RE: [Harp-L] Chord Harp

EGS1217@xxxxxxx · Mon, 28 Dec 2009 18:50:11 EST

Wow..thanks for that clip.

Koei Tanaka was a big draw at SPAH in August. Terrific performer, and I've  
been checking him out via his YouTubes ever since. 

This version of his on Summertime with this new chord/bass instrument by  
Suzuki played by Tomoya Ouchi is wonderful. Who needs a trio when simply two  
guys will do?

I very much enjoyed their interpretation. Koei's got class and his jazz  
playing (and original music) at SPAH was quite brilliant.

Thanks for this one. He'll definitely be someone to watch....as will  
Tomoya.
********

**As far as Walter playing chord is concerned....I say 'go for it', if it  
interests you and you can afford to buy one. 

Jason Ricci took up that particular instrument and in a very short  time 
was playing very credible chord ....now absolutely loves spending time at  
Conventions accompanying diatonic or chromatic players. I would bet he'd be  
perfectly happy putting aside his diatonics and spending an entire festival  
playing ONLY chord...now wouldn't that be fun?

Val Redler (who's revived and made a huge success of The Garden State  
Harmonica Festival (and their Club) took up the instrument, worked hard at it  
over the last couple of years and is brave enough now to get up with  and 
good enough to hold her own onstage with the HarpBeats. I've listened  in to 
some of their sessions. She's deeply dedicated to her practice and dead on  
key when she plays.  I've also heard Phil Caltabellotta and even George  
Miklas play chord (never knew either was so multi-talented on so many different  
instruments before)...and enjoyed the differences each brought to it, and to 
the  diatonic, chromatic and Bass. Believe it or not each plays all of 
those. 

No one's saying it's an easy instrument to learn...I've watched Jason and  
Val over the last couple of years in particular through their struggles  
with the chord....and their triumphs in mastering different stages.

What can it hurt?  You've already been to GSHC and seen some of the  best 
chord players...have heard what the instrument can do, so already know the  
'sound'...and how hard you'll have to work to learn it. Clearly you have an  
affinity for the instrument (or wouldn't be asking), but what fun it'd be to 
 have yet another chord player there to play backup in the small groups 
which  gather (even as an amateur learning as a lot of the rest of us are  
doing), as yet more of the older chord players give up the instrument  simply 
due to age and how weighty it is. If no one new takes it up, eventually  we'll 
have no one left playing chord. So I'm all for it....

 This is the fun of a SPAH or GSHC and I know you were completely  immersed 
in the experience. No one else knows whether or not you have the  
dedication to practice enough to get reasonably good on chord....so it's  entirely up 
to you to decide. The bottom line is that you could always  resell 
it...there's always a market for a decent chord... although I  certainly can't 
advise you as to models or what constitutes 'reasonably priced'.  I do know 
Suzuki is making new and interesting instruments...but Hohners are  also tried 
and true...perhaps Seydel's might be competitive now?

For myself, I bought a saxophone and have been working (with some of  
SmoJoe's help) on figuring out how to play the darn thing. I certainly can get  
some reasonable sounds out of it now...figured out the embouchure in just a  
few minutes with his help and now have no problems at all with it. Will I  
ever get good enough to play in public? Who knows...in the meantime I'm 
having  an awful lot of fun trying.

Where is it written that you shouldn't try a chord? The main  
discouragement for people is the cost. If you can afford one, buy yourself a  Holiday 
present ;)

And Walter...as I was told when I first joined Harp-l and then  
Slidemeister: when it comes to Harmonicas, there ARE no stupid questions.

Elizabeth

"Message: 6
Date: Sun, 27 Dec 2009 23:42:36 -0800
From: d peer  <dpeer2000@xxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Chord Harp
To:  <scanlon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>

All I  gotta say is:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0BFnWVeU7A

---

Love is the  music of life;

Compassion is its melody.

- Don Peer  (  o)==#
***********************************
From: scanlon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Date:  Mon, 28 Dec 2009 00:17:13 -0500
> Subject: [Harp-L] Chord Harp
>  
> My harp bag includes all the diatonic keys and three respectable  
chromatics.
> Besides playing Polkas, is there any good reason to add a  chord harp to 
my
> collection, and if so, which one might be recommended?  Will working with 
a
> chord harp improve my diatonic and chromatic, blues,  jazz and classical
> playing?  Can I entertain myself by having one?  (Or would I bore myself 
to
> death?) What would be a moderate priced chord  harp to purchase. I hope 
these
> questions don't sound too stupid!
>  
>  _______________________________________________