RE: [Harp-L] Easiest Bending Harp

["Bill Kumpe" <bkumpe@xxxxxxx>]

The first four were C harps.  The MB was a stock untweaked G and the Huang a
D that has probably been played half a dozen times in three years.  By
easiest, I mean easiest (in my estimation) to hit a half and full step bend
as measured on the meter.  I am not a technical player and I rate myself as
an intermediate player at best on the Adam Gussow rating system.  I bend but
do not overblow and use a combination embrochure, tongue block, lip block
and pursed mouth/whistle.  I guess easiest means just that.  Ran down the
scale or a riff and went for the note as measured on the BendoMeter.
Easiest for me to hit.  Accuracy was . well gee . my bend does not hit the
nail on the head most of the time   I'm not that good.  I call it hit for
the purposes of this discussion if it slid in easily enough to be used in a
riff and lit up the whole space for the target note on the BendoMeter.

 

Bill Kumpe

Tulsa, OK

 

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From: Arthur Jennings [mailto:timeistight@xxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2010 11:44 AM
To: Bill Kumpe
Cc: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Easiest Bending Harp

 

Thanks for this.

What keys are these harps?

How do you define "easiest"? Deepest? Most accurate? Something else?

On Tue, Dec 14, 2010 at 8:21 AM, Bill Kumpe <bkumpe@xxxxxxx> wrote:

Ok, the legal business has slowed down for Christmas and I admit that I am
fooling around at my desk.  So, I downloaded the free trial version of the
Bendometer software, opened up my harp case and proceeded to see which of my
harps provided the easiest bends.  Winner was the Hohner Crossover (stock).
Close second was the Suzuki Bluesmaster (stock).  Third was the Hohner
Special 20 (tweaked), Fourth was the Hohner Golden Melody (stock), Fifth was
the Marine Band (stock), Sixth was the Huang Star Performer (stock).  I had
never really tested the harps before and the Crossover is not really my
favorite harp for ergonomic reasons but I have to admit the full step bends
were nearly effortless.  I had never paid attention to it before.  I usually
just play the things and don't worry too much about technicalities.  But,
there it is for what its worth.  The Crossover is the easiest bending harp
in my case.



Bill Kumpe

Tulsa, OK




-- 
Arthur Jennings
http://www.timeistight.com

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