RE: [Harp-L] harmonica- most difficult instrument?

["Chris Michalek" <Chris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

IMO, that would explain why there are only a handful of "good"
players to ever play the instrument.  And of those "good players"
only a handful are actually educated musicians. 

I personally don't find the harmonica that difficult to play but
perhaps I'm delusional because its the only instrument I create music
with. (I play other things but only play and can't create like I can
with the harp)  


>
>
>
>---- Original Message ----
>From: randy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>To: 
>Subject: RE: [Harp-L] harmonica- most difficult instrument?
>Date: Mon, 8 Aug 2005 01:21:46 -0400
>
>>
>>I received permission from jon kip to post this.
>>
>>He offers a brilliant professional musicians perspective on the 
>>relative difficulty of the harmonica compared to other instruments.
>>
>>I have often wondered if the chromatic  harmonica is one, if not,
>the 
>>most difficult instruments to play in the Western World.
>>
>>The only other instrument that I think that might be harder is the 
>>Howard Levy style of diatonic playing....
>>
>>Does anyone want to weigh in on this one?
>>
>>randy
>>
>>==============
>>
>>> From: jon kip <jonkip@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>> Date: August 7, 2005 3:45:30 PM EDT
>>> To: randy singer <randy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>
>>thanks for the advice....I'm getting a late start on
>harmonica...been 
>>working out here for forty years in studios and 'broadway' shows as
>a 
>>woodwind player...oboe, sax, clarinet, flutes...and last year there 
>>were two shows that had what they told me was "a few harmonica 
>>notes"......
>>>
>>> they lied..a week before we opened the first show (110 in the
>shade, 
>>> pasadena playhouse) , the director said that,  instead of five
>notes, 
>>> they wanted me to play four entire tunes as part of the 
>>> show..........so I got some advice, bought a kilo of 270s, sent
>half 
>>> of them to  Bill Romel to make them work, and spent five or six
>days 
>>> figuring out the basics of the tunes.
>>>
>>> It actually worked out pretty well, we finished the year with
>"Paint 
>>> Your Wagon"...with  harmonica parts  added to the oboe/clarinet
>book, 
>>> and I had so much fun that I've been harping away for the last
>year 
>>> and a half....
>>>
>>> and for the record, the chromatic  harmonica is THE hardest horn
>I've 
>>> had to learn..no question.. .....and the most fun....
>>>
>>> go figure..
>>
>>
>>http://www.randysinger.com
>>http://www.randyandnatasha.com
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>>

Chris Michalek

www.michalekstrone.com
CD Available
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/michalekstrone