Re: [Harp-L] Chris Michalek... harmonica genius

[michael rubin <michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx>]

I agree that Chris Michalek is a harmonica genius.  However I do not
agree with the concept that we all need to strive to be perfectly in
pitch.  While I enjoy Michalek, Charlie McCoy and other players who
base part of their style on very in tune notes, I think I would stop
listening to music if that was the only option.

I tell my students that the harmonica is a party instrument.  It is
for fun, both the listener's and the player's. Over-practice and a
striving for perfection can stop the fun. But I tell them reasonably
on pitch bends is crucial.  Buy a Korg Chromatic Tuner and a keyboard,
sing the pitches along with the keyboard then play them into the tuner
and get the tuner to tell you the name of the note.  Practice melodies
that include the note in question and strive to make it sound nice.
Sing arpeggios and train your ear to match pitches both singing and on
the harp. Then I tell them that if they want to sound like Charlie
McCoy, they need to buy a strobe tuner and keyboard and enter the cave
for hours of daily practice.

I have questions regarding being in tune.  Are we trying to be in tune
with the never changing pitch of the keyboard?  Are we trying to be in
tune with the guitarist who tunes his guitar before the song and
begins to strum, becoming further and further out of tune until when,
at the end of the song, he needs to retune again?  Muscle memory
bending will not help with the guitar player.  Ear training, the
ability to alter your bend to match the instruments around you is more
important.

Is it possible for single note melodies to be in tune on a compromised
just tuned harp?  Since the cents relationship to 440 Hz changes from
scale degree to scale degree, what cent relationship should you
practice your bends in order to be in tune with the rest of the harp?
Surely just setting your tuner to 440hz and getting your tuner to say
you are right in tune does not account for the relationships to the
rest of the notes on the harp.  I am asking for harp-l's opinions on
this issue and of course the rest of this email.

On an equally tuned harp, what if you are tuned to 442 but the rest of
the band is tuned to 440?  Are you really in tune?

Does everyone only enjoy on pitch music?  Wouldn't lots of people
rather listen to the punk rock band than the classical orchestra?  As
I alluded to before, I would be very unhappy in a world full of
perfectly on pitch musicians.

So, is on pitch subjective?  Even if the tuner says a player is
perfectly on pitch, if it makes my skin crawl, is it on pitch to me?

On the flip side, I continue to practice my bends and consider the
style of music I am playing and try to tighten up my on-pitch accuracy
when I believe the music calls for it.  Conversely,  I try to relax my
on-pitch accuracy when the music calls for a more punk attitude.
Michael Rubin
Michaelrubinharmonica.com



On 4/23/10, icemanle@xxxxxxx <icemanle@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> Those that are only interested in blues do not have to be very concerned about pitch, as the out of tune is a part of the idiom. Everyone else may consider reevaluating their pitch control, especially when using bending techniques.
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> As a starter, learn what 4 hole inhale bend is supposed to sound like at pitch. If you pull it down to the "floor", it is actually below pitch by approx. 1/4 tone. If you are a habitual player that bends down till you can't bend down any more when playing, you will have to rethink, relearn and reprogram your technique. The rewards are worth the effort.
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jérôme P. <peyrelevade@xxxxxxx>
> To: MundHarp@xxxxxxx; harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Cc: groovygypsy@xxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Fri, Apr 23, 2010 2:48 am
> Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Chris Michalek... harmonica genius
>
>
> My answer is absolutely not related to Chris, who is definitely a great
> player, but I would like to say that, to my opinion, hitting every single
> note and being in tune is just the least you can expect from a musician on
> his instrument.
> I know I'm a bit provocative here, since the harmonica is often considered
> as a special instrument, with special "rules", but maybe we should all be
> more demanding and consider our little instrument like any other one.
> To me, the question is: do we, harp players, amateurs or professionals, good
> musicians or not, consider the harmonica as a music instrument?
> I hope I don't frustrate anybody here; it is just my two cents on an open
> debate.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Jerome
>
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>