Re: [Harp-L] Sonny Boy Williamson Bye Bye Bird



Hello all -

I inadvertently caused some confusion in my post a couple of days ago about my preference for the low C SBS harp for use in playing Bye Bye Bird. I want to take moment to try to clear this up.

1) The SBS is a 14 hole harp built on the Hohner 364 Marine Band platform, not the 365 which is a 12-holer. For some reason I always seem to get the 364 & 365 mixed up.

2) The SBS in C is actually a low C tuned harp, even though it is sometimes not labeled as such (mine isn't). Other SBS harps in the keys of G and A don't have the lower octave on the bottom end (and aren't nearly as useful IMO). The Coast-To-Coast web site explains it thusly:

"Standard Richter tuning, but the first three holes are the same notes as normal holes 1-3 but tuned an octave lower on the C, D and F, giving the player extended range and bending in the first 9 holes. Holes 3-13 are the same as normal 1-10, and hole 14 is an added blow and draw note on the high end. The A and G start in the same octave as the normally tuned diatonic, but have additional notes on the high end. This gives the player a 4 octave range with this tuning."

I find this confusing myself because it seems to define hole 3 twice. I would say that holes 4-13 are tuned like a normal 10-hole diatonic.

Whether it is labeled low C or simply C, it's a great harp for Bye Bye Bird. It also extends many other possibilities for playing blues. For example you can set up a bass line on the low end and then jump up to the normally tuned holes for the melody. It also extends the range of double-stops for interesting effects.

Sorry if I contributed to an already confusing situation with these SBS harmonicas. And thanks to the off-list posts that helped me understand where I went awry.

I'm still hoping Steve Baker himself will chime in and expand on/clarify the situation with his SBS harmonicas. They are great harps and more players should be knowledgeable about them.

Thanks,

Michelle





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