Re: [Harp-L] stevie wonder newspaper story


On Nov 27, 2007, at 3:01 PM, Philharpn@xxxxxxx wrote:

I see that the Reporter of the Newspaper Story on Stevie Wonder repeats that
canard that the chromatic is harder to play than the diatonic.***

But that's the reporter..and....the reporter is wrong. Having played both for more years than I care to remember, I can assure you that while the diatonic may be easier to get something (tangible) out of in short order and the chromo takes some extra effort, when going for proficiency, the diatonic is tougher. Inasmuch as many many notes/ nuances/phrasings/timbres/shakes/slurs/smears/gliss'/etc have to be manufactured..and this has to be done in most cases, spot on and on the fly. Missing is the luxury of using the slide as a tool.

Btw: I am 2/3 chromo - 1/3 diat player AND, unlike most players, I started on chromo first.

( see BF
quote below**). Anybody who says that grossly misunderstands the basic
differences* and similarities between the two harps.

This reporter further obfuscates matters by bringing up circular breathing.
Circular breathing works on exhale notes -- horn players use it and Sinatra is
reputed to have used it. I don't know how many people use circular breathing
on the harmonica but I would wager it is a very small number if for no other
reason that it doesn't work (if at all) very well on inhale notes, a good
portion of the notes played on the harmonica.

The more astute chromatic player will pick more 'draw' keys and therefore the statement on circular breathing is uninformed.

Granted this is the popular press, aimed at the general public, but the
danger of this type of dribble is that it seems over into the harmonica world and
some kid going to the Stevie Wonder concert who thought Wonder's technique was
difficult is now convinced it is impossible.

Ha ha, don't make me laugh, I have chapped lips. :)

The chromatic gets a bad rap -- it is NOT all that difficult to play on its
own. Compared to the blues harp, Marine Band, Richter-tuned harps, it is not
all that different. And if you want to play songs more complicated than folk
songs right out of the box, you can "find" all the notes on a chromatic --
which is something you could never do on a blues harp unless you are an
experienced player.

Which is to say: If you can play a Marine Band harp, you can certainly play a
chromatic. And if you can play a piano or guitar, you also can certainly play
a chromatic.

And perhaps more people should take up the chromatic. Some songs sound best
with a lot of bent notes; others lose their sweetness unless every pitch is the
same timbre (instead of a mix of bent and unbent notes). Some songs sound
better on guitar; others on the piano.

The right tool for the job. :)

For all practical purposes both harps are the same -- if you focus on the
complete 2nd octave*. How DIFFERENT can the two harps be if the chromatic
consists of the same notes as holes 4-7 and the same blow-draw pattern.

People who find the chromatic "difficult" are those who do not "understand"
its layout. (How difficult can the 4-7 hole module repeated be? They also
"expect" the chromatic to have a layout for the first octave just like a blues
harp. It does not. Consequently, it "does not bend" like a diatonic. (The original
chromatic was Richter tuned -- just like the Koch chromatic and Hohner Slide
Harp -- and offers all the bending of a blues harp plus the precision of a
slide chromatic for half-step notes except for A in the first octave, which
requires a bend).

The only redeeming feature (beyond spelling Stevie Wonder's name right) is
the quote from Randy Singer explaining Stevie's chromatic technique of jabbing
the slide.

Actually, Stevie 'chips' his notes, and THAT is what makes his style most noticeable.

I just hope this news story doesn't scare too many people away from the
chromatic.

Then people should do as I did. I started as a punk boy and never read or listened to ANYTHING harmonica related. I listened and read everything ELSE.



Footnotes:
*Yes, fans the 1st octave and 3rd octave are "incomplete" -- lacking
notes and offering bends generally not available.


**"Chromatic has up to 16 holes compared to the 10 holes on diatonic
harmonica, so it offers a wider ranger of sounds. But chromatic harmonica is
also significantly harder to play."

***It helps spread the misinformation about the alleged difficulty
of the chromatic when the source Mel Melton who leads the Wicked Mojos and then
he piles on by stating (as if it is a fact) this bit of nonsense about
circular breathing being required to play the chromatic: "So chromatic is a totally
different monster, a lot harder to play. It takes a lot more oxygen. You
really have to learn circular breathing."

Ridiculous. I was a trumpet player until my face was smashed in an accident. I currently dabble in clarinet, the saxs, and flute. While I can do circular breathing, I would say that I haven't used it in a long long time and NEVER needed it with harmonica. Your INHALE notes are tantamount TO circular breathing. That's what a harmonica is all about..in AND out..sounds like a circular system to me...eh wot?

While I don't recall back to Sept 1942 (when I was hung upside down by my ankles) and smacked on my behind, I thing I started crying and I can guess that I immediately started using circular breathing.

Just proves that not all writers know what they're talking about..........

smokey-joe




Phil Lloyd



In a message dated 11/26/07 10:32:46 PM, randy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:



http://www.newsobserver.com/442/story/786481.html






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