RE: XB-40 Retunings?

["Chris Michalek" <chris@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I agree with Mr. Brooks on his thoughts regarding the xb40.  With the
standard diatonic more than half of the users can't play in tune. And
of the people people that can actually play with proper resonance and
intonaiton there are only a handful of people that able to
effectively used "extended" techniques of the diatonic. Of the
handful of "extended technique" players I can count on one hand the
players that can actually play with decent intonation. 

I've played one and while able to trigger very interesting
possibilities I don't like the sound nor feel of the xb40. It's going
to take a person with a similar mindset and musicality of  Howard
Levy to be able to do anything substantial with this instrument. Me
included, I think very few of us posses the discipline and musicality
it takes to tackle the limits of this interesting harmonica enough to
make it a staple in our boxes.

Chris Michalek  






>
>
>
>---- Original Message ----
>From: gbrooks1@xxxxxxxxx
>To: patm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx, wmharps@xxxxxxxxx
>Subject: RE: XB-40 Retunings?
>Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 14:53:47 -0500
>
>>
>>Tim Moyer wrote:
>>
>>>The XB-40 was designed to provide
>>>more flexibility in the bends, and not
>>>as a sort of augmented standard diatonic,
>>>but it requires some additional discipline to
>>>fully exploit the possibilities.
>>
>>I would argue that the XB-40, while opening up great new avenues of
>>expression, requires additional discipline not only to fully exploit
>the
>>possibilities, but merely to play in tune.
>>
>>Chromaticity on the thing?  I look forward to seeing what, and who,
>emerges.
>>I agree with Pat Missin that it's probably as difficult to play in
>F# on a
>>XB-40 in C as it is on a standard C diatonic set up for overblows
>and
>>overdraws.  But I don't know; my opinion, unlike Pat's, is based on
>only
>>short amounts of playing time on the XB-40 on a couple of occasions,
>and I
>>would love for someone to contradict me with a post along the lines
>of "It's
>>actually quite easy once you realize that...."
>>
>>I don't have an XB-40 yet.  I'm too busy learning to play a Marine
>Band
>>(chromatically).
>>
>>George
>>
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