RE: [Harp-L] first chromatic questions

["Dave Payne Sr." <payneoutdoors@xxxxxxxxx>]

1. i'm leaning toward the CX-12. is this a sound choice?
Yes. I play a Seydel Chromatic DeLuxe, but there is nothing wrong at all with the CX 12. They are good. It's usually a matter of cost and taste. 
  2. is it important to have 4 octaves, vs. the 3 the CX covers?
If you are just starting out, no. If you are playing with an orchestra or something, maybe. A 12-hole harmonica is adequate for most playing.
3. what key should i get, for general purpose use?
C. If nothing else, it is easier to understand. Take a D, for instance, it has the F and C already sharped. So, to make a C natural, you have to go to the B and push the button in, for an F natural, you gotta go to the E and push the slide in. It's so much easier for a beginner in the key of C, where all notes are naturals and anytime you want a sharp, you go to that note and push in the slide. 
4. what else should i be asking about, if i knew enough to ask it?
Don't know.

   
   
  Here's some advice: 
  Always warm it up in your hands or a pocket or something before you play. If you don't, moisture will condense inside and you will have windsaver problems. 
  Watch pushing the slide to hard, you want to push the slide in just as as far as it needs to go. Otherwise, you can bend your slide. I bent a slide once. 

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__________________________________________________________________
Dave Payne Sr. 
Journalist and writer
1114 Charles St. 
Parkersburg, WV 26101
       
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