Re: 'Re: [Harp-L] shortly chromatic ' Jason Ricci & JR posts

[Joe and Cass Leone <leone@xxxxxxxx>]

I wasn't going to get involved, but:

The reason I asked was to learn. I find this whole thread to be quite  
fascinating. I have found out something depressing in my 64 years.  
Nothing is 100%
1...  There are NO flawless (natural) diamonds. All have 'some'  
inclusions
2...  No such thing as 24 karat gold. Can't get all the copper out of it
3...  Even the finest of fine silver is rated at .999 (and THAT's  
probably a lie)
4... Even the pure food and drug people don't expect drugs &  
medicines...s**t you put IN your body to save your life... to be  
totally pure.
5...  No one has YET mastered the harmonica. There's still room to  
keep going
6... Immediately after a guitar has been tuned it WILL be out of tune.
7... All instruments are on their way to junk the minute you start to  
use them
8... And now, THE biggie...even Ivory Snow is ONLY 99 44/100% pure.

Concert schmoncert. You can get close with pitch. Very very close,  
BUT never perfect. ANY deviation in a meter will indicate 'some'  
percentage of out of tuneness (is that a friggin valid  
term?...probably not) ha ha

I remember buying a package of 10 reeds and walking around the house  
trying each one. Although they all said #3, some were softer, some  
were stiffer, some were whippier. I would try them and divide them  
into 3 piles on the table. I would save 3 for when I REALLY wanted to  
sound good (like a solo). The other 3 were for times when I just  
wanted to jam with others. The last 3 were for practicing and that's  
all I felt they were good for. What about the tenth one? I snapped it  
in half between my index and middle finger using my thumb.

Also, if you use the same embochure pressure with a 3 1/2 that you  
usually would have used with a 3 or 2 1/2, you WILL sound different.  
If you use the (lesser) pressure you would normaly use with a 2 1/2  
while playing a 3 1/2, you also will sound different. Even a  
harmonica player can't duplicate their OWN sound consistently.

There's a marvelous chromo player in Alberta Saskatchewan who has  
'The tone you'd love to clone'. His tone is the best ever and he is  
NEVER on pitch. Almost always around 22 3/4 cents low. Does he sound  
bad? HELL no, he will pull the corpuscles right straight out of your  
freaking heart.

As for diat players being able to play chromatically? So what. If  
they get really close (like I heard Mike Rubin do many times), it  
sounds pleasing. But as far as 'technically' being on pitch. No, I'm  
sorry. And, of course, it's only my opinion, I don't think it's  
possible. Why, because these notes are being manufactured. And  
they're being manufactured by a person who, while I may love em to  
death, they don't have a tuner built into their head.

I have heard some really amazing things from people right on this  
list and while I have ears like a dog, I don't think a few cents off  
here and there are going to cause me such consternation that I would  
loose sleep over it. When I say I fully understand Mr. Ross' point of  
view, I hope this explains it.

While he certainly doesn't need a 'mouthpiece' such as (unquallfied)  
I, speaking for him,  see he is merely stating HIS case, and done a  
good job at it to boot. I also see everyone else putting forth very  
convincing rebuttals to his opinion.
That's why we are lucky to have all of you on the list. It is  
situations like this that get the little grey calls working and as  
long as we think, we live. As long as we think, we don't languish. As  
long as we think, we don't vegetate.

I think you're all fascinating.....

smokey-joe


On Dec 10, 2006, at 10:22 PM, 46long Blake wrote:

> I play it safe because I'm not very good at Chromatic....there's  
> just so many WRONG notes to play.....:(
>
>  - Blake
>
>
> On 12/10/06, Joe and Cass Leone <leone@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
> On Dec 10, 2006, at 1:43 PM, Roscoharp@xxxxxxx wrote:
> >  I like it  a  LOT MORE than I like listening to re-tread  blues or
> > play it safe chromatic players.  I
> > Rosco
>
> Why are chromatic players suddenly playing it safe?
>
> smo-joe
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> --
> Blake Taylor
> http://46long.com
> http://www.myspace.com/46long !DSPAM:5614,457ce39b31209066082515!