Re: Same Old Thing

["Tinus" <tinus@xxxxxxx>]

> I'm all for harp innovation when it is done to improve a piece musically.
> Some harp "innovation" I've heard (i.e. overblows/draws, unusual
positions,
> processors), for my humble 2 cents, sounds like its being done not so much
to meet
> a musical aim but just for the sake of being innovative. To me its like
> playing music on a saw ( and not just where it sounds good - some saw
playing is
> cool musically, but playing the saw where it doesn't add musically).

There was a time when harps were played in first position.
Played in the key they were labelled in.
Some people started play to in second position and bend notes.
I doubt that at the time the technique was as developed as it is today.

There might even have been people who thought it was wrong to bend notes on
a diatonic harmonica, but then there still are.

Personally I play a single diatonic harmonica because I believe that by
doing so I have the best change to learn to play jazz on the diatonic and
because I like doing it.
If I were to join a blues band I would probably run to the store to buy a
full set of harmonicas, but since that is not the music I play I will take
my chances overblowing.
On the other hand even if I owned a full set I and I would play a lot in
second position, I'm quite sure I would make a lot of use of the hole 6
overblow and hole 7 overdraw.
If you know there is a bluesscale in that upper register than why not use
it?
Because it sounds bad?
Not trying to learn to play it is not going to make it sound better.
Trying might.

Tinus
http://www.tenhole.com
Overblows and Overdraws on the Diatonic Harmonica.

http://www.overblow.com/harmonica
Scale and Chord finder for the harmonica and all alternative tunings.