[Harp-L] Standing at the crossroads

[Richard Hammersley <rhhammersley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have been playing diatonic for 30 years, although I went through a  
long while of not playing much while I learned the guitar. Meantime,  
harmonica technology exploded. When I started playing harp properly  
again rather than just bluedooling occasionally, I bought a variety of  
"new" harps to try out. I am interested in playing chromatically and I  
can do all bends easily on a diatonic, but overblows are not coming  
easily. So I could go any of 3 routes:
(1) Keep to diatonic master overblows
(2) Use valved harps like the Suzuki promaster or the Hohner XB-40
(3) Learn the chromatic
Some people on this list will have happily done all 3, but my time and  
energy is limited. I also think from my attempts so far that the 3  
techniques interfere with each other (in my musical brain anyway). Any  
comments on the costs and benefits of each for chromatic playing would  
be appreciated.

Richard

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