Re: [Harp-L] RE: Harp-L Digest, Vol 95, Issue 60 RE Fairweather

[The Iceman <icemanle@xxxxxxx>]

unfair


Howard is "not of this earth"



All kidding aside, seamless challenge is not a waste of time or space just cause Howard does his Howard thang. Just my sensibilities, but there is a lot of stuff Howard does that doesn't resonate with me personally, including notes created through bending technique that are not always dead on and sometimes his ultra fast arpeggios sound a sloppy....the challenge lives on....




Everyone will have their own approach to this challenge.



And guess what, challenges are fun - they make life less boring.








-----Original Message-----
From: RON SMITH <ron@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sat, Jul 23, 2011 5:29 pm
Subject: [Harp-L] RE: Harp-L Digest, Vol 95, Issue 60 RE Fairweather


What a waste of time and space on the Overblow Challenge. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PIa-T3pJDY

Does anyone need to get anymore seamless than the above.  I think NOT.
You must have really fast ears.....
Ron


Seamless Overblow Challenge
Much as I enjoyed Iceman's "Summertime" YouTube,  it still doesn't change my
opinion as to whether OB's can be played "seamlessly" without noticeable
differences in timbre from other notes.
If you want to convince me, here's a simple challenge.
Materials required.
1. A metronome.
2. A means of recording yourself and sharing the recording.  (Webcam +
YouTube for instance).
3. Two Richter-tuned diatonics of similar make and model separated in key by
1/2 step.   For example a Bb Golden Melody and an A Golden Melody.

The Challenge.
Set your metronome to 80 bpm.   On the higher keyed harp, play a major scale
starting a blow #4 ascending up the 9th at draw 8 and then descending back
down to blow #4.   Play WHOLE notes - 4 beats per note at 80 bpm.

Now play that same major scale on the other harp that is 1/2 step lower in
key.    So using the example Bb and A harps, you are now going to play a Bb
major scale on the A harp beginning at #4 draw bend and ascending by whole
notes (4 beats per note at 80 bpm)  through the #4, #5, #6 overblows and the
#7 overdraw up to the #8 blow bend and back down again.

Upload your finished product in random order of the two harps without
stating which of the harps is used first.   I will deduce which one is the
lower keyed harp and which is the higher keyed harp solely by the timbral
differences.  If I fail to correctly deduce which harp is which,  then I
will admit that overblows can be played "seamlessly".