[Harp-L] Re: Harp-L Digest, Vol 95, Issue 64 Seamless altered notes

[Richard Hammersley <rhhammersley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Making altered notes sound acceptable on a diatonic harmonica is a challenge, so is hitting them spot on. But many other instruments have similar problems and overcome them. It is not just the laws of physics that are an issue, but also how skilfully the player interacts with the instrument. Some examples:
  Saxophone: While the natural range of the sax is about 2 octaves, this can be extended to well over 4 octaves. It takes great skill to play the modern full range seamlessly and so that the notes have similar timbre (if that is the effect sought). Earl Bostic is widely thought to be amongst the foremost players to be able to be seamless, although modern professionally trained players can all (??) do this.
  Guitar: There are issues about bending notes (which is purely ornamentation as the bent notes are available elsewhere) and about whether identical notes fingered on different strings sound the same (they don't) and whether this matters (depends on the musical context; Doc Watson apparently can tell by ear which fingering is being used, not everyone can do this). 
  Concertina: The anglo concertina has three rows of buttons. It is possible to play "up and down" one row which is like playing a diatonic harmonica in 1st position. This is generally considered boring and poor technique. It requires pushing/ pulling alternate notes (think draw/ blow) which is slower than when you can do a run all push or pull. So good anglo concertina technique involves playing across the rows - often in key of D across a row tuned to C and a row tuned to G. Like the harmonica, players deliberately subvert the intended design and use of the instrument to get a better musical effect.

For my ear, I don't mind if altered notes sound a little different in timbre. Indeed I don't mind if they are not 100% in tune all of the time - these little things add interest to the music. I do mind if the rhythm or volume of the playing is affected because the musician has to mentally pause to hit the bend or overblow properly. Take me as an intermediate amatuer who has nothing to lose by being honest about my abilities and limitations: I can bend effectively and seamlessly at speed as long as I am not jumping further than about four holes at the same time. I am working on being able to hit bends seamlessly however big the jump. Nonetheless, doing so in the context of a new tune still takes practice. I can do overblows, but I can't do them at speed or with jumps. So for now I am not doing them except as ornaments.

To my taste, the harmonica's power as a musical instrument is its ability to produce a wide variety of variations in sound - it is expressive like the human voice. People playing overblows seem to strive for seamlessness. The top players can combine seamlessness and expressiveness, the 2nd rank ones often sacrifice expressiveness to some extent. Another issue of asethetics is whether it is tasteful to play absolutely any tune on any instrument, even the beloved harmonica. A lot of youtube material is impressive in that people are playing extremely difficult to play tunes on the harmonica. But would you actually want to listen to the result for musical pleasure (as opposed to studying the harmonica purposes)? I would rather play stuff I can play in musical contexts where I believe it sounds good, accepting my current limitations than to strive for overblows to the sacrifice of everything else. 
Richard

On 25 Jul 2011, at 04:36, harp-l-request@xxxxxxxxxx wrote:

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> Message: 3
> Date: Sun, 24 Jul 2011 17:19:20 -0400
> From: Daniel Perrone <dany_perrone@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [Harp-L] Re: Seamless altered notes challenge
> To: "harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Message-ID: <BAY164-w3892CE143EEA2F52537022F3300@xxxxxxx>
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> It's been noted on this thread that instruments like the saxophone or even the piano have variations in timbre/tone from note to note for whatever reason.
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> This may be true... BUT... this variations are small and well within the acceptable range for most people to enjoy they uniform tone when the music requires it. And these instruments use the SAME LAWS OF PHYSICS for their sound production.
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> Also, as Richard Hunter pointed out, "laws of physics dictate that two sounds made using different techniques, which in turn involve different configurations of the mouth and vocal tract, won't sound the same".
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> Sure, a sax player can produce many different timbre/tones BUT that is at his/her WILL and is a tool to enhance his performance. A sax player is not a slave to the laws of Physics that say that if you use different mechanisms of sound production the notes will not be uniform, no matter how hard you try.
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> Check the next couple of videos, have you ever heard a soprano sax play Bach so well?. For sure it does not sound like  Kenny G style... lol.... I love it. Very uniform tone. 
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> I am learning the soprano sax and I dream of one day playing like that but ironically the first instrument I grab is always my diatonic harp. I love it's sound and decided to go the valved bend style to be able to get that very occasional accidental note,and not more. And yeah,the sound of overblows irritate me to the point of not been able to enjoy the music.
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> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKljLLSmIMs&feature=BFa&list=PLE224C0E2A6BB0DFC&index=15
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> or this
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> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJ_DeoX_S44&feature=BFa&list=PLE224C0E2A6BB0DFC&index=16
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