Re: [Harp-L] bending on a solo tuned harp & Vermont harp group?

[G <gigs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Date: Sun, 4 Dec 2005 14:22:16 -0500
From: Chesper Nevins <chespernevins@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] bending on a solo tuned harp & Vermont harp
	group?
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx

G said:
>>Assuming it is unvalved, you can draw bend holes 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11
>>down by a semitone.
>
>Yes, thanks G, the difference here being whether you choose a valved or
>an un-valved diatonic.  I thought of valved because the chrom is valved
>(in the vein of using the diatonic as a stepping-stone to the chrom).
>But the unvalved gives the extra 2 notes per octave with bends.

With valved harmonicas be they chromatic or otherwise, you're working with 
a single isolated reed, in terms of practical musicality and hitting
additional 
notes, you can generally bend any note by a semitone.  Although this depends 
a great deal on the player's technique and the setup of the instrument itself.

>Two models I have tried:
>The Hering Master Solo is valved on the low end, and the Huang Cadet
>Soloist is not valved at all.  There are a lot of others out there.
>A question: Is there a musical tradition where the solo tuned diatonic 
> is used frequently in its own right?

Yes, traditional Chicago blues in third position.  Once upon a time you
could buy Hohner solo tuned marine bands in a range of keys. And
apparently that's just what some blues players did.  These days your
options appear to be limited to key of C solo tuned diatonic, or purchase
twelve hole chromatics, or pay
a customiser to retune diatonics.

Of course you can also play a wide range of songs in the key (or related
scales) on solo tuned diatonic.

Cheers,
-- G.