On Apr 11, 2005, at 9:20 PM, tom ball wrote:
Hiya Smokey,
While I might respectfully disagree, I love your analogy -- well
thought out and indeed humorously presented. Kudos! :)
cheers,
TB
___
Oh Jeez Tom, I wasn't being in disagreement as to which harmonica to
start out with as a GENERAL premise. That's why I placed the word
(personally) into the MUCH harder to play sentence. To understand where
I'm coming from let me use an example:
During several of the after hours jazz gatherings at spah, buckey and
other venues, I noticed that it was QUITE difficult to maneuver the
right combination(s) of notes into the tunes with a diatonic. This is
basically due to a couple reasons.
Reason #1 would be that while I play both harmonicas, I don't quite
have the expertise (at my level) on a diatonic to negotiate some of the
passages, tongue twisting combinations, or 'manufactured' notes as
(let's say) a Chris Michalek or Allen Holmes. I have heard them several
times and their mastery of the instrument is genuine. Although I have
played from 1955-1958 and 1983-present, I never progressed at the level
I should have. The reasons are moot, but suffices to say, I wasn't
really 'going for the gold' , so to speak.
Reason #2 since my taste in music was more pop, jazz, Latin, show
tunes & light classical I concentrated more on harmonicas which had the
"necessary" missing notes (or at least what 'I' thought were
necessary). To that end, I am at a stage where I can sit in at one of
these fiascos and not be out of place, but it would be with a
chromatic.
In actuality, I generally hold BOTH types when I do a number, and
since even the great Charlie McCoy uses a 'G' chromatic to start the
tune "T.D's Boogie" and then switches to a suck harp for the remainder,
I don't see it as being blasphemous. Most programs for teaching new
players have you starting out with a diatonic. I (again personally)
think this is wrong as when one moves from one key to another (which
one eventually MUST), trying to remember what notes are in what hole is
nearly impossible. To that end, I feel diatonics must ultimately be
played by 'feel'. One must get SO SO very intimate with the diat that
notes flow without any thought process being involved. It must be a
natural instinct. Also, since one must ultimately use many different
positions or modes AND do this in all 12 keys (24 if you count the
minors), diatonics are terribly difficult to master. Play..yes, but
master...don't make me laugh, I have chapped lips.
Chromatics, on the other hand, are fairly straightforward, and with
the exception that you have to ALSO know what you're doing when you use
various keys, as long as you think in C, it's easier sailing.
Always remember that you are coming from the thinking process of Tom
Ball (a GREAT player). Don't forget that not all of us can do what I
have heard you do (with Kenny). I can do almost anything McCoy can do,
but I can't do what YOU do, and I'm not that much of a blues player. I
play clean clear Louisiana style.
When a small boy in Trieste Italy, the only music you could get was
local Italian (nice but too many mandolins). You could get armed forces
radio out of Frankfort (mostly swing). MY (personal) favorite was radio
Praha, Wien, or Buda-Pesht. I ADORE middle european & gypsy music and
its too hard for me to do on diatonic. Ergo, I used a chromatic.
your fan smokey-joe
previous msg.
I (personally) feel diatonics are MUCH harder to learn than
chromatics. Chromatics have 40/48/56/64 'residents' who ALL live at
the
same address year after year and never move.
With diatonics, when you try to deliver the mail to the residents,
you
find there are 40 "permanent" residents and anywhere from 10 to 20
"transient" residents who don't live at any specific address.
You therefore have to deliver the notes to residents who live
"behind
the cardboard box halfway down the hall" OR "at the bottom of and
under
the stairwell", OR "in the broom closet behind the ice maker" OR "at
the bottom of the elevator shaft". Finding some of these residents
when
you need to is a bit frustrating.
Nay, 'I' would START with a chromatic........much much
easier.......smokey-joe
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