Re: [Harp-L] Loud?

["Rick Dempster" <rick.dempster@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Daniel;
           I can certainly sympathise with you on this score. I'm pretty weak on the chrom. despite having put in a fair bit of effort; learned all my scales, arpegggios; learned a stack of tunes and practised them in all keys etc. etc.
           But I always had reservations about the tendency of the instrument to sound 'antiseptic' or mechanical, even in the hands of very good players.
           Then again, every now & then I hear a chromatic that I mistake at first for a clarinet; I heard a Toots Theilemann track recently, one from quite early in his career, I think, that had this quality.
           Stevie Wonder's tone is anything but antiseptic, and his playing seems to transcend the 'mechanical' qualities of the instrument.
           I think that any serious harp player needs to give the chromatic a fair go, because it is just the most practical answer to the limitations of the diatonic, and has an ever growing body of players, recordings, written works (speaking of the 'classical' school) to the extent that it can't easily be ignored.
          I suspect, speaking for myself, that the difficulties I see should just be regarded as challenges (how to produce the sort of sounds I want on this instrument?)
          Look for sounds on the chrom. that appeal to you, and try to envision you own ideas about how it should sound.
          Now all I need to do is set about getting one of my chroms. in decent working order again and try and work it into one of the acts I play with.
          I'll report on any progress, but don't hold your breath!
RD









>>> Daniel Bernard <danielbernard13@xxxxxxxxx> 25/08/2007 12:32 >>>
Just about anyone I´ve herd recorded can play the chromatic better than I can.  
I have no idea about technique. It isn´t a question of air tightness.  I know
it isn´t that.  If anything my single notes play like a machine without any 
input from me other than blowing and drawing air.  I honestly have never herd 
anyone play the chromatic live, so maybe I´m imagining it.  But the recording 
artists, pro and amateur, flat out play better single notes than I do.  Forget
how I play.  I´m awful.  The harmonicas I´ve herd recorded sound much better 
than any of the four I own.  Single notes, chords, short, long, hard, soft.  
I just can´t get a good sound out of them.  I feel like I´m playing the role 
of air compressor.  I have no idea how techniqe can change the sound that
comes out of a chromatic.  The notes are pretty much monotone.  Fight the
reeds resonant frequency with oral resonance?  I wish I knew how!





       
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