Re: [Harp-L] Re: [HarpTalk] Valved Diatonic Bends


Someone is going to have to break it to mr. McCoy that there's a new kid on the block and that he (Charles) has a lot of catching up to do. (I'd hate to have to be the one)...... :)

On Nov 10, 2005, at 6:38 PM, PT Gazell wrote:

Hi Tim and List,

Saw your post to myself and the list. I just spent the last 30 mins. trying to figure out what I do when I bend a valved note spot on. I honestly don't think that I do anything different on valved bends (blow or draw) than I do when I just bend a regular draw note (double reed bend).

I agree, I don't think there's any difference. What one does is you play, and that's what one does.

Two years ago at SPAH in ST. Louis I was about 6 months into valved playing and Joe Filisko, having heard me play September Song, asked me if I know how difficult it was to do single reed bends.

Meaning what? Are we talking about getting a note 'already' in the bent mode on the fly?

I stopped him before he could explain...and said that Ignorance is Bliss.

Har har, I'm still laughing. Some of this technical stuff gives me a headache. That's why I don't do puzzles, they give me a headache.

I had no idea that there was double and single reed bends.

News to me.

All I knew was that I could now blow bend notes to fill in the holes. I went about assuming that the technique was the same as draw bending or blow bending holes 9 and 10. As I have said publicly Charlie McCoy was my biggest influence and having tried to ape him in my earlier days, you had to be able to hit draw bends spot on. Now, people much more knowledgeable about the acoustic workings and principles of the harmonica may disagree and tell me that I am indeed doing something different to achieve this. However, I can not say that I feel any difference in technique other than it's blowing rather than drawing. I will in conclusion say that I feel that the gapping on valved harps should be at least as big as store bought harps or slightly bigger. But that may be just a function of how I play.

Interesting, I'll have to look into that. What I DO know is that I get a lot of 'valve rattling' from those valves (especially in the blow mode). And a lot more volume. The valves also cut DOWN on the volume of the draw notes # 6 and higher. I'm talking a Bb here and maybe higher pitched harps wouldn't be as pronounced.

For those of you who want a good example of what Tim is asking about, I have just posted a small clip of the second half of my solo in "How High The Moon" from my new CD "Swingin' Easy...Hittin' Hard" about 17 seconds in I do a series of three octave jumps...the last one is blow bend on the 5 blow to blow bend on the 2 hole.

I was thrilled to hear it. See, here's what I was talking about the other day. I said something that was misleading and would like to correct it here. I said "Most of the better players". Even though most can be as low as 51%, I should have said MANY instead. Then I said "OR don't stray far from home base or for long periods".

What I meant (in this case) was exactly AS stated. The word OR covers those top players who DO travel, but (unfortunately) don't travel as far and wide as some. The second 'OR" also covers quite a few top players. I should learn sentence structure. mydumb. I STILL hold to my feelings that ( and rewording is in order here).."MANY top players are not traveling". Ergo: I don't get to hear the ones I WANT to hear.

After listening to your stuff, (and a few others on this list), I have no interest in hearing any one else who:
1....won't ever change key
2....play every tune in the same key
3....garble everything they play
4....play everything at the same tempo
5....add no expression
6....pick uninteresting material
I never hear that from you. Every day is a surprise. Every tune an adventure. It's tantalizing, I tell ya. I can barely contain myself.

Tim I have heard you play and have heard you hit draw bends spot on...quit thinking about it and just play!!!!

Yeah, some guys are too analytical. I could never think up some of this stuff. It gives me a headache. :)
p.s. don't want you to get the wrong idea but I REALLY enjoyed our time together in Ohio. What were we, like the only 2 guys doing any swing-jazz? :)

joe leone (aka smokey)

Incidentally the harmonica played on that clip has reed plates customized by Tim himself. He took a set of marine band plates and equal tuned, embossed and shaped the reeds. Then he drilled holes in the plates to accommodate my aluminum meisterklass comb. He really does fine work. Here's the link to the clip.

http://www.ptgazell.com/
Look for this     How High The Moon Octave Jumps With Blow Bends


Thanks
PT Gazell
pt@xxxxxxxxxxxx
www.ptgazell.com
http://www.sonicbids.com/PTGazell
www.cdbaby.com/all/gazell


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