Re: Huang Jazz Harp

[the Leones <leone@xxxxxxxx>]

>coast2coastmusic@xxxxxxxxx writes:
>
><< It's similar but not identical.  The Jazz Harp only
> has the 5 draw tuned up 1/2 step, the Country tuned
> also tunes up the 9 draw.  You can compare them side
> by side with the LO Melody Maker and each other on our
> web site here: >>
>
>i think you have the hohner country tuned and the lo melody maker reversed.
>the sp20-ct that i have has only the raised 5 draw.  i've never owned a mm,
>but do remember from the lo chart that it has two raised notes, one of which
>was definitely the 5 draw.  raising the 9 draw would make sense from an
>octave standpoint.
>
>stevenj...the gator-man

  It was 1958 and I was about 16 when I found that IF I tuned the 5th and
9th draw reeds UP 1/2 (to a natural), it would "Preclude the FLAT tone (I'm
not using notes here because there are 12 "Natural" keys).

  What happens then is that you are able to play "Pop" standards you could
never play before (without resorting to a #5 overblow-which NEVER sounded
good to ME). On the occasion that you NEEDED that 5th draw "Flat" it was a
simple matter of bending same down 1/2 tone. Of course a 4-5 or 5-6
"Warble" was impossible.

  If you used TWO harps, one could accomplish "Tradgedy" and such other
good tunes from the "Era" I was in at the time. WE WERE NEVER SUPPOSED TO
TELL ANYONE. Since I knew no other harp players at the time, this was a
moot point.

  Sooo, many yrs later, the manufacturers started offering this tuning as
an option. It is possible to play "londonderry-Aire" (Oh, Danny Boy) with 2
harps instead of the usual 4. Same goes for a huge amount of stuff. "As
time Goes By" is accomplished with a second harp for ONLY 5 notes.

  This is the ONLY alternate tuning I use. I have NEVER used a harmonica
(strictly) as a Riff, run, shake, quiver, waterfall, stair-stepping,
quavering,
nieu-meson, atomic particle, BACKUP instrument. I prefer to do the whole
tune, and have it sound like THE tune. Just goofy
ME................smokey-joe

P.S. Could be because I also play chromatic