Re: [Harp-L] Sax and Harmonica

[Vern <jevern@xxxxxxx>]

On Mar 9, 2012, at 12:57 PM, Michael Peloquin wrote:

> .....The harmonica family needs a baritone harmonica!.....
> 

That need is unlikely to be met.

The bottom of the baritone sax range is about C2. Every harmonica player knows that the notes below about G3 don't carry well.

The bass harmonica covers a part of that sax range.  However, it is blow-only, has big reeds, takes a lot of breath, and is virtually inaudible without amplification. The larger reeds cannot be spaced to allow a standard harmonica mouthpiece.  Frequently bass reeds are supported by a mate tuned an octave higher which is more audible.

Unlike the ones in a harmonica, the reed in a sax is supported by a tunable resonant tube.  Every low-pitched instrument is physically large.  Harmonicas just don't work very well at low frequencies.  However, saxes don't  have a four-octave C3-C7 range!

Vern