Re: [Harp-L] Some questions for chromatic players..

["Vern Smith" <jevern@xxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "sam blancato" <samblancato@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Harp-L" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 2009 9:14 PM
Subject: [Harp-L] Some questions for chromatic players..


> What is "Bop Tuning"?  I know nothing about this at all. 
> Wishful thinking
> has me hoping that it's a tuning configuration that 
> eliminates the doubling
> of 'C' every 5th hole so that you have two Cs in a row - 
> this annoys me a
> lot.  Then I wonder if that's such a desirable thing. 
> Does it make playing
> written music harder or easier?

The extra C is added so that every 4-hole octave can have 
the same blow-draw pattern.  That definitely makes it easier 
to read music because C, E, & G are the only blow notes and 
all the others are draw.
> I also have two Hohner 270 Super Chromonicas, one in C and 
> one in G.  The G
> has a cracked comb and is kind of airy around the crack. 
> Does anybody sell
> a plastic or other material comb that I can buy as a 
> replacement?

Chris Reynolds makes $50 plastic 270 replacement combs....in 
your choice of colors.
http://www.builderofstuff.com/270.html
The reedplates must be modified for screws. If you are not 
comfortable doing that, I recommend that you send your harp 
to Chris and let him do the work for an extra $25.

> The C Hohner is a standard C and I want to get a Tenor C. 
> Since I seem to
> like the 270s and they aren't giving me any trouble 
> (except the cracked comb
> on the G) and play louder and brighter than the big Suzuki 
> should I just go
> and order another 270 in Tenor and have done with or is 
> there another harp
> near in price to the Hohner ($136.00) that one of you 
> players out there has
> found to be just so much better?

The Hohner 270 Tenor will have a wooden comb.  You might let 
Chris replace it with plastic in the new harp.    Screwed-on 
reedplates are much easier to work on when you need to 
access the inside reeds and windsavers. CX12s have plastic 
combs but are more expensive.

> Is there a good Chromatic harmonica method book out there 
> that any of you
> have found especially helpful?  I have Richard Martin's 
> book and I plan to
> make use of it and, if fact already have.  And it seems 
> okay except that the
> book is actually a collection of reprinted articles from 
> some magazine so
> the instruction is a little disjointed.  Any suggestions 
> would be really
> helpful.

You can already play harmonica. There are instructions for 
learning to read  music in
http://www.angelfire.com/music/HarpOn/
That site also has everything you ever wanted to know about 
chromatics!
Sometimes Bonfiglio gives lessons and seminars on what you 
do with your mouth.

> Musically, I can really see how some kinds of jazz and 
> swing would really
> sound great on a chromatic but I can also see how some 
> other stuff wouldn't
> sound right...............
> The point is I don't think everything works.

I suggest that you play on a diatonic whatever you can. 
There will be a whole universe of jazz, classical, and 20th 
century pop for which you'll need a chromatic.

> I've heard some really fast stuff played on the chro,

If you want fast, hear/see Franz Chmel playing "Variations 
on Carnival of Venice" on Youtube.

Vern