all leaky, sticky or temperamental. I am able to focus on PLAYING instead of working at getting the instrument to respond properly. First chroms I've ever tried that I actually enjoy playing.

The 14 hole SCX-56 is useful, since it dips down to G below middle C, but the 12 hole SCX-48 seems just fine for a lot of material. I'm sticking to chroms in C for the time being because I like having an instrument where all the notes are always in the same location instead of having to transpose and change instruments to change keys, but YMMV. Now all I need to do is learn to play them.

Btw, bending more than a quartertone on a chrom seems to be problematic for me. But i found that I was able to get pretty comfortable working the slide by first learning to play the major (do- re-mi) scale in different keys and then immediately learning to play the blues scale in those same keys. The biggest adjustment for me was having to think in terms of SHARPS all the time since pushing in the slide takes you UP a half step. So, for example, to play the "blue notes" 3b, 5b, 7b you have to think/play 2#, 4#, 6#. But you get used to it. Chrom is truly a different instrument than the diatonic.

FWIW.

JP



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