Re: [Harp-L] Bending with the Chromatic

["Bill" <bill.eborn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Good question, I've been playing chrom for about two years now and wondered 
about this a lot.  I was working on Nardis yesterday where the melody on the 
bridge drops an octave to the B below middle C,  Gregoire Maret plays it on 
Gabriele Donati's album All in that Sky, and the piano player takes the 
bridge - and very nice by the way!  Yesterday I got around it by staying up 
the octave for a quaver longer and then going down to the next note which is 
C.  On Stella By Starlight, i've taken to staying on the Bb above middle C 
rather than dropping down an octave which then shifts the melody up an 
octave, which then means the melody uses all three octaves of the harmonica 
which seems to work for the tune for me anyway. I do something similar to 
this on Tenderly as well.  Is this about it being jazz too and having the 
freedom to interpret melodies, so having a range of 3 octaves actually then 
gives you a creative opportunity?????

Bill


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rob Paparozzi" <Chromboy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Bob Cohen" <bob@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>; "harp-l harp-l" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, July 12, 2010 7:48 PM
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Bending with the Chromatic


> Hey Bob,
>
> We do Bend notes on the Chromatic, more as ornamentation and passing tones 
> but I have used that bent "B" below the staff on many occassions...it 
> really depends on the application and you can't really sit on it that long 
> before it craps out...so more than a quick 1/8 or 1/4 note is about all 
> you can get while blow bending that 1st hole down to a 'B'
>
> I also foud the more custom and deluxe style chroms are easier to bend as 
> is the CX-12, My Suzuki 12 hole Chromatix works just fine for this.
>
> You can also get a 12 hole Chrom with Tenor Plates to get around this 
> problem as well.....or just use a 64.
>
> hope this helps to answer your question
>
> best,
> Rob Paparozzi
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Bob Cohen" <bob@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: "harp-l harp-l" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Monday, July 12, 2010 2:35 PM
> Subject: [Harp-L] Bending with the Chromatic
>
>
> > Quick chromatic question. I've got a three octave Chromatic and am 
> > working on a song in which it is necessary to play the B below the lowest 
> > C on the instrument.  I have a four octave chrom as well and could easily 
> > solve the problem by switching instruments. Being a diatonic player, it 
> > occurred to me to try bending the reed.  I was able to produce the 
> > missing note that way. But this has got me wondering about whether 
> > chromatic players bend notes. I'm not asking permission but I am curious. 
> > :-)
> >
> > Bob