Re: [Harp-L] closed covers

[Pat Missin <pat@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Douglas wrote:

>I'm sort of coming to the conclusion that the openness of the covers is
>literally a matter of choice. It seems to me to depend on how you use your
>hands. You need a certain volume/shape/ whatever of air to get a
>resonance on a note... you get that with a combination of in/out cover and
>your hands. Closed cover/ more air in hands, open cover/less air in
>hand can give same resonance but (IMO) different tone colour.
>My experience of this is solely on chromatics where it is much more
>difficult to get good resonances on 280 style designs than 270 designs
>because of the greater volume of air under covers and therefore a more
>limited range of movement for the hands.
>This is somewhat controversial and I expect to be shot at from several
>different directions :)))

Not from this direction.

Suzuki have addressed this point with an interesting cover design for
their SCT-128. The covers are completely closed in at the back of the
instrument for about half its length, only opening in the lower range
of the harmonica:

www.patmissin.com/sct-128.jpg

They claim this makes the tone more readily shaped with the hands. I
don't know if they have plans to introduce this feature on any other 4
octave models.

 -- Pat.