[Harp-L] Re: Question

[Joe and Cass Leone <leone@xxxxxxxx>]

Private message forwarded with permission due to recent relavent  
threads.

On Feb 19, 2009, at 12:37 PM, Ronald Burton wrote:

> Hey all knowing ONE
>
> Charlie McCoy uses a Hohner Piccolo "G" and "A" in several tunes  
> according to his Key Chart.

That's correct. He used those at a time when high Gs and As weren't  
available. (67 to around 75). BUT, the harp YOU are referring to  
isn't (necessarily) a Piccolo. Piccolos once came in Bb, B, C, D, E,  
F, G, A, Cm, Fm, Gm. They 'could' be Vest Pocket harps (same size)  
which came in G hi and A hi.

There was a reason for this. Beings that when you play in crossed  
harp, you are actually dropping down in tone. (G equals D only lower,  
A equals D only lower), it allowed Charlie to reach UP one octave  
while STILL retaining the ease of having the SAME layout as a  
standard sized Marine Band in the lower 6-7 holes. That way, he  
didn't have to fool with the way the harp changes and reverses. Thus,  
he was able to do all the bends and smears he was used to doing on a  
regular harp, but could now do it an octave higher...thereby making  
the tune more interesting. That was especially beneficial when a tune  
had little or no bridge. He did this to prevent listener boredom.

I never had to resort to this because I always cut the 5th and 9th  
draw UP a sharp, and my runs all worked out. You will notice that  
Charlie hardly uses the very tops of the harps...whereas I DO. The  
9th raised draw makes it work.

>   Hohner says they only have a "C"...and Coast tocoast only sells a  
> "C"...Does McCoy have his made special??

No, he is probably still using older harps. I think they quit making  
all those tunings around 91? You could ask about the 'Vest Pocket'  
model and see if they still make THEM. But, in any case, a country  
tuning (similar to mine) has the 5th draw raised. If you were to ALSO  
raise the 9th draw (as I do), you probably wouldn't need the hi  
tuning anymore. I can cut the harp for you.

>   Whaddya think?

Think? Now you're asking me to think?
jo jo
> JET BLUE