Re: [Harp-L] Re: Danny Boy


On Dec 6, 2006, at 2:19 AM, moandabluz@xxxxxxx wrote:


Charlie McCoy recorded Danny Boy in second position. The reason he lists four harps is because he used a second harp just to get the one note, and he modulated, so he needed two more harps. This was recorded before he began playing country tuned harps. As far as I know, though I haven't tried it for some time.. the entire song can be played in second position on a country tuned harp without difficult bends. I have also played it in first position and didn't think it was terribly hard to get the right notes.. Then again, I have a tin ear :)
Steve "Moandabluz" Webb
always a fool for the harp

-----Original Message-----
From: kkkwok@xxxxxxxx
To: Harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wed, 6 Dec 2006 1:09 AM
Subject: [Harp-L] Re: Danny Boy

Can you play Danny Boy on 10 hole diatonic in C or G? I have been to
several SPAHs last 6 years but I have not met any one who did it It was
played on chromatic always.

Hey Kenny, when we were both at The Birmingham Heart of The South fest, Addison almost had me play on the dinner show. But at the last minute, I bowed out because there was so much talent there, not much room on the schedule, and anything I would have done could have been done better by Charley, (and just about anyone else present.. lol) Besides, as Chevy Chase says "He's the star....and I'm NOT"

I have done Danny By at Buckeye and would have done it on 2 'smokey' tuned diatonics, but it can be played easily on 4 standard richter tuned diatonics (with a key change modulation).

For 4 harps, you do this:
1... You begin with a Bb (for example) and starting with a bent note, you play the head cross-harped.
2... This will put you in F
3... When you get to the bridge, you switch to an F harp in straight position
4... Then, for the second go round, you use a B (for example( and play THAT one cross harped.
5... This puts you in F#
6... The final bridge is on an F# harp played in straight (1st) position
7... You finish up with the B in cross harped position.

For 'smokey' or country tuned harps, all you need are 2 harps as it is NOT necessary to switch for the bridge.

Note: a 'smokey' tuned harp is something I came up with in 1959 and has the 5th & 9th draws raised a semi-tone AND a wind saver on the 5 blow. The windsaver (back then) was very thin felt backed up with a whisker from a paint brush. Nowadays, you can use ultra suede.

I still remember superb rendition by Douglas
Tate and Sunny girl Conger on stage who received huge applause. The
answer is no first and possible yes if you can bend notes perfectly.
There is no problem if you play chromatic since it is a complete music
instrument. Needles to say diatonic is best for blues. Diatonic is good
for one octave music and there are only few songs or music you can play.

There was a fellow from Ohio (Don Leshenski) who did a creditable job of doing some mighty fantastic stuff on diatonics in mostly first and occasionally second positions. He also switched harps during the tunes, so as to make it more interesting and take away some of the monotony of 'same soundedness'.

Since Danny boy is one of my favorites, I tried to play it on diatonic
last several years and I got frustrated since it lacks low A and F notes.
It took over a year to learn to bend low B to A (acceptable ?) , hole 3
draw. It is still hit or miss and I am afraid to play it in public.

A well set up or broken in harp helps. I use standard off the shelf spl-20s and find that the easiest ones to work with are Bb, B, C, Db, D, sometimes Eb. Anything higher and the reeds are so short, they are stiff, anything lower and the reeds are so long, there is lag and fast tunes are difficult.

Of curse, I'm speaking as one who is NON accomplished on these things,

I remember Winslow saying if you play Danny Boy and hit low A by bending
with jazzy sound they will kick you out of Ireland. You have to bend it
to perfect or near perfect A note acceptable to any musician or pianist.

Well Wizard ought to know. Since I use a large amount of slurs and will 'pull' a reed from one pitch to another gradually sliding thru several microtones on the way, and do this to cover the fact that I don't ALWAYS hit these notes clean (who DOES?), I don't think I would be good at Irish music. Besides, the jigs and reels are too repetituous for me AND I could never remember those intricate note runs. And not being in any way Celtic, I don't have the 'soul' for it.

smokey-joe


What are solutions? 1. play chromatic 2. play tremolo 16 hole Hohner
Echo made in China(cheap) or high quality Tremolo 24 hole S-24 HQ made
by Samick in Korea, grand piano maker, www.samick.co.kr, click English
version, music instr. for kids. I find it perfect non chromatic 3 octave
with correct pitches. 3. use two diatonics. Hold C on top and Bb.
Start with 3 draw on C and play by ear or read notes. Low A note is on
the Bb harp on hole 3 draw. Low F is on 2 draw but not needed. You can
play 2 octaves. If you want to play in G, hold G harp on top and F harp
below and you can play in same way. If you want to play any note with
any accidental # or b on diatonic without bend, you may put Db harp on
top of C harp. You may need to use a special hand made kit designed to
hold 2 or 3 diatonics to play properly or chromatically in 2.5 octaves.
You may write to me if interested in purchase. 4. play Lee Oskar
Melodymaker C or G. I find it works fine with good sound after you
unlearn to play in reverse draw or blow low notes. You will blow to get
A, 3 hole. and you still have to bend 5 F# to F. to play Danny Boy. If
above descriptions are unclear, write me and I may consider to
demonstrate on Youtube.com. Ken in Ga
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