Re: [Harp-L] Bandoneon Sound



The bandoneon sound has several characteristics, and one of the important ones is that every note is sounded by two reeds, one pitched high and one pitched low - an octave apart.

Some harmonicas have this same octave tuning with two reeds for each note. The Hohner Auto Valve is one such harmonica.

However, octave tuned harmonicas are designed to play in only one key. Bandoneon started out as an isntrument designed to play in only one key (as a type of concertina) but over time was modified to play in any key.

Also, tango is often played in minor keys. It may be possible to find octave tuned harmonica in minor keys. I've heard them played but don't know if they came that way from the factory or whether they were altered after purchase.

If it's sound of a minor key that's attracting you, then you might try either harmonic minor harmonicas (such as the Lee Oskar harmonic minor) or a natural minor (such as the Lee Oskar natural minor).

If it's the sound of octave tuning that attracts you, you could get harmonicas such as the Hohner AutoValve or the the Seydel Concerto. However, octave tuned harmonicas don't really sound much like bandoneons.

Harmonica players who play tango usually play the chromatic harmonica, which can play any scale in any key and can thus handle the complex scales and chords used in tango. To get the octave sound, the use a special technique to sound two notes an octave apart by blocking out the intervening holes with the tongue.


Winslow Yerxa

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

Resident expert at bluesharmonica.com

Harmonica instructor, jazzschool.com

Columnist, harmonicasessions.com

--- On Wed, 4/28/10, Mustafa Umut Sarac <mustafaumutsarac@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

From: Mustafa Umut Sarac <mustafaumutsarac@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] Bandoneon Sound
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Date: Wednesday, April 28, 2010, 1:57 PM

Hi , This my first post to the list and I want to present my best.

I am an tango listener and fan of bandoneon instrument.

There are only Lee Oskar and Hohner distributors in Istanbul and they have
lots of instruments under 30 dollars. I want one closest to bandoneon sound.
Can you advise me with your experience ?

Thank you and happy to be here.

Mustafa Umut Sarac

Istanbul



      


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