[Harp-L] half valved

["Jr Bliggins" <JrBliggins@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Half valved diatonic harmonicas are great I have been playing them that way for years!  They do seem to be viewed as second class by the harmonica community at large, and overblow technique is seen as somehow better.  

I like valves because the make the feel more consistant from blow to draw and they make the instrument more airtight.  

Common Myth:Buzzing. -Just keep them clean and they will not buzz at all.  The valves will sometimes stick when they are put away wet. Just check when you take them out of the box later and poke them loose them with a tooth pick before you begin to play. 

Common Myth: Poor Tone. - half valving does not effect the depth of pitch or tone of normal bends at all.  The valved bends are easy to make but do need to be played in proper intonation with good technique. Valved bends sound like chromatic harmonica bends which is good thing. 

Common Myth: Can't play normally.  -You won't know that the valves are there unless you choose to use them. When you play them normaly you can't even tell if they are valved or not, the only difference is that the normally unbendable notes will bend.  

Common Myth: Because they are single reed bends the valved bends are not good.  -Guess what guys overblow bends are single reed bends too.

Common Myth: -It is way to difficult to adjust the intonation to the proper pitch.  Guess what guys you have the same problem with overblow bends too.

Almost all of the harmonicas I used on my album are half valved although because of the style of music I only use valved bends on a few songs.  

Check out the music and see if you can tell where.

www.cdbaby.com/bligginsandgoines

Jr Bliggins