Re: [Harp-L] Muscle memory versus conceptual awareness

[philharpn@xxxxxxx]

At the risk of urging you to waste/invest more time, the answer to your question involves studying both the sax and harmonica. 


I don't think muscle memory or conceptual awareness has anything to do with it.



When you (or anybody) moves a tune from one instrument to another there are certain compromises. Just like in language, you cannot get a true translations from one language to another. There are always compromises because the same words and concepts don't exist is both languages. 


Muscle memory only gets you familiar with the instrument at hand. In this case, the chrome. Maybe you're using the wrong chromatic. Since saxes today are mostly Bb and Eb you might need a half-valved richter chromatic in Bb or Eb  to play straight or 1st position or Eb and Ab for second position. While all keys are created equal, some sound better than on a dedicated instrument because the range is better suited to match a Bb or Eb instrument.


 I only know of one company for sure that will make you a Bb, Eb or Ab chromatic in your choice of tuning -- equal temperament, compromise and just -- Seydel on a 12 hole chrome.  Plus th e range on sax -- Bb below treble staff to F three+  ledger lines above the staff. This range may require a custom layout for whatever key you decide on. 


I probably own some Herring chromatics in those bastard keys -- but I haven't checked them out lately and most likely never played any of them after I bought them from F and R Farrell back in the day.  I have no idea how you would purchase a Herring chromatic today. 




The second position may be the most efficient  for bent notes and glissando. The half-valved cuts down on air leakage and allows blow bends and draw  bends of at least a half-step.  (The richter  chromatic  has the same layout as a blues harp but the button raises all notes a half-step.)


Just like sliding from a piano black key to a white key -- Eb to E or Bb to B -- can be duplicated on a chromatic, it will never sound the same because of the different ways the glissando is produced. Timbre is only part of the problem. Joe Leone may have a solution to this problem with his position playing on the chromatic, which may require more than one custom chrome to handle a variety of keys.


Since you've done you homework (woodshedding) your next step is either to take up the sax or consult with a sax/harmonica player to determine what the real differences between the instruments are. At this point, you might be better off dealing with a sax player who plays jazz and jazz chromatic. 


Hope this helps
Phil
















 



-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Rubin <michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Mon, Jun 16, 2014 10:19 am
Subject: [Harp-L] Muscle memory versus conceptual awareness


Dear Harp-l,
I have spent the last year learning jazz saxophone solos note for note on
the chromatic.  I have always felt that I was faking it when I played a
jazz gig.  Recently I spent a couple of years studying theory and even took
about 10 lessons from Wim Dijkgraaf who I recommend and perhaps will study
further with later.  I would have continued but our schedules were not
matching.

In any case,  although I could play notes that made sense with the tune, I
still felt like I didn't sound like jazz.  At SPAH last year I went to Jens
Bunge's (Spelling?  I feel I am way off) class on jazz improvisation and he
talked a lot about transcribing solos note for note.  This was not the
first time I heard this information but for some reason I got inspired.

What is strange to me is I have transcribed hundreds of blues solos and
other music as well.  I spend LOTS of time transcribing with my students.
Why didn't I connect the dots with jazz?  Perhaps I felt daunted.

In any case,  I seem to spend around two weeks per song.  I learn the
entirety of what the sax player does on a song, so some songs are very
complex and I spend longer.   What I notice is I tend to be able to play
the song at 60% speed and then find it very hard to get faster and I also
lose my attention span.

So it would seem to me if I dedicated myself to memorizing every tune at
speed,  I would have much more muscle memory, but each song would take much
longer and I would get bored.

Whereas my current method gives me SOME muscle memory and feeds me new
information with every song improving my conceptual awareness of how people
play jazz.

 I sense my way is better for the way I learn but I am wondering if anyone
has opinions and reasons why I should work harder on memorization and
playing up to speed.
Thanks,
Michael Rubin
michaelrubinharmonica.com