[Harp-L] re: semantic limbs

[Jonathan Ross <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

The venerable fjm writes:

"I can only find one quibble with your very reasonable response. You  
quote my thoughts regarding there being no diatonic harmonica player  
that I am aware of who is capable of playing symphonic works on  
diatonic harmonica. You further quote my conclusion that I am not  
convinced the diatonic cannot be played chromatically. I think the  
problem here is that I don't find the playing of symphonic works  
convincingly to be the definition of chromatic playing."


True, that was the context you were putting it in.  I was expanding  
that to argue that I haven't heard it in other contexts and thus made  
the case that it can't be done.  Perhaps.  I may also have been  
misreading what you meant and thought that you were making a generic  
rather than specific statement.  Sadly, with the memory of a now- 
aging Cocker Spaniel I can't remember what it was I intended in that  
regards.


fjm:

" What about Howard Levy in the context of Trio Globo? Personally I  
find this to be an utterly convincing example of diatonic harmonica  
played in a chromatic context."


Perhaps.  I must admit I haven't heard Trio Globo in quite some time,  
so can't really comment specifically.  However, I will say that I  
have heard the diatonic played quite convincingly in jazz, for  
instance, but not necessarily in the way implied by the "playing  
chromatically on the diatonic" idea.  The examples I can think of  
(Rhythm Willie, for instance, Levy with the Flecktones) tend to be  
more along the lines of very careful matching of style, song and  
technique together as opposed to the "play any song on the diatonic  
in whatever position is chosen" mentality--which is what got me  
started in this thread.

fjm again:

"This is really an aside but here goes anyhow. Would you not agree  
that Dave Therault's diatonic harmonica playing on The Deb is totally  
and completely convincing? He's playing jazz and it just works.  
Granted it is just one song."


Agreed.  But how "chromatic" is it?  I don't recall Magic Dave  
playing many chromatic runs or switching into far key signatures.  I  
would again reiterate that I believe there are two things being  
discussed: the "chromatic diatonic" playing style focusing on bends  
and overblows and often ignoring the use of positional choice  
(remember, this started out as a discussion about the usefulness of  
positions); and using the diatonic(s) in more overtly chromatic  
music.  Now, they are related: it's pointless to talk about playing  
chromatically without putting it into the context of the music  
(whatever context that might be--usually jazz in this case).   
However, it's also wrong to assume that successful uses of the  
diatonic in such musics are by necessity examples of the "chromatic  
diatonic" approach being talked about.  Take Richard Hunter--he often  
plays in jazz and other styles, but his approach is radically  
different from that being talked about as "chromatic diatonic"  
playing.  (Sorry for dragging you into this Richard, but you're just  
such a good example.)

In that regards, I'd actually use The Deb as an example of how you  
can play jazz on a diatonic without falling into the traps I've been  
trying to point out.  Of course, I'm really going out on a limb here  
as I haven't listened to that piece in over a year and my CD  
collection is too much of a mess to look for it now.  I have been  
meaning to put it into iTunes, though...



 ()()    JR "Bulldogge" Ross
()  ()   & Snuffy, too:)
`----'