[Harp-L] re: Misc. harp questions

[Jonathan Ross <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

All quotes are from Tom Halchak:

"My first question.  Would someone please explain the difference in  
the tuning of a Golden Melody vs. a Marine Band or Special 20?  "


This page shows the intonations used for most commercially made  
diatonic harmonicas:

http://www.patmissin.com/tunings/tun6.html

The Special 20 and Marine Band are part of the "HandMade/Classic"  
line from Hohner.

For more general tuning information that will explain the terms used  
on that page, backtrack to the general tuning page:

http://www.patmissin.com/tunings/tunings.html

There is a lot of information there, but it is easily understandable  
and should answer any questions you have on the subject.


"Second question.  I am having some difficulty with a few of my  
harps.  Specifically in holding the bend on the 2 draw or getting the  
full 1 1/2 step bend on the 3 holes. (For example the G harp)  Others  
I can bend and hold without difficulty.  I fully accept the  
possibility that "user error" might be the primary source of my  
difficulty ('m working on it)."


It probably is.  With time and practicing this sort of thing will  
probably go away.


" But I am wondering,  a) how long does it take to "break in" a new  
harmonica?;"

None.  See this page:

http://www.patmissin.com/ffaq/q8.html

I think that more often than not the process of "breaking in" is  
actually working on the human rather than the harmonica.  We all make  
many subtle adjustments when we play harmonicas.  These are usually  
sub- or unconscious and while minute they can make a big difference  
to playing.  An easy way to see how important yet often unaware these  
changes can be is to accidentally pick up a harp the wrong way around  
and try to play a high-end note when you were expecting a low-end  
note (or vice versa).  Often it simply won't play, but consciously  
you aren't aware of doing anything different than just playing a  
"normal" note.

"and b) I've been reading a lot about tuning and customizing harps  
and there is an apparently good book on Amazon about the subject  
(Make Your Harmonica Work Better - Douglas Tate)"

A truly excellent book.  I'm not sure if "Play the Harmonica Well" is  
still available, but that is every bit as valuable.  The "Work  
Better" book is aimed at chromatics, and while many of the techniques  
are specific to them, many others can be used on just about any  
harmonica type.


" so is it common for you pros out there to have to tweak a new harp  
in order to get it just right? It appears that building a complete  
set of harps that play and sound the way you want them to is a little  
more of a challenge than just buying a bunch of harps (understatement  
of the month I presume)."


I'm not a pro, but many pros basically play harps out-of-the-box as  
it were.  With the improved quality of harmonicas across the line and  
the availability of many good ones from stock, you can get a decent  
playing, in-tune harmonica right away.  But, if you want, it doesn't  
hurt to learn the basics of harmonica maintanence or set-up.   
Actually, I think for all the talk about advanced techniques and such  
which goes on, the absolute best thing you can do is learn how to gap  
a harmonica for your playing style.  There is a lot of information  
about this in the archives, but I always thought Joe Fillisko's  
advice was best: find a harmonica which you really like the feel of  
in terms of playability and such, take the covers off and see what  
the gaps are like (gap is the distance the reed is from the reed- 
plate, and can also incorporate how curved the reed is and similar  
factors) and then copy that onto another harp and see what happens.

However, it is easy to get the false impression from this and other  
on-line lists that everyone is taking apart their harmonicas and  
working on them feverishly all day long.  I think for the  
overwhelming majority of players (and I expect even the overwhelming  
majority of listmembers, if not the majority of people who actively  
write) this simply doesn't happen very much if at all.  I would bet  
that as more people than not simply toss or put away a harmonica  
which goes out of tune as soon as do something as simple as put in  
replacement reed plates, even for models such as the Lee Oskar or  
Hohner MS where replacement plates are relatively easy to find even  
in local stores.

If you just want to play, buy a bunch of decent quality harps (S20s  
are in this range, as are GMs) and play.  For most things you want to  
do, that should be just fine.  If you end up wanting more, then  
decide whether you want to work on them yourselves or pay someone  
good to do it for you.



Hope this helps.



 ()()    JR "Bulldogge" Ross
()  ()
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