RE: An audio sample of harmonic minor and natural minor?

["Chris Michalek" <chris@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>
>
>
>---- Original Message ----
>From: turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: RE: An audio sample of harmonic minor and natural minor?
>Date: Mon, 26 Apr 2004 14:26:19 -0400 (GMT-04:00)
>
>>
>>Chris Michalek wrote:
>><<
>>FWIW, while interesting,I find altered tuned harps to be mostly
>>useless.  I would think differently if I were a player like Brendan
>>Power or Bill Barrett but I choose to model myself after the likes
>of
>>Michael Peloquin and Rosco Selley
>><<
>>
>>This is like a guitar player calling open G tuning as "useless"
>because said guitarist prefers to model him or herself after BB King,
>as opposed to Robert Johnson.  Is Robert Johnson's work "useless"?  

If I am a guitar player and I don't like Robert Johnson then YES his
work is useless to me. In the same I don't like your altered tuned
harmonica playing. For me I find it useless. You may experience the
same in my music or in the playing other like players.


A
>given tuning is "useless" to a given player because said player can't
>or won't figure out how to use it, not because the tuning is
>deficient.  Any tuning for any instrument is essentially arbitrary;
>what matters is whether the tuning makes it easier for a player to
>make certain sounds and evoke certain emotions.  


Ok Richard, that's not really directed at me is it?  I've figured
this stuff out and played with them in public settings. For me the
tunings are limiting, deficient and thus useless.  Even though I find
them useless it does not mean that I can't play them or couldn't play
circles around you and others using the same instrument. Your
chromatic playing however is a different story and I wouldn't dare
pick up a chromatic to try and "best" you.

>>
>>Alternate tunings open up lots and lots of new musical and emotional
>possibilities.  

I've discussed this with you before. Music is music and emotion is
emotion it shouldn't matter what it's played on. 

The musical possibilities that I've heard with altered tuned harps
are limited and furthermore the music seems to be dictated by the
tuning and not the muscian. 

I find it interesting that many or your original compositions on
altered tuned harp are very similar to the same stuff that I play. 
I'm not suggesting that either one of us "stole" from the other
however I am insinuating that your altered tuned compositions are
akin to Hernado Desoto and his major discoverey. 

Richard, I'm not dissing you or your music.  I think much of your
music is brilliant and some very obvious.  You wouldn't be a balance
musician with out that trait and I for one appreciate you.