Re: Technique

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

This technique is called air recirculation. you
can hear Sonny Terry do it on some of the solo
pieces he recorded for Folkways in the 1950s,
though whether it was intentional is an
unanswered question. It's been discussed a few
times on harp-l in the dim past.

It works best on a harp with completely closed
covers - the open-sided Marine Band or Big River
covers, for instance, let air escape. Air
recirculation is accomplished when the only place
for the air to go (if you're blowing) or to come
rom (if you're drawing)is through the reeds not
being sounded directly by breath from the mouth.

If you play the low blow chord, you can make the
high draw chord sound at the same time (and any
other combination of high vs. low and blow vs.
draw). This allows for some nice octave doubling,
wide voicings 9think saxophone section doubled by
a couple of high clarinets or muted trumpets),
extended chords, and polychords. You can use your
fingers on the holes to select which notes will
sound via recirculation.

Winslow

- --- In harp-l-archives@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Michael
Carreira <michaelcarreira@xxxx> wrote:
> 
> i heard this hillbilly play the other day and
he used
> this crazy technique:
> 
> he made his hands air tight and redirected the
air
> into the other end of the harp. so when he was
drawing
> in the low end he could simultaneously get
blown notes
> up high and the inverse. he had really great
controll
> and could play tunes this way and also make
some
> beautiful dissonances.
> 
> has anyone heard of this? are there any records
with
> this technique? any fomous harpists do this?
> 
> mike c


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