Re: Favorite harps

[Bruce Steinberg <bruces@xxxxxxx>]

        Date: Thu, 30 Jun 1994 14:41:51 -0700 (MST)
        From: Barry Schaede <barrys@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
        Subject: Re: Favorite harps
        To: Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
        
        OK I'll bite.  If I had to pick a favourite today it would be Eb.(not 
        the low one)  I play 
        in all keys.  I don't hate the higher ones. I recently bought a low Eb 
        special 20 that I really enjoy playing.  I play Night Train in C#.  Chris 
        is right it's a good horn key.  The key I like the least is probably C.  
        Too middle of the road for me.  I play a lot of chords and octaves and 
        the C just doesn't sound good to me in that style. The harmonica I keep 

I agree about the Eb, which might have a slight edge on the D as my choice for
desert-island harp (especially if there was an R&B horn section on that same
desert island :).  The A and Bb roots of the D and Eb harps in second position
share a distinctive timbre which for me defines what blues harp "voice" is all
about and which offers the best platform for expressive, resonant throat
modulation.  "Everyday I Have the Blues" or "Sweet Little Angel" in Bb with a
great vocalist is my idea of heaven.

I use a Db in cross when we do Junior Walker tunes in Ab, such as "Shotgun"
and "Cleo's Back" (which happens to modulate up to A towards the end, bringing
the D harp into play).

The C harp leaves me with the same middle-of-the-road feeling you describe.
It certainly gets its share of use and abuse when appropriate, but I kind of
think of it as the 50mm lens of diatonic harmonicas;  you occasionally use it,
but it's hardly ever your first choice for expressing or interpreting the way
you really hear/see.

Also, don't forget that another important reason to have a full range of harps
is to have the latitude to play in some position other than second.  The above
C#/Db not only gives you cross harp in Ab, but also third position in Eb
(which in turn requires the equally accidental Ab harp for straight cross),
etc., etc.

The occasional half-step tune modulation mentioned above is also a good
reason to have a whole chromatic, 12-key collection of diatonic harps.

Yet another reason is having a harp that's closer to being correct when
attempting to play along with and/or learn some basic chops from some record
that's been mastered a little fast or slow (it happens) -- or when an in-tune
record or tape is being played on a non-variable machine that's a half-step
fast or slow.

        minor but ypou lose the ability to play lead using chords.  Walter Horton 
        used an Ab harp a lot.  The Original recording of easy on sun records is 
        with an Ab.  John Mayall uses an F# harmonica on the classic Room To Move 
        and sounds great.  Different harps for different techniques for different 
        styles.  Why limit yourself?  FJM not barry   

I can still remember having serious doubts as a rookie about "Room to Move"
being in C# rather than just C (and writing it off to a fast turntable at the
station playing it) simply because I'd yet never seen an F# harp, and C/F was
such a common blues harp key combination, that that must've been what he was
doing ;-)

Bruce<collect.the.whole.set>S