Re: [Harp-L] Baroque Music on Chromatic?

Joe and Cass Leone <leone@xxxxxxxx> · Sun, 31 Jul 2005 15:06:50 -0400

On Jul 31, 2005, at 7:06 AM, <teyers@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
As indicated on the list, I'll be making the long trek from
Australia to attend the SPAH convention, something I've been
wanting to do for many years.

 Too bad you won't be dragging Paul Farmer (Canberra) with you.
 I'll be involved in various
bluegrass harmonica events, formal and informal, and hope to
catch up on a lifetime of missed harmonica opportunities.
In particular, I look forward to hearing and learning from
the many great masters that I read about on this list. Given
the array of talent at the convention, a question that I've
considered for some time may be answered; namely is it
possible to play baroque music convincingly on the chromatic?

 AHAAA! Every now and then a pearl gets dropped on us. This is such a 
pearl. The sort of thing that gets a body walking around the house and 
muttering to themselves, and trying to come up with some sort of 
answer.

 Cham-Ber Huang used to play a lot of Baroque. I believe Doug Tate 
still DOES.  The word 'convincingly' opens up a HUGE aspect. In my many 
years of hearing harmonica players, I have had the impression that when 
trying to navigate some pieces, the trio, singleton (with backup), or 
group ensemble, would modify, change, or otherwise adjust the music to 
suit THEM. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.
 Baroque uses a fairly simple structure BUT can sometimes be rather 
quick. I don't mean this as a 'timing' or tempo issue. I mean it as a 
'Note on practically EVERY beat' issue.

My guess is probably not. However I would gladly welcome the
chance to be shown otherwise at the SPAH convention.
My interest in baroque music is more than just a passing
one. For the last decade I've played recorder in a
professional baroque ensemble (harpsichord, soprano voice,
two violins, cello, barqoue flute and recorder), with mostly
conservatorium trained players (unlike myself).

 As you know, recorder and clarinet are 'kings' of baroque because you 
have 9 fingers working for you and you DON't have to change embochure 
(at least not much). Flute is good too except that embochure is 
paramount and any slight slip, and you loose it. Harpsichpord is not a 
problem as long as your fingers are strong, mainly because you are 
plucking the strings (instead of hammering them). This 'indirect' 
manipulating of the keys makes it harder to play smoothly. Strings are 
VERY fast, and since you have 4 fingers and a bow, you can cover a LOT 
of ground. That 18 13/16" of bow is almost unbeatable.

 Trumpet, as you know, can obtain several different notes on the SAME 
embochure, OR using different embochures (thinning or thickening of the 
lips) and manipulating the valves. Switching embochures can be tedious 
and for really large 'spans' of notes, a 'piccolo' trumpet works better 
(less jet-lag). But at least you don't have to switch BREATHS.
 Hence I've
gained a reasonable understanding of the baroque repertoire
and performance styles.

Chromo has the disadvantage of requiring breath-switching, a veritible 
'death-knell' for many types of musics.
 One might find it advantageous to investigate the "Smokey-Joe" trick. 
(Well, actually, I'm lying, it's not my trick). Study the music and see 
how the waterfalls and stairsteps lay on the chromatic. Sometimes, one 
finds that one particular key works better than another. Sometimes the 
original key is nigh onto impossible (ON chromo)

  Here is where the 'smo-joe switching chromatics' comes into play. 
Bear with me for a minute.
 While certainly not Baroque, there is a So. American Chorinho called 
"Cavaquinho". Not only is it devilishly fast but also contains a note 
on almost EVERY beat. It turns out that it's original key is G. Yeah, 
right, just TRY to do it in G. Maybe IF you were Hendrik Meurkens.  
Well, of all the 12 keys, it sits easiest in F. In F you let the slide 
do a lot more of the work and there is far less breath switching. In 
such a case it would be better to use a D chromatic, play it in the key 
of F, and you will wind up with the sound coming out of your chromocorn 
in the original key of G. Simple.
 Now I know there are 'purists out there who insist on playing only a C 
chromo, learning everything ON a C chromo, and doing all 24 keys ON a C 
chromo. Fine, you're a better man than 'I am Gunga-Din. I almost never 
use a chromo in the key it is made. For C I generally choose a G played 
in F, an F played in G, Bb played in D. Sounds crazy, right? Well, 
there's a reason for it. C coming out of a different keyed instrument 
sounds...well...different. Then there's the DRAW key vs. BLOW key 
issue, but we don't need to get into that right now.
 There is a tune called "La Danza Della Buffone" (Dance of the 
Comedians). It just happens to lay well on a C chromo, is very fast, 
and the first TWIN 8 measure lead-in sections would require a LOT of 
practice. Here, you have no choice, and just have to bite the bullet. 
As to whether Baroque can be played CONVINCINGLY? I think that if a 
person has the desire, it will happen. To me, at least, the crux would 
seem to be that studying the piece, working it through several (if not 
ALL) keys, and then choosing the one that either seems smoother, more 
authentic, is easier, sounds right, is the answer. This is the 
beautiful thing about music. NO ONE has, as yet, mastered it.
A person could play & study music all their life and at the end would 
be left with this revelation: "Jeez, I ALMOST have it".
 One of the reasons I don't think we hear a lot of Baroque played on 
harmonica is that there was never much call for it. I think you may be 
onto something. Since you are a phenominal player on diatonic (I have 
never heard you on chromo), I am going to take a chance and assume you 
can teach us a lot more than we could ever teach you.

Hopefully there will be chromatic players at SPAH who can
show that the instrument is up to the baroque repertoire,
and hence correct my view on this.

 btw, there are a couple ex-flute players over on Slidemeister who do 
Baroque. I don't know how good they are?

smokey-joe & the cafe s

Tony Eyers
Australia
http://www.harmonicatunes.com
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