Re: [Harp-L] Learning Other Instruments from Harp

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

Howard Levy gave up playing sax because the embouchure (biting into
your lower lip with your bottom teeth) interfered with his harmonica
playing. But Mike Peloquin seems to manage both without complaint (at
least that I've ever heard).

I'm currently learning diatonic accordion. The single row of melody
buttons is arranged like Holes 2-11 of a 12-hole diatonic. So I know
where all the notes are. But finding enough fingers for some of the
rangy melodies is a challenge, as is learning to "breathe" with my
arms. I find muself breathing along with the accordion. This wouodn't
obtehr me if I were applying that berath to a harmonica, but when I do
it while playing accordion I start to get light headed. I haven't
figured out yet how to bend notes - but it can be done; I've heard
Richard Galliano do it on chromatic accordion.

The switch to chromatic harmonica has a couple of easy-entry windows
for diatonic players:

- first-position melodies that play in Holes 4-7 of a diatonic play
identically in any of the three (or four) octaves of a chromatic -
Holes 1-4, Holes 5-8, and Holes 9-12.

- Third position plays very fluidly on chromatic. Again, because the
tuning of diatonic Holes 4-7 is repeated for each octave, you can find
third position flowing very smoothly on chromatic - no need to adapt to
the changes in tuning between the middle octaves and the outer octaves.

I think the underlying sense of overall musical structure and intent
based on that structure can help a player of one instrument learn
another, regardless of physical differences.

Winslow

--- Jonathan Metts <jonathan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> I have often wondered whether my experience and skills playing
> harmonica would translate, at least partially, to other instruments. 
> I have seen these work to a small degree on piano, where my knowledge
> of scales and improvisation lets me sound like I sort of know what
> I'm doing.  But I'm more interested in the physical skills rather
> than music theory, which could apply to any instrument.
> 
> Specifically, I have a chromatic harmonica on my Christmas list, and
> I'm very curious to see how quickly I can pick it up based on four
> years of playing the diatonic.  I'm also a lover of the saxophone and
> have to think some of my embouchure and other oral skills from
> playing harp would carry over to that instrument.  Any comments from
> Michael Peloquin or anyone else who plays both harp and sax or has
> gone from diatonic to chromatic?  Are there any other instruments
> that a harp player could pick up more easily than a non-harp player?
> 
> Jonathan Metts
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