[Harp-L] Chromatic harmonica

["Norman Vickers" <nvickers1@xxxxxxx>]

To Listmates on Harp-l
From:  Norman Vickers, Pensacola, FL

As a relative newbie to Harp-l, not a newbie to chromatic harmonica,  I
would like to respond, with my own story, to Robert Bonfiglio's note.

Bonfiglio wrote:( in response to another writer)

As I have taught many people to play chromatic, I disagree highly.   
If you don't try to bite off more than you can chew, you could  
practice one scale, AND ONLY ONE SCALE, for a whole week with it's  
arpeggio and in 24 weeks you would know all major and minor scales.

Part of this statement is true, the chromatic is no piano, the  
harmonica can crescendo, have vibrato, change tonal colors, bend  
notes and do all kinds of things the piano can't.  It CAN play it all  
the keys and depending on the piece, very odd keys may lie better  
with a certain piece than others, well, just like the piano.

As Winslow already astutely pointed out, a key like B Major might  
have some really cool advantages for a certain piece, like playing  
the 2nd and the 7th, B and A together.

Harmonically yours,

Robert Bonfiglio
http://www.robertbonfiglio.com
-------------------------------------------------
Norman Vickers responded:  
My personal experience is this-- I am an amateur musician with reasonable
proficiency on piano and rhythm guitar.  I have played harmonica,
self-taught, both diatonic and chromatic.  I gravitated to chromatic because
songs I wanted to play frequently had accidentals ( notes not on  the
diatonic) so chromatic was obvious choice for me. Permit me to detail my
growth experience with harmonica.

In mid 1970s, I was invited to join a group of older musicians who played
mostly Dixieland style. ( They were very tolerant of me as a novice) They
already had a piano player, so I only got to play that when the pianist
didn't show up--which was rarely. They already had a couple of excellent
guitarists--way beyond  my rhythm guitar experience.

So, I said to myself, I'll play the clarinet part on the chromatic
harmonica-- no competition on the chromatic harp!  Played through a
microphone emulating   Toots Thielemans style, of course, as a single reed
(unamplified)  vibrating is no competition for trumpet or amplified guitar. 

I had a set of chromatics in different keys and learned their songs using
the chromatic in the key that the tune was played, e.g. Bb chromatic for
tunes in Bb.

Then in 1979, I attended a weeklong  harmonica workshop in Kansas City with
Cham-Ber Huang as instructor.  He was then a Hohner artist and played his
own CBH 2012.  ( Humorously, I tell people that Bonfiglio and I studied
under the same teacher.( smile)  I had a week and he had an entire musical
education, of course)  It was a great inspiration and one of the things
Huang said which stuck with me was that "If you're good, then you only need
the professional model--which comes only in 'C.'"

On returning to my group, I'd play the old numbers I'd learned on the
chromatic corresponding to the key it was played in.  I took a vow that any
new number I learned would be played on the professional chromatic model -
comes only in "C".

It didn’t' take me long to decide that I'd have to quit using all the other
chromatics. It was making me crazy!  For example, on a Bb chromatic  Bb is
"blow."  On a professional model  Bb is draw with slide pushed in.  So,
after that I put away all the chromatics except the professional model.
( I use the Hohner CBH 2012 which is no longer manufactured but Hohner
supports it.  I have extra reed plates so I can change them and return old
ones to be reconditioned/retuned and not have to give up my favorite
instrument.)  I carry my chromatic in a leather case, made locally for me,
on my belt.  If I think of a tune I want to work out, I do it.  If someone
puts me on hold on the telephone, I use the time to work out a few licks or
play a request for a friend.

Thanks for listening!  What can one take away from all this?
----   I Agree with the distinguished maestro Bonfiglio about learning
scales etc.
----  this is what works for me.  It won't fit everyone's needs, desires or
skills.
---It can be done.  My own experience was that when I stuck with the
professional model, my ear got better and I could match tones on the
instrument.  With jazz playing, with many accidentals and key changes within
the tune, having a handful of chromatics won't get the job done.
---I find that playing the chromatic harmonica to be  satisfying in a
different way than playing piano or guitar.  It can be expressive in
different ways from the other instruments mentioned.
--I enjoy playing along with the radio-- whatever is on there--country,
blues, jazz or classical.  Trying to figure out what key the song is and
improvising with the music-- it's a delight and a challenge.  Besides, it's
great ear training.

Norman Vickers
Pensacola, FL
  

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