Re: [Harp-L] X-Reed Harmonica

[Elizabeth Hess <TrackHarpL@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi, Greg,

This is where the disconnect between being an aspiring musician and the wife of a privacy fanatic comes in.  No online videos for (or of) me -- it's in the prenup.  Not to mention that I'm still internalizing the layout of the "extra" notes in the middle octave of this harp.  Different from where the overblow notes are!  Oh, and still working on my tone, and my accuracy, and my speed...

I consider myself an intermediate player.  I'm not facile enough with this harp, yet, to WANT to perform on YouTube with it, let alone be able to exhibit the harp favorably.  Or any harp, for that matter.  I suppose I could try for some sort of comedy routine.... Here I am trying to play "Misty" for you in 10th position with overblows (on the harp I set up, myself), and here it is on the X-Reed, etc.  But I digress.

Ask me to play you the 1st position blues scale in the middle octave when you see me at SPAH.  Being able to do this is huge for me.

What didn't make it into my initial review in so many words is that the X-Reed harp passes what I call the "Rubes Like Me" test:  An intermediate player can get the extra notes with minimal gnashing of teeth.  And unlike the original SUB-30, the regular/familiar notes are well behaved, which is where the X-Reed design adds value to the stock SUB-30.  Brendan and Filip and Christelle and Rob and Mike Caldwell can surely make ANY harp sound wonderful, so when I listen to them getting beautiful tunes from the X-Reed harp, I have to remind myself to be realistic about my own skills.  It's easy to seduce myself into thinking that if I BUY a harp "like Brendan's", somehow I'll magically be able to PLAY like Brendan.  Dude!  In my dreams!  And yet...

What I wanted to convey is that getting the "extra" notes from this harp is WAY easier than overblows, and if I can do it, others can, and if I'm still an intermediate player, well, the  *harp*  is exonerated.  With overblows, you have to wonder.  Is it the harp?  Is it me?  With the X-Reed, it's pretty clear that any shortcomings are all me.  (Well, except for that little gapping issue on chamber 2, which is why I mentioned it.)  Perhaps that could be said for a highly customized harp set up for overblows, but I have trust issues, there:  Playing overblows requires so much control, and if I goof, well, the 1-4 blow octave might choke on me in the middle of a particularly exuberant solo at my local jam.  I believe the price of an X-Reed harp is in the same range as highly-customized overblow harps.  I consider it an investment, not a lark, and so the trust issues matter.  Clearly there are players who manage to play overblows consistently and well, but I do not think I am destined to be one of them.  I am grateful for the more forgiving alternative that the X-Reed design provides.

The X-Reed harp is more complicated than a plain diatonic harp, but less complicated than a chromatic harp.  I just think the mechanics for getting the extra notes are more robust -- and therefore require less finesse on the part of the player (i.e. yours truly) -- than an overblow instrument.  You still have to pedal the darn thing.  But I believe that with this one, I have better odds of reaching my destination sooner.

Best,
Elizabeth H. (aka "Tin Lizzie")



On May 19, 2013, at 12:04 AM, Greg Jones wrote:

> From: Greg Jones <greg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: May 18, 2013 3:37:37 PM GMT-04:00
> To: Harp-L <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [Harp-L] X-Reed Harmonica
> 
> 
> Love the threads on the X-Reed and it is cool there are new and innovative
> instruments coming out.
> 
> Any chance any of you recent purchasers could entertain us a bit via You
> Tube or SoundCloud.  Would love to see less and hear more.. :)
> 
> -- 
> *Greg Jones*
> *16:23 Custom Harmonicas*
> *(210) 445-6600*
> *http://1623customharmonicas.com/* <http://1623customharmonicas.com/>