Re: [Harp-L] Re:Chromatic problem

[Pierre <plavio@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Gordon said:
< I am also lookin' to hire a backup set of lungs to play those bottom 4
holes).>

I've never tried a 16 hole harmonica and I am only an occasional 12 hole 
chrom player. But I find doing scales (i.e. the major scale) on the low 
octave of diatonics really helps develop the skills which are required to 
play the low octave fluently. I have spent considerable time making sure my 
blow notes sound as good as my draw notes. I have also worked at trying to 
get the bent notes of the scale to sound like the unbent notes.

To get volume the trick is to get rid of the muffled/choked sound and to get 
the low notes to resonate. What I have found is that lots of practice on the 
low register makes this better (scales). I think the improvement comes from 
a better (firmer) use of the diaphram and from proper shaping of the 
mouth/throat cavity.

Anyways my tone is much better now and I can play with more ease and finesse 
on the low register. As a side effect, I can also play "dirty" more easely 
and can play much faster on the lower and middle registers.

Its sort of strange, I play Special 20s and recently they seem easier to 
play in the low register, my Special 20s now feel "bendy and maleable" like 
Lee Oskars. Did I break in? or did my harp break in?

I started down this path after seeing how well Carlos Del Junco can play the 
low register of a diatonic. Carlos's musicality and finesse on the low 
register is impressive. He can play first positions tunes on the low 
register and make it work. I figure it can't hurt to do what Carlos can do.

Hope this is helpful to someone,

Pierre.