Re: [Harp-L] Bach and that pesky B note

["Vern Smith" <jevern@xxxxxxx>]

I assume that you are not interested in using a 4-octave, 
16-hole harp.  Because the Hands-Free-Chromatic is a 
3-octave harp, I frequently encounter the same problem. Here 
are some of the work-arounds that I have used.

1. Use a 3-octave Tenor-C harp.

2. Because the Hands-Free-Chromatic is very air-tight, I can 
blow-bend the C a halftone down to B.

3. If the piece(s) that you are playing don't have any C#s 
(or D#s) in them, then you could retune the C# (or D#) reed 
down to B in one of your chromatics.

4. Transpose the sheet music to F and actually play it on a 
G chromatic as you would on a C chromatic.  The +sharp of 
the harp tuning and the -flat of the sheet music cancel to 
give C concert pitch.

Vern

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <jim.alciere@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 10:35 AM
Subject: [Harp-L] Bach and that pesky B note


> I've been working on a harp/ bassoon duet playing Bach (we 
> all go through
> our mid life crisis our own ways). I was at first stimied 
> by the B note in
> the key of C, thought of geting a country tuned harp, 
> playing in first
> position etc.
>
> Since I am playing the bassoon part (on the keyboard, very 
> slowly) and the
> harp part, I'm going to try two options. Option 1: not 
> play the B. Just
> stick in some other note. B. switch harps.
>
> I'll let you know which one works best.
>
> --
> Rainbow Jimmy
> http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1372404/dhoozh_chapter_1.html
> http://www.myspace.com/theelectricstarlightspaceanimals
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