[Harp-L] You say extintion, I say migration... (or: Asian vs Euro-american players)

["George Leung" <gleung4@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

It seems that there are much worries about the chromatics being extincted. 
However, as I was researching this issue (since I am a chromatic player), I 
noticed that while chromatic may eventually fade in North America (and maybe 
in Europe), it will definitely gain its place in Asia, and may even be at 
the same place at tremelo.

I come to these conclusions after visiting the dicussion area of Yellowstone 
Harmonica(http://www.yellowstone.idv.tw) and Harmonica Heaven 
(www.hamronica.com.tw). Yes, tremelo is still quite popular, but rather than 
having players rejecting the chrom, they instead embrace it, using it for 
"more serious works". In fact, they can find chords and bass relatively more 
easily then us.

That kinds of make me wonder: why? I mean, especially in terms of modern 
music and western classical music, it should be the same, right? So I was 
researching, in hopes of renewing interest in chromatics.

Based on the information that I got, here's a few theory that I propose 
about the difference between asian players and euro-american players.

1) Tremelo to chromatic is easier
When playing Asian Tremelo, especially when using scale tuning, the 
tremelo's lay out is more or less similar to the tuning of solo-tune; at the 
very leats in the traditional Asian tremelo tuning, they all have 3 complete 
octaves. This arise from the fact that when harmonica was first introduced, 
the "missing notes" forbid them to play Japanese folksongs. Yes, I all know 
they are missing for chord, and yes, I know the "missing" notes can be 
acquire on a 10-hole harmonica by bending... but apparently, they have yet 
to do it on tremelo (since it have two holes), and firmly believe that 
10-holes are only good for Euro-american based folk songs.  In fact, even 
now, they rarely teach bending on tremelo. So even in that key, they would 
still prefer a "complete octave".

Additionally, in the past, they usually play chromatic by stacking a c# on 
top of a c... so it's basically the same as playing chromatic. Thus, it will 
definitely be easier to switch from a tremelo to a chrom, then to learn 
playing diatonic chromatically.

2)bending and overbending vs. slide
The techniques on bending, to many Asian players, is still a relative 
mystery, and let's not even go to overbending which is known for notoriously 
difficult to play. Of course, one can easily acquire blow bend with a valved 
diato (ala Suzuki Promaster Valve) or do "overbend" on Suzuki overdrive, but 
I had yet to heard much on that to play chromatically.

Also, as everyone know, while the sounds from bending and overbending is 
more appropriate for blues and jazz (in fact, I read somewhere that Toots 
complained the chrom lacked the tonal quality of MB, and he wish to be able 
to wail), the sounds itself is not exactly in tune with the appropriate 
notes, which could seems inappropriate for some certain settings. Perhaps 
the need for precise notes should be researched more, and how is it related 
to asian music teaching. This may also make us understand that perhaps why 
they favor equal tempermany instead of JI.

Of course, many people know the wailing effect of bending, and one of the 
best harmonica quintet in taiwan, Yellowstone 
(http://harmonica.cc.ccu.edu.tw/~yellowstone/about.html) use ten-hole... but 
since it have two chromatic, I guess it was just for effect purpose...

Then there was the popularity of blues and jazz: blues is definitely not as 
popular in Asia (In fact, I only know a guy in Hong Kong that plays Blues 
Harp, and maybe a few in China Mainland). Jazz, however, was traditionally 
played in Chromatic... maybe given time, overblow, or use of XB-40, will be 
popular, but as of now, in Asia there was not known diatonic players that 
play jazz.

3) Concept
When i talk to a few friends from Asia who play harmonica, the first 
impression of 10-hole is "It's not a toy?". Then, when they heard that 
players here swap everytime they play a different key, they say that it is a 
toy (Of course, I didn't know about overbend then).

Still, even if I tell them about overbend, I wonder if it will change the 
concept for them? Maybe, but definitely not here. Most players merely use 
bends and overbends for effects instead to play chromatically... yes, there 
are some that does, but as I mentioned, the sound is a bit different.

Also, most people stated that when playing popular songs (in east Asia), 
they would recommend tremelo or chromatic if they can afford it. during 
performance, they would play classical piece, which I doubt even XB-40 is 
suitable. Ten holes are often regulated to only folk songs in their mind.

Lastly, it seems that their chord/self-accompaniment concept is completley 
wrong (but they just ignore it). There was a section in yellowstone 
harmonica net about self accompaniment... I can't help but to wonder why 
anyone would think trying that trick on a C# tremelo would sound good.

Based on this, is there anyway for chromatic to be resurge in North America?

The answer is likely, but don't bet your hopes on it. The few reason is as 
follow:
1) Instead of actually learning to play chromatically capable instruments 
(XB-40, chromatics, valved diato) as a chromatic instrument, most rather use 
positions and swap other keys harps; in short, treating one as diatonic.
2) The need for the wailing sound seems to be much more favored then able to 
play chromatically.
3) Most people in here use harp to play blues, jazz, and rock (which will 
need the afforementioned techniques) instead of classical music.

Combine that with the appearance of XB-40, chrom could eventually disappear. 
Yes, in theory they are very different, but in practice XB-40 is more or 
less a chrom killer (at leats make it fade). It's not so much different from 
clarinet and saxphone: which one appears more now in jazz, clarinet or sax?

I may get a XB-40 eventually (in a year or two), but in the meantime, I am 
going to practice haru no umi (on a side note, know where I can get sheet 
musics for honkyoku and shinkyoku?) on my Super 64. Playing on that thing 
definitely reminds me of the sound of traditional japanese wind instrument.