Re: [Harp-L] Making the Move to Chromatic

[philharpn@xxxxxxx]

Some people make a big deal about HOW HARD it is to play chromatic after playing diatonic.  If you can play simple folk songs on holes 4-7 on a diatonic, you should have no problem switching to a chromatic.  Because that's all a chromatic is: that section of holes 4-7 repeated over and over -- depending on whether you have a 10- 12- 14- or 16-hole harmonica.  
The other thing is that every time you want to add a flatted (lower note) or sharped (raised) note you press the button. 


The chromatic has two major issues*: all flats (Bb for example) must be converted to sharps (Bb is also A#). The other issue is the doubled tonics:   The blow pattern on a C diatonic (blues harp) is CEG CEG CEG C. On a chromatic the blow pattern is CEGC CEGC CEGC CEGC (for a 16 hole). This is so the chromatic blow-draw pattern stays the same for every octave while the pattern is different for the diatonic. 


*This pattern used for holes 4-7 and every octave on chromatic is called solo tuned. Some people are confused by the double C's because they can't tell the C on hole 4 from the C on hole 5. Most veteran chromatic players use the second C when playing notes ascending and the first C when descending music lines.


**Most people give up on the diatonic because they don't want to deal with bending notes: You need to bend to get an F and A in the first octave just to play a complete scale and  folk songs and Americana tunes. They don't realize that all the great chromatic  players from the golden age of harmonica routinely bent notes on the chromatic either to get a quick note or for inflection. Since all chromatics have windsavers (plastic flaps that look like reeds) to cut down air leakage, every hole on a chromatic with a windsaver can be bent a half-step (blow or draw). This means that for those players who are used to getting bent notes, they can still bend to get a half-step lower note. 


***The Richter-tuned chromatic has the same layout as the blues harp (diatonic). Hohner sells a 10-hole called a Koch (one of the companies it acquired years ago) and its modern SlideHarp. The SlideHarp is half-valved. The Koch is not. This means the first six draw reeds are valved (aka windsaver-ed) as are the last four blow reeds. This allows blow 1/2-step bends are the first six holes and 1/2-step draw bends on the top four holes. These valved bends are a lot easier (to master and execute) than overblows and even have sound better (to me & others) than overblows. 


Plus, the half-valves do not interfere with standard draw and blow bends on the harp. The Richter-tuned 10-hole is larger than than a diatonic but it's also louder. I've never understood the reason for lack of valves on the Koch other than that's how it started out. The a SlideHarp bends fine. The only difference is that the Koch leaks like a sieve -- and for no advantage. Hohner used to sell both the Koch and SlideHarp in keys of C and G; I have one of each (4 harps) from F & R Farrell. Now they sell both harps in the key of C. 


###Tuning is different too. If you're already playing a Lee Oskar or Golden Melody you are playing harmonicas that are tempered tuning (like the piano) so that the notes sound good in all keys. Most diatonic harmonicas use just intonation which makes the chords sound good. (I once had a guitar teacher whose Lee Oskar went out of tune and he replaced it with a brand new Special 20 and couldn't understand why te 20 didn't sound as good with his guitar as the Oskar -- it was the tuning.)


Hope this helps
Phil Lloyd














-----Original Message-----
From: joe hagins <joe_hagins@xxxxxxxxx>
To: Harp L <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tue, Sep 20, 2011 1:01 am
Subject: [Harp-L] Making the Move to Chromatic


So I have decided to make the move to chromatic as the lay out of it make more 
sense to me. I think the reason for that is due to being a bassist for 16 years 
and playing an instrument that has all the notes readily available as that's 
been one problem I have been having when picking up tunes or riffs from radio or 
CD's when playing diatonic. Now I know there are limits to chromatic such as 
chords, expression..ect, but hell I am going to give chromatic a run for it!

Cheers,

Joey Anchors



http://joeyanchors.wordpress.com/