Re: [Harp-L] Toots Hard Bopper

[Jon Harl <jharl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Many of your 3rd Position licks will transfer to the chromatic. The  
cool part is the chromatic licks will also be beneficial to your  
diatonic playing in 2nd Position. Octaves and tongue flutters are  
really big sounding on the chromatic. All of this will help your  
amplified playing on the diatonic. So I think it won't hinder your  
diatonic playing at all. It'll just give it more depth. George  
"Harmonica" Smith was known for his chromatic playing but I think his  
diatonic work is really tasty. The fruit doesn't fall far from the  
tree where George's influence comes in with players like Rod Piazza,  
William Clarke, Dennis Gruenling, and Mark Hummel. All of them are  
real strong chromatic players as well as killer diatonic players.  
Just get in there and listen to the great ones and mine the licks,  
then make them your own.

Jon



Jon Harl: Seydel Dealer
5731 Meridian Ave
San Jose, CA 95118
408/267-3933
e-mail: jharl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
web site: www.customseydels.com


On Oct 3, 2007, at 5:17 PM, Guy Buxman wrote:

> Several months ago I purchased my first chromatic harp . I had  
> decided on a
> Toots Hard Bopper in the key of C which I got from MusiciansFriend for
> $99.00.
>
> Being a diatonic player I don't really have frame of reference for  
> chromatic
> performance, but I'm very pleased with my purchase; the  
> construction is
> solid, great finish, and the action feels smooth to me; it's a  
> beautiful
> instrument. Also, the tone sounds warm and full, and I'm bending  
> notes with
> greater ease than I'd expected from a chromatic.
>
> I've been reluctant to pick it up for fear that it might be an  
> entirely
> different instrument compared to the diatonic.  After tooling  
> around with
> it, trying to emulate the clarinet or soprano sax lead from  
> Supertramp's
> "Take the Long Way Home", I've concluded I was right; I might as  
> well be
> attempting to learn fluglehorn.  Worse still, it looks as though  
> I'm going
> to have to learn more music theory.  Alas, Rome wasn't built in a day.
>
> Now for my question; is it possible that learning to play chromatic  
> could
> somehow hinder or muddle my diatonic playing...like learning to speak
> Russian and Lithuanian simultaneously? Labas Vakaras!
>
> I think I'd better put a cot and a mini-fridge in the woodshed!
>
> GB
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