[Harp-L] SPAH REPORT-part one/ the techniques

[Michael Rubin <rubinmichael@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I just returned from SPAH last night.  I am fairly sure this is my fourth SPAH and it was a great one.  I will mention the standouts in my mind while stating that I have my space cadet moments.  If I missed mentioning your work that does not mean I do not like what you do, it just means I am spacing out.
   
  The techniques I learned about were as follows:
   
  Diaphram Vibrato- I forced Adam Gussow to explain his while he was checking out of the hotel. (you can see a great example of this on U tube, but an unclear explanation, at least in the clip I am talking about.)  It seems he only does it on the draw notes and for every pulse drawn in, he pushes out with his diaphram.  Adam, if you are on Harp-l and can add more, please do.
   
  Lower and relax shoulders- Joe Filisko noticed I tense my shoulders.  I will work on this.  I do question what will happen to the feeling in the music.  I have heard a lot of players with relaxed bodies playing relaxed music.  I appreciate relaxed music and use it in appropriate settings, but I like to tense up the sound sometimes.
   
  The octave wag- James Conway suggests getting an Octave by the tip of your tongue (I get them with the front top part of the tongue)  and then keeping the tip stiff while wagging the middle of the tongue left and right.  It sounds beautiful, but I wonder if the capacity to do it is genetic.  It took me years to get a tongue switch warble up to a low level pro standard, whereas many of my students beat my speed at their first attempt.
   
  Bass harp- Danny Wilson/ Elmer Matila and others.  I became friends with Danny (you know him as Bassharp)  and that friendship is one of the highlights of my SPAH.  He won the Pete Pedersen Lifetime Achievement Award and I can see why.  Congratulations, Danny!
   
  I have been working on bass harp in a vacuum for a year.  Danny says I should airtight the instrument,  preferably with plastic.  He says I should change out the hinge from movable to stiff so the notes are always in the same place.  Then I can hold the harp by the back of the harp, not with my index fingers between the two rows.
   
  Richard Smith has a clip on mic capsule for the bass, I think that suits my style more than the chest mics.
   
  Ron Kalina suggested taping over the B and F notes on the top rungs to help visualize where the other notes are.  That doesn't feel right for me, but a good idea.
   
  I was impressed at the chromatic/diatonic crossover at how low the players bent their chromes, I rarely bend more than a half step.
   
  Speaking of bending a chrome, I bought a Koch harp.  With the button in, 3 draw does not bend 3 half steps, is there something the matter with it?
   
  Also, Mike Hardy  traded a private lesson for a Low F# diminished harp, where nearly every draw note bends down multiple notes.  Interesting!
   
  More SPAH ideas in the next email!  I did not want to make one really long email and cause problems.
   
  MIchael Rubin
  Michaelrubinharmonica.com