RE: [Harp-L] Fwd: Strange discovery (diminished chords)

["Chris Michalek" <Chris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>>From: Jonathan Hill <jonathan.f.hill@xxxxxxxxx>
>>I just noticed that draw holes on a regularly tuned diatonic are
>>exactly the same for 3 thru 6 and 7 thru 10. And there's a nice
>>diminished chord on 3 thru 5 and 7 thru 9. I don't know why I've
>never
>>noticed this before, but its there. So based on this symmetry how do
>>some of you develop melodic ideas by taking advantage of this setup?

My approach is to not play chords because I think they sound harsh on
the harmonica.  My melodic ideas are not based on the tuning of the
harmonica. I dictate what I want to play and do not allow myself to
be controlled by the instrument. If you focus on ideas that "take
advantage" of certain layouts then that pattern with will come out as
a pattern or lick more so than a musical idea. ie: John Popper



>>Beyond that, lets say that you're playing non-blues changes (or even
>>exotic blues changes), how can I use this setup to easily determine
>>what harp to play and/or what position I should use? I'm gradually
>>learning to read the guitar chords as they're being played, but its
>a
>>struggle. Man do I love being a harp player, though. :-)

I play standard blues in 1-3 positions.  That's what people expect to
hear and anything outside of those positions sounds weird to the
audience. 

If it's a jazz blues then I usually play in 11th or 12th positions to
sound more like a trumpet or sax. Those positions work better because
there are more chords to work with and the audience isn't going to be
as tough if the harmonica doesn't sound bluesy.

As with anything there are exceptions of course.  There is a funky
blues type tune in my set that modulates down a 1/2 step for 8 bars.
For me it's not worth the effort to switch harps so I just play it a
half step below cross harp. (F# on a C harp)  Since it's not a
standard blues tune it works. 



>>
>>On an unrelated note, I"ve managed to get a few of my harps to OB
>and
>>OD on every hole. The trouble is, I've noticed its affected how
>>quickly I can play. I can't seem to play a regular glissando
>anymore,
>>for instance, because invariably one of those holes won't sound. I
>>guess I'm going to HAVE to get a custom harp if I wish to pursue
>this
>>path.

Custom harps are always the best choice if you want to increase your
technique.

>>
>>Finally, now that I've learned to play OB and OD in context, how do
>>you go about being able to *know* where those notes are intuitively?

Practice. Nearly everyday I work on arpeggios. interval leaps and
scales in all key of the harp.  You should be able to think of a
sound and play it on any harmonica. I mean think D and then play THAT
note on a C harp then an F# harp, B harp, Db Harp, E harp, G harp
etc...  Know where all of your notes are on all of the harmonicas. 
One thing to do is get Slominski's Encyclopedia of Scales and
practice all of the scales in all keys. There is no trick to sounding
great or being one of the best of the best.  The only short cut to
your goal is to start NOW and not waste time. If you want to be a
serious player then you need to practice.  5 minutes a day at the
same in the same place only give you something to dread.  Look
forward to practicing and do it as much and as often as you can.  As
for me I played for 5 1/2 hours yesterday with some friends.  It was
a loose rehearsal so I was able to try new things.  Then I played a
gig later that night.  That was nearly 7 hours of playing not
counting the moments in the bathroom or car. Today, I've already
practiced for about two hours and will play more throughout the day. 

The bottomline is dedication to your yourself, your instrument and
your goal.  There are always places to play if you look for them.
There is no substitution for hard work.  Think of any professional
athlete.  That's the type of drive and dedication one needs to become
a better anything.


Good Luck,


Chris Michalek
Get ready for the Global Harmonica Summit 2005