[Harp-L] Acoustic amplification - hands as megaphone

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

--- Rick Dempster <rick.dempster@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> (Oh, by the way, the only way you can 'amplify'  the harp without
> electronics is with a megaphone, like Deford Bailey.)

I'd have to disagree with that statement. The player's hands can do the
same job as that megaphone - better even, because the hand cup can be
tuned to the note played, like a Helmholtz resonator. This can
dramatically amplify volume. 

Douglas Tate was able to "play loudly softly" this way. Without hand
cupping, his playing and attack sounded very soft, but by cupping and
tuning the cup, he could amplify that same soft breath volume to
symphonic loudness. 

By way of illustration, I remember the first time Douglas came to
Buckeye (1996?). He was playing accoustically in a hotel banquet room,
resolutely shunning the microphone provided. He was being accompanied
by an amplified electronic keyboard. I went to the men's room while he
was playing, and through the  wall tile of the men's room I could hear
Douglas playing off-mic but I could not hear the amplified keyboard.

Winslow

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