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



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.






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