Re: [Harp-L] Suzuki ProMaster Video Up (valved ProMaster inquiry)

[Richard Hammersley <rhhammersley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Mike
I play slide guitar and have had two MR350 vs and an XB-40 for about  
two years. In the words of Son House, if you don't keep that slide  
moving, it sounds like hell; i.e. good slide technique in the blues  
does not involve hitting clean notes, but sounding notes that vary in  
pitch in a pleasing way.

Of course, if you are talking about pedal steel, or Hawaiian style  
playing this is rather different.

Both the MR350v and the XB-40 can be used similarly to blues slide  
guitar and it isn't hard to do. There is the occasional valve buzz,  
but I hear that like fret buzz, part of the aesthetic. I find the  
MR350s easier to use this way. I am not particularly interested in  
playing in every key on a single diatonic harp, rather I like the  
notes in between the notes. Personally, if my primary goal was to hit  
accurately all 12 notes of the standard western scale in precise pitch  
on a free reed instrument then I would have learned the accordian or  
concertina (actually I tried this for a bit). I am also interested,  
probably too interested, in free improvisation, which means that I  
have tried not to train my ear too much to hear only the western tonal  
system.

Of course, the maestros of harp such as Brendan Power, Winslow Yerxa,  
Richard Hunter and Jason Ricci can BOTH hit any note that can be wrung  
out of a diatonic and bend/ overblow between the notes with very  
pleasing results.

To my ear electronic methods of producing glissando (as suggested by  
Richard Hunter) lack the complexity, response speed and subtlty of  
slide guitar and, although interesting, are not the same.

On 24 Jul 2008, at 00:56, Mike Fugazzi wrote:

> Would this type of harp allow for more slide guitar like phrasing  
> and playing?  I am really interested in trying one, but don't know  
> if I can go without the extra pitches I can get with over bends.
>
> So for those on the list...is it possible to bend a valved harp to  
> those notes????  Any more vavled ProMaster users out there?  For the  
> record I would love to try a Fabulous.  I am excited for their  
> release to the public!!!
>
> Mike Fugazzi
> Harmonica/Vocals
> http://www.myspace.com/niterailband
> http://www.myspace.com/mikefugazzi
>
>
> "Music should be healing; music should uplift the soul; music  
> should inspire. There is no better way of getting closer to God, of  
> rising higher towards the spirit, of attaining spiritual perfection  
> than music, if only it is rightly understood."
> -Hazrat Inayat Khan
>
> --- On Wed, 7/23/08, mfugazzi67 <mfugazzi67@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> From: mfugazzi67 <mfugazzi67@xxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [Harp-L] Suzuki ProMaster Video Up
> To: mfugazzi67@xxxxxxxxx
> Date: Wednesday, July 23, 2008, 5:48 PM
>
> --- In harp-l-archives@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Brendan Power"
> <bren@...>
> wrote:
>
> A new video featuring the Suzuki valved diatonics (Promaster MR350-V
> and
> MR350-GV) is up:
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHuiExkUH4E
>
> These are the only commercial half-valved diatonics available. For
> those
> not familiar with them, the valving allows bending expression, vibrato
> etc on the lower blow and upper draw notes (impossible on an unvalved
> harp), in addition to the normal draw and blow bends. The video
> demonstrates these features.
>
> Brendan
> WEB: http://www.brendan-power.com <http://www.brendan-power.com/>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
> Harp-L@...
> http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l
>
> --- End forwarded message ---
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
> Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx
> http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l

Richard Hammersley
Grantshouse, Scottish Borders
http://www.last.fm/music/Richard+Hammersley
http://www.myspace.com/rhammersley
http://www.myspace.com/magpiesittingdown