Re: [Harp-L] Was Slidemeister - Now Blues Chromatic

[David Payne <dmatthew@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The most diatonicky tones from a chromatic I can think of would have to be Brendan Powers and the most chromaticky diatonic tones I can think of would be P.T. Gazelle.  Blues chromatics typically have this lovely chromatic-harmonica sound. 


Another very diatonicky sound that comes to mind is Dom Sgro in "Steel Guitar Rag," where he plays a fast Charlie-McCoy-like sound on the chromatic. The only dead giveaway really that he's playing a chromatic is this obviously solo-tuned draw chord he hits occasionally.

When you go back to ground zero of the mass-produced chromatic, the 1920s, you hear a very diatonicky sound. The first chromatics were Richter note placement, as solo tuning didn't come around until the 1930s. That original chromatic sound was first position with diatonic-style tongue blocks, chords, octaves and double stops. It was a great sound. That first generation of chromatic players saw the chromatic as a way of expanding what they were doing on diatonics. 
Here's an example. This is, by the way, the first known recording of a chromatic harmonica. Borrah Minnevitch, 1924, several years before he formed the Rascals: http://www.patmissin.com/78rpm/HayseedRag.mp3 The harmonica is in C#, presumeably because the track had been sped up. It was originally played in C. It would be interesting to slow it down to C to hear how Minnevitch actually played it.


Dave



----- Original Message ----
From: Tom Albanese <reedwrecker@xxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sat, June 5, 2010 6:55:14 PM
Subject: [Harp-L] Was Slidemeister - Now Blues Chromatic

It occurred to me right after I hit the send button that the subject of this
thread should be changed. I think the slidemeister point has been
rendered moot.

t.a.

On Sat, Jun 5, 2010 at 5:36 PM, Tom Albanese <reedwrecker@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> As I see it, it's a harmonica discussion. You can qualify it as a chromatic
> discussion if you want but you're playing blues on a chromatic _harmonica_.
> That's what counts around here. And, it bears saying that most "old school"
> blues that's played on a chromatic harmonica is usually not truly chromatic
> playing anyway; usually not inclusive of chromatic scales. I know there are
> exceptions to that but they're relatively few (Paul deLay comes to mind).
> You may be one of that small group, I don't know. But the overwhelming
> majority of all blues played on chromatic harp is done in third position and
> very similar to third position on a diatonic. You wanna talk blues on a
> chromatic harp? There's a plethora of examples out there and I'm sure you
> could engage quite of few participants in that discussion. It's part of all
> things harmonica.
>
> tom albanese
>
>  On Sat, Jun 5, 2010 at 12:50 PM, Gene Pool <subdomaintain@xxxxxxxxx>wrote:
>
>> I promise this is the last time I'll say this.
>>
>> I hold the strong opinion that the discussion of playing blues on the
>> chromatic is a chromatic discussion, especially since I don't play the
>> diatonic harmonica.
>>
>> IF anyone wants to explain why this would not be the case then please
>> enlighten me.
>>
>> However, I do not need anyone else to explain how to follow the rules or
>> the guidelines for posting on slidemeister.
>>
>>