Re: [Harp-L] An alternative view on the future of the harmonica

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

The bagpipe has survived and even flourished for thousands of years in
dozens of countries without "widespread popularity and recognition". In
most types of the instrument, there are only nine notes.

Harmonica is certainly represented in popular music. But it will never
dominate it the way guitar has for last fifty years. Harmonica is also
represented in many other musical styles. Blues is where it's most
central to the music. Interestingly, that's also where players figured
out how to supply missing notes on he diatonic version of the
instrument, making a major scale (and its pentatonic reduction)
available in all three octaves and making the major pentatonic easily
playable in three keys throughout the range of the instrument. It's
also where players managed to utilize it in a manner that does not
require a pure major scale.

Winslow

--- Serguei Volkov <svolkov@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> The discussions surrounding the future of the harmonica,
> its popularity and lack thereof have one flaw: they
> are confined mostly to blues and jazz, two essentially
> "unpopular" genres.
> 
> In order to gain widespread popularity and recognition,
> the harmonica must tap into popular music. And popular
> music is, essentially, 90% major pentatonic.
> 
> The problem with the Richter diatonic is that it does
> not allow to easily rock out on a clear, full major
> scale across more than 1 octave. Addressing that issue
> is, I believe, the key to unlocking the full potential
> of the diatonic harmonica as a popular instrument.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Sergei Volkov 
> ~
> http://www.myspace.com/outlawbe
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