Re: [Harp-L] effects on tremolo harmonica

["hannessch@xxxxxxxxxx" <hannessch@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Wow - thanks for the analysis! I think it's a shame there is so little information available about "advanced tremolo 
technique" - not that I'm an advanced player, but progressing would be easier with even only a small fraction of the 
material that's around for blues harp or chromatic ...
Greetings, Hannes
  
----UrsprÃngliche Nachricht----
Von: winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx
Datum: 31.10.2008 00:03
An: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>, <hannessch@xxxxxxxxxx>
Betreff: Re: AW: Re: [Harp-L] effects on tremolo harmonica

He starts the clip by playing the harp in single-row mode, isolating either the top or bottom row. He switches to 
both rows for a tremolo sound at about 00:15.

This way, he can play either single-reed bends with one reed completely by itself, or a dual-reed bend with the reed 
in the adjacent hole to the immediate right or left. (For anyone else reading this who may not be familiar with tremolo 
harps, each reed is in its own hole, with draw notes and blow notes in neighboring holes instead of in the same hole. 
The tremolo reeds are in a second row below the main reeds, fine-tuned just slightly higher in pitch to create the 
characteristic quavering tremolo sound).

While he is in single row mode, at about 0:06 he, bends the note A down. It sounds like dual-reed mode when he does 
the bend. As he's playing in C on a C instrument, A is a draw note, so he's selecting a pair of adjacent holes with an 
A draw note and G blow note. Shortly thereafter he bends a draw D. It's too quick to say whether it's an isolated D 
reed or whether he's also directing air through the adjacent C blow note to get both reeds sounding the bent note. The 
last note in single-row mode is a held G, which he bends very slightly, with vibrato. This could be dual-reed (Blow G 
with Draw F) or simply an isolated G reed.

The dual-reed bend (or bends) may sound like dual reed bends to you if you're used to hearing blues players attacking 
the bends in a different way stylistically. But that's a matter of applying technique in aid of a particular style, not 
one of reeds or instrument type.

Winslow Yerxa

Author, Harmonica For Dummies ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5