[Harp-L] re: Single Harp Chromaticism Question

["Jonathan R. Ross" <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Paul wrote:

"If you are going to play everything on one harp, then why a "C" harp?
I
believe that the "C" harp, for reasons that others on-List can expound
upon
with much greater authority than me, has some inherent 'problems' as far
as
tone etc . . . it has something to do with the reed setup between C and
D
harps; Joe Filisko actually went as far as making me a C harp tuned down
from a D harp for just that reason.  He explained it to me at the time,
but
I can't recall the specifics."

Are you sure it wasn't the other way around?  The switch between the
longer slot and shorter slot reed-plates happens at D on Marine Bands
(IIRC) and I recall hearing about (and maybe buying--shows how many
harps I own--can you say gearlust:) Richard Sleigh making a series of
D-tuned harmonicas from what were Dbs just to get around the problem of
the standard shorter slot D harps not being as easy to play and not
lasting as long.  

I could certainly be wrong as well, but I've never heard of an issue
with Hohner C-harps in this way, but have heard a lot about the D-harps.

>If I were going to play everything on one harp, then I would choose
either >a "Bb" or "G" harp (because they both 'feel' better than a "C"
harp, the Bb
>lays out better for a lot of the tunes you'll want to play etc) . . .
>Comments???

I'm of the same mind.  I find that high blow bends on C and above harps
have a tone which I don't care for (I call it "glassy"--not an accurate
description, just my own) and get into a range which I find too high for
most playing--more of a specialty range.  Conversely, even one
whole-step lower such as Bb seems to me to give a more useful range over
all three octaves, and lower harps like A or G are truly three-octave
instruments in a way I've never found the higher harps to be.  This
starts to reverse itself below G, though, as the lowest octaves of lowF,
lowE and lowD harps are a bit hard to control--unless you're Dennis
Gruenling.  

If I had to choose a "desert island" harp it would probably be G or Bb,
(actually, I really love the range of Ab, and if I'm not playing with
other people on that island why not go for it:), not C.  Still, I'd hate
to limit myself to one key--they all have such wonderful strengths.  I
never play a standard F above hole 6 (makes dogs howl in pain), but you
can play such fast riffs and bends on it in the first two octaves I
would hate not to have one--just listen to Sonny Boy Williamson (the
real one) and you'll see what I mean.  Similarly, I'd hate not to have a
lowF and loose those deep, growls at the low-end and the richer blow
bends than you normally expect (because you're getting into lower
pitches, so they are more similar in tone to standard draw bends, IMO).


But, to each their own.  I also find that since I play several keys,
thinking about the actual notes is less helpful than thinking about
positions and the relationships of the notes.  Thus, one-blow isn't C as
much as it is the tonic or the fourth of two-draw/three-blow and so
forth.  As long as I know what key harp I'm playing and what position
I'm centered in, it's easy to know how each hole relates to the
chord-structure of whatever piece I'm playing. 



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