[Harp-L] Diatonic v Chromatic

["Aongus MacCana" <amaccana@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I know about as much about music (and harmonicas/mouthorgans for that
matter) as a dog knows about a wireless.

However at my advanced age I am picking up knowledge on a need to know
basis. This is proving quite interesting and even entertaining. In fact I
have been told that it may be an antidote to senile dementia.

For this reason I have copied Winslow's latest erudite posting on the above
topic to a Word document which I shall study at my leisure.

When I purchased my first chromatic harmonica in the key of C sixty odd
years ago I was led to believe by the "authorities" of the time that I now
had a device on which I could play any tune in any key and that I would
never need buy anything different or any better. This was and is indeed
(theoretically!) true. Alas when I got into it I found that there were a few
snags. 

The first was that -quite unconsciously - I transcribed every tune I tried
to play into first position or the key of C. In some trickier tunes like
when I was trying to copy Larry Adler I found that there were sometimes
"rogue" notes hiding which could only be accessed by use of the slide. I
also found that some tunes did not sound great or quite right when played in
C. 

A break through occurred when I discovered that chromatics could be bought
in any key and that a G chromatic in particular opened up the possibility -
even to a first position junkie, of accessing a treasure trove of Irish
traditional tunes in the keys of G and D.

I can scarcely wait to get my hands on one of these new Seydel 'Samplers'
which will give me first position G or D at the touch of a button.

Beannachtai

Aongus Mac Cana