Re: [Harp-L] Starting new players on an alternate tuning (was The POWER of blocked TONE)

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

Solo tuned diatonics are available - which is closer to something that makes sense than a spiral tuning where C is a blow note in the f1rst octave, a draw note in the second octave, and so on.

Yet almost nobody ever buys a solo tuned diatonic.

The history of the harmonica is littered with  examples of "the invention that solves all the problems."  Nearly all of them go unheeded, and that funny ol' German Major tuning just persists.

With 5 minutes' instruction, anyone can gain  basic understanding of where the notes are and why notes are missing in the first octave. But people think they can pick a harmonica and play it with no instruction. It's not true of any other instrument, but harmonica manufacturers have encouraged this thinking, and the new player suffers.

By the way, many beginning players have trouble with Draw 2 on nearly every type of harmonica, no matter how it's tuned, and that includes chromatics. Spiral tuning wouldn't solve that problem.

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 Sat, 5/8/10, Luke Keefner <lkeefner@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

From: Luke Keefner <lkeefner@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] The POWER of  blocked TONE
To: Philharpn@xxxxxxx, franze52@xxxxxxx, harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Date: Saturday, May 8, 2010, 8:48 AM

Thank you for your response, Phil. I would just like to see harmonicas made to be more friendly to beginners. I think in these economic hard times that these companies are missing the boat on creating a growth type market for their product. I can see the advantages of richter tuning  for an advanced player (sort of) but it just causes beginners to give up. I have an XB40 that collects dust on my desk because it sounds like a chromatic and won't fit comfortably in my pocket. Luke
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Philharpn@xxxxxxx 
  To: lkeefner@xxxxxxxxxxxx ; franze52@xxxxxxx ; harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Saturday, May 08, 2010 11:09 AM
  Subject: Re: [Harp-L] The POWER of blocked TONE


  The answer is fairly obvious. Most people do not walk into music stores and purchase the most exotic version of the instrument they're interested in, especially if it is a first-time purchase.

  People also have preconceived ideas about what things are worth. Most first-time harmonica purchasers think a harmonica ought to cost $10 at most -- and are utterly shocked that a production model diatonic can cost $100. 

  That's the purchaser's point of view -- I know a tiny bit about that since I deal with beginning harmonica players in my group classes.

  For the manufacturers' point of view: Hohner came out with what is arguably the most advanced diatonic harmonica on the market: the XB-40. It is the answer to most harmonica players dreams: it bends at least a half-step blow/draw on every hole. Yet it is not a monster best-seller -- which it ought to be. Proving innovation does not pay off. Several years earlier, the Renaissance chromatic harmonica was released. Again, just what the chromatic players had been crying for, for years. Yet they refused to see it as worth more than a few hundred dollars (US) instead of its price of a few  thousand.

  And my personal -- 20 years' worth -- observation, it that most harmonica players are not musically adventurous. There are a few exceptions. But most are not. 

  Also note, I would love to walk into a store and purchase a spiral-tuned harmonica. I live in the suburban Detroit area -- and long before the state of Michigan went into a depression, most music stores only carried a few harmonicas (if you could find them under the dust layers) and we happy to sell them at full price. The only place you're going to find a spiral tuning is through a special order from Seydel or some customizer. 

  Hope this helps.
  See you at SPAH.

  Phil Lloyd








  In a message dated 5/8/10 8:18:13 AM, lkeefner@xxxxxxxxxxxx writes:



    Why doesn't Hohner or Seydel produce a beginner harp for the
    musically....curious.... people ( where I began and probably most of you
    too) in a spiral tuning say in low E or D?  Most people pick up what is
    available like a C Old Standby or Marine Band and think: "This thing is a
    piece of crap! If you start on the left side of the harp (like we read, left
    to right) we find notes missing, notes duplicated, and the 2 draw sounds
    like something is stuck in it. 



    As we move up the harp we find some sequence
    of notes, but remember this a squeaky C harp, we might be able to pick out
    Old Susanna if someone hasn't yet ripped it out of our mouth and thrown it
    out the car window. You might want to try to play along with the radio but
    not many songs are in C so again, frustration. Eventually, you give it to
    the dog to chew or toss it in the junk drawer and forget it. 



    Admittedly I suck, but it wasn't until I learned to paddy my harps that I was able to
    play much of anything that didn't hurt my own ears. Instead of braying about
    how wonderful Howard, Jason, etc., is we could do our beloved instrument  more
    good by promoting this "training wheels" concept so that beginners actually
    go out and buy a second harmonica. Luke
    ----- Original Message -----
    From: "Frank franze" <franze52@xxxxxxx>
    To: "harp-l" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
    Sent: Saturday, May 08, 2010 6:46 AM
    Subject: [Harp-L] The POWER of tongue blocked TONE
    http://tinyurl.com/25s6wgn


    The POWER of tongue blocked TONE
    >>>http://tinyurl.com/25s6wgn<http://tinyurl.com/25s6wgn><<< I love to "Lip
    Block" too... happy trails and happy harpin!!!