[Harp-L] Re: Imaginary Hole Harmonica Technique.

["Rick Epping" <rickepping@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Joel,

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you.

I frequently play Irish and Old Time tunes in octaves, with or without
vamping the notes in between.  If the high octave notes in a given tune run
out at the 10th hole, I just play the lower octave on its own, maintaining
the 4-hole blow or 5-hole draw octave embouchure (so as not to have to think
about it much), extending onto the area where the 11th or 12th holes would
be.  The lone notes are not very noticeable in the midst of a passage played
in octaves.  Would this be similar to the technique you describe?

When playing single-note passages that extend beyond the upper or lower
range of the harp, it's effective to switch octaves, up or down, at a
musically appropriate place.  This is a technique often used by tin whistle
players and, while it is not unnoticeable, it is acceptable and often
interesting.

Best regards,
Rick

On Sun, Jun 22, 2008 at 3:18 PM, Joel Thomas <
theloveboxquartet@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Hi Rick,
> I've been trying to find your email address for a while now, so was very
> happy to find it on the Harp-L site. I'm a musician living in Nottingham
> in the UK and have been playing world folk and blues on the harmonica
> and other instruments for about 20 years. After the birth of my son 3
> years ago, I left my crazy folk punk band Wholesome Fish to concentrate
> on bringing up my kids. And it's given me time to concentrate on
> harmonica playing, particularly proper tunes....you know, Scandinavian
> folk, Eastern European trad, Cajun, Breton, Irish, Scottish, English
> trad. Basically anything you can play on an unaltered diatonic harmonica
> in chording style. So, no overblown overblowing jazz rock solos
> here...just solid tunes for dancers. Harmonicertina.
> It brought a big smile to my lips when I first heard your playing, best
> of both worlds.....and inventing the XB-40, now that's an achievement.
>
> So, over the past few years I have come up with a technique to extent
> the 10 hole diatonic into a 12 hole harp without any tools and without
> overblowing or bending.
> I seem to remember that I was trying to play a waltz by Swedish band
> Vasen and needed the note in between 10 hole suck and 10 hole blow. I
> found a way of widening my mouth to sound the 7 hole suck out of the
> left corner and an imaginary 11 hole suck out of the right hand corner
> of my mouth. Although the note isn't really there, the ear fills it
> in....it expects to hear the note, hears it in the lower octave, but
> imagines it in the higher octave. If this sounds confusing have a look
> at....
>
> http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=gUdVrv4kg4U and
>
> http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn_0p4C4TtM.
>
> I first explained it (three times) to James Comway, who eventually
> said..."Very nice, Joel! I've been going to harmonica conventions and
> events for years and I've pretty much heard, tried, and discussed
> everything there is about our instrument, but this thing your doing is a
> first for me. Well done! Keep it up and spread the wealth!"
>
> A British harp player, Rory McLeod congratulated me on my discovery of
> overblowing!!!
>
> Pat Missin is trying to find an example from old Cajun recordings.
>
> Adam Gussow reckons his mate Jimi Lee has shown him the technique
> before, but I have had no reply from Jimi on the matter.
>
> It would just be nice to know whether this could be my small
> contribution to the total knowledge of harmonica playing and it would
> please me greatly to have future generations of tongue-style harp
> players perfect the technique.
>
> So have you heard of it before?
>
> Cheers,
> Joel Thomas.
>
>
>
>
> --
>  Joel Thomas
>  theloveboxquartet@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> --
> http://www.fastmail.fm - And now for something completely differentâ
>
>