[Harp-L] Getting big sound on the chromatic (was Re: Winslow as a concert performer)

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

Another comment I wanted to make on this. Getting good tone on a chromatic, as on a diatonic, does not require a hard attack or high wind pressure, which are what make reeds refuse to speak - "freeze up". You can get good tone by cultivating resonance, even with a soft attack. And you can deliver a large volume of air without a strong attack or a lot of pressure either. Think "fat pipe" - open that throat and breathe deeply. Cultivating that combination can help you to deliver not only a large volume of air to the reeds in a gentle fashion, but also to allow the reed to capture the power of that air to resonate, to carry and amplify the vibration that thee reed creates when it chops through its slot, creating a ripple in the air stream

Winslow Yerxa

Author, Harmonica For Dummies ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5

--- On Sat, 11/7/09, John F. Potts <hvyj@xxxxxxx> wrote:

From: John F. Potts <hvyj@xxxxxxx>
Subject: Winslow as a concert performer
To: winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx
Cc: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Date: Saturday, November 7, 2009, 3:54 PM

Winslow,

I have NEVER heard such incredible tone from a chromatic as you get on Blue Chrome (on the Jazz Harmonica Summit site).  i want to ask what harmonica were you using and what equipment were you playing through?  Did you gap the reeds and/or modify the windsavers?  i ask this because any time i have attempted to get such a tone out of a chromatic, the reeds would "freeze."  But, then I don't play chrom very well anyway.

Absolutely superlative tone from a chrom.  Fantastic performance!  Hey--you're so good you should write a book.

JP