RE: [Harp-L] Bending blow notes

JersiMuse <jersimuse@xxxxxxxxx> · Sat, 11 Aug 2012 14:20:42 +0200

I think we have the same approach, even if we donât come to the same conclusion concerning the XB & SUB30.

I definitely donât want to stick to todayâs limits. In fact, I donât feel any limit (but my own capabilities).

And I discover new unexpected possibilities on my instrument every day.

Iâll be interested to see what options will choose new harp players. 

In any case, it is always a good news that we have more choices, for sure.

Concerning your last question, I meant new notes, so more probably new holes.

As long as one play 1 or 2 keys per harmonica, 3 octaves is great.

When one begins to play in multiple keys, few more notes would be ideal, especially on the lower octave.

I was making this remark because for those who want to play in different keys, I feel it is more interesting to add notes (and much easier to achieve) than to discover new ways to get notes that are already there.

If I understand well, our points of view differ here, as you are not happy with those overnotes, whereas I am at least as happy with them as I am with bent notes.

Thanks for your answers & for the overall conversation,

Regards,

Jerome

www.youtube.com/JersiMuse

De : Zombor Kovacs [mailto:zrkovacs@xxxxxxxxx] 
EnvoyÃ : samedi 11 aoÃt 2012 11:30
Ã : JersiMuse; 'Robert Hale'
Cc : 'harp-l'
Objet : Re: [Harp-L] Bending blow notes

In my opinon it is not the same what way you get that note and especially what quality that note will be. As everybody knows, not all notes are as easy to play. There are very difficult notes, and plain easy ones. This is probably one of the reasons why many people start sticking to tunings and get limited by the actual design of the diatonic harmonica. Easing up these technical limits - in my opinion - should give more freedom in playing. For example the notes on a piano need the same effort to play (it is another thing that to play certain combinations are not as easy). No matter how talented somebody is, it will almost always be possible to hear differences between straight notes and overblows, or even normal bends. I am not saying that this should be completely eliminated (apart from certain overblows which sound simply ugly), because if used the right way this is what gives the special taste of the harmonica. But making difficult notes easier and nicer to play, will improve quality of the music and will give more freedom to the player both physically and mentally. We got used to certain limitations and people already think it is "normal". My opinion is that the quality of each note contributes to the quality of the music. If you are an overblower and you are enchanted by the possibility that you have a techniqe called overblowing and suddenly you have reached a new level of perfection I have another opinion. It is difficult, requires tiresome setups which do only last for a while, and not the least many times - I dare say - sounds ugly. But people are used to it, and have accepted - okay it sounds a bit ugly sometimes but how fantastic a technique it is (so it is acceptable). It is a fantastic technique, not doubt about it but so far nobody seem to have perfected it to a new level. And there are other ways to go like the SUB30 and the XB which seem to sound actually more coherent, no need for tricky, expensive setups, and traditional technique can be applied. I don't want to stick to todays limits. It is not necessary to accept that the diatonic harmonica has certain limits, then sit there and try to play. There are many new ways to try as every now and then something new comes out. 

By more slots, do you mean more slots or more holes? The SUB30 has already 30 slots, but only 10 holes. I don't think - by the way - there is any limit making a - say - 15 hole harmonica with the same technology. 

  _____  

From: JersiMuse <jersimuse@xxxxxxxxx>
To: 'Zombor Kovacs' <zrkovacs@xxxxxxxxx>; 'Robert Hale' <ynfdwas@xxxxxxxxx> 
Cc: 'harp-l' <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx> 
Sent: Friday, August 10, 2012 6:22 PM
Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Bending blow notes

Ok, Iâve learnt an important word today, thanks :-)

Well, to be honest, Iâm quite impressed by all these XB40 & SUB30 technologies, by the creativeness of some people, but I am not really interested as a player.

The first reason is that Iâve learnt to play in all keys, & I donât care about the technique being used to make it possible. So I donât want to change all my playing now without a real good reason.

The second reason is that, to my opinion, the problem is not to be able to play all the notes (learning overnotes is not that complicated anyway), but to know what to do with all these new notes. Acquire musicality in all keys, getting a good swing, developing its vocabulary etc, is much longer than learning how to play all notes.

The third reason is that playing all the notes doesnât mean playing in all keys. To play in all keys, the notes should enable to easily play arpeggios, pentatonics etc. I mean the location of each note on the instrument is very important. On the examples Iâve seen, the changes may enable to get all the notes, but seem to make it more complicated to play all arpeggios for example.

Iâd be really interested (and I have to say surprised) to see someone playing correctly in all keys on a XB40 or a SUB30. Maybe Iâm wrong, and Iâll definitely give it a try, but I feel it is much more complicated than overblowing.

So personally, Iâll stick with my regular harp, customized to be airtight & settled to optimize the playing in all keys.

In fact, Iâd be much more interested if the manufacturers developed more harps with more slots, than if they totally rethink the instrument to get notes I can already get with not much effort.

Iâd like to get a harmonica which proposes notes that I canât get at all.

Think about it : once you play in all keys on one instrument, your first priority becomes to be able to play on 3 octaves in all keys.

Please Mr Seydel, Hohner, Suzuki & others : make this possible on all your models ! :-)

Regards,

Jerome

www.youtube.com/JersiMuse

De : Zombor Kovacs [mailto:zrkovacs@xxxxxxxxx] 
EnvoyÃ : vendredi 10 aoÃt 2012 11:55
Ã : JersiMuse; 'Robert Hale'
Cc : 'harp-l'
Objet : Re: [Harp-L] Bending blow notes

Something like that :-)

I would rather say airtight, but if you are playing underwater you surely need one which is watertight :-)

The key is to have as little air escaping as possible. This is achieved by all kinds of customizing tricks (embossing, appropriate reed curvature etc.)

But I would just go for an XB40 or a SUB30, they all have the proper blowbends you need. If you absolutely don't want to pay for one, just upgrade your harp with the necessary valves and there you go. 

From: JersiMuse <jersimuse@xxxxxxxxx>
To: 'Robert Hale' <ynfdwas@xxxxxxxxx>; 'Zombor Kovacs' <zrkovacs@xxxxxxxxx> 
Cc: 'harp-l' <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx> 
Sent: Friday, August 10, 2012 10:33 AM
Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Bending blow notes

I'd be tempted to say that when you have one, you know it :-)

I would say it is a harp where all reeds are perfectly optimized so that you
can get natural notes, bends, overnotes & multi overbends without effort &
instantly.
To do so, you need a harp where airflows are also optimized.
I miss an English word here. Do one say the harmonica is "watertight" ?
meaning the air flow is only directed to each slot, and can only go through
the reed to get out, no air going in wrong directions ?

Regards,

Jerome
www.youtube.com/JersiMuse

-----Message d'origine-----
De : harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] De la part
de Robert Hale
EnvoyÃ : vendredi 10 aoÃt 2012 09:41
Ã : Zombor Kovacs
Cc : harp-l
Objet : Re: [Harp-L] Bending blow notes

> any good & well settled harp.

What is a well-settled harp, and how can I know when I have one?

Robert Hale
(from Seattle, WA today)