Well of course. Why do the non-VC-types make this a "volume control vs. technique" issue. YOU CAN HAVE BOTH. A volume control is neither a cause or a solution for poor dynamic control. I still claim it is a very handy device for many of the reasons I discussed. And, particularly with dynamic, controlled magnetic and controlled reluctance elements there is virtually no loss of tone (other than the natural reduction of highs and lows associated with the human ear's frequency response which is non-linear with volume. If you're not familiar with this Google "Fletcher-Munson Curve".)
From: icemanle@xxxxxxx Date: January 24, 2007 8:23:01 AM PST To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: [Harp-L] volume control
I believe the player should be a natural volume control knob. It's time to explore the world of harmonica tone that comes from less than "balls to the wall" energy. As a matter of fact, the whole pallette of colors will emerge when backing off. Eventually you may find that most of what you play can be done with much less force and much more finesse and give you much more tone shading.