Re: [Harp-L] Re: Eivets Rednow Question

[Joseph Leone <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Oct 11, 2011, at 11:48 AM, Tom Skailes wrote:

> Having just had a listen and played along with the first few bars, it seems definitely to be a 16 hole chrom in C. To my (slightly dulled) ear, SW starts on draw of hole 1 in the 2nd octave. The grace notes then make nice use of the slide. Like any other piece of music, you could play it on any chromatic harp in any key, the notes just probably wouldn't fall so easily 'under the fingers' so to speak - and of course a differently pitched chromatic mayn't have the range to reach the highest or lowest notes used.
> 
> Being an alto and tenor sax player as well, the same decisions are need - do I play this tune on my Bb tenor or my Eb alto? Usually I pick the one that suits the range of the tune better and on which the notes required fall most easily to my fingers - but it's a good ear and inner ear training exercise to play tunes on both instruments at the same pitch, or indeed at any other pitch - and the same benefits would apply on chromatic harp - improving fluidity.
> 
> The chromatic harmonica is different from most other chromatic instruments in being available in several closely spaced root key choices. In the early days of sax development you could get them in several other tunings including C-melody. These all died out over the years due to lack of demand and a need to standardise, as each instrument is a different size.

Basically, having different keys in saxs isn't necessary..OR wasn't 'deemed' necessary because the sax was meant to be learned off written music. Ergo, all one had to do when playing different keyed saxes was to have THEIR chart adjusted FOR it. Chromatics were different. When they came out, the people already playing (diatonic) mostly played by ear, knew very little about music structure, and so they didn't necessarily start off with music. This trend holds true today where most harmonica players don't read. 

> Thankfully the size of a Chromatic harp does not change depending on its root key, only the size/selection of reeds on the reedplate, so at least the harmonica manufacturers are bucking this trend and still providing players with plenty of choice.
> 
> Regards
> Tom
> 
> On 11/10/2011 00:52, harp-l-request@xxxxxxxxxx wrote:
>> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Re: Eivets Rednow Question
>> To: michael rubin<michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx>
>> Cc: harp-l<harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
>> Message-ID:<FB570EDA-D813-4A8A-9046-22C5FA4C4FB4@xxxxxxxxxx>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>> 
>> Nah, it's a C chrom, normal speed. Really, trust me on this;-).
>> 
>> BTW, it goes up to a high D, so that rules out either a G chrom or a C slowed down to G.
>> 
>> But thanks for reminding me what a beautiful performance this was!
>> 
>> - Slim