[Harp-L] virtual holes gets scientific.

["Joel Thomas" <theloveboxquartet@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi All,

Nice one for all the contributions to this issue. It's taught me some
interesting things about the harmonica and it's ability to produce
harmonics. So that when we play a note, we are playing more than just
the fundamental. My low D whistle plays the fundamental with the most
minute harmonics at the octave and the 12th. So small you can't hear
them.
But when I play the harp, I can hear the fundamental, the 8th (octave)
note harmonic and the 12th (octave plus a fifth) note harmonic. And
that's not just me, it's all of us, it's just the character of the harp.

Staggerin' Jim, excellent musings.....I understand the bit about the
harmonics strengthening the fundamental or the partial, and they just
aren't very loud from the perspective of the 2nd partial. You would hear
it better (because, yes, you do hear the note, even if it is just the
harmonic. If you've got an ear, you can tune into the harmonic note) if
we had a way of stressing the partial more than the fundamental. 
Sadly the thing I do on my harp isn't that sophisticated. It would be
going too far to devise a playing room that specifically accentuated the
note in question. But it may be possible.

And thanks Rick for the summation, it's a combination of the
three......and thanks for the information that the technique works best
acoustic and unamplified.

Anyway, for the acoustic unamplified folk music I play, the fact that a
tune can now be played over 3 octaves with chords is great. I'm afraid
I'll always hear the missing notes when I play, which is fine by me.

Well, I think that probably wraps it up......till the next time...
Cheers,
Joel.
-- 
  Joel Thomas
  theloveboxquartet@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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