Re: [Harp-L] Chromatic harmonica for smaller mouths?

[William Lifford <william.lifford@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Dan,

If you are trying to get chromatic octaves to play third-position blues
(like George Smith, Rod Piazza, and William Clarke), and you find that the
chrom is just too big, you can do a really good approximation of that sound
on the diatonic.  I could record a clip of myself doing it on the diatonic
and send you an mp3 if you'd like.

The trick is that on the low end of the diatonic harp you only open your
mouth over four holes and block the two in the middle.  Higher up the harp
(middle register onwards) you have to open up over five holes and block the
three in the middle.  The middle register of the diatonic harp is tuned the
same as each four-hole section of the chrom, so you can get phrasing a that
are really close to what you would play on the chromatic.

I do this sometimes because my amplified "cup" is great with the diatonic,
but I have a much harder time getting quite as full a sound when cupping
the chrom.

The main drawback to this is that you don't have a button...  But this may
not be the biggest deal if third position blues is what you're looking to
do.  Piazza rarely uses the button although William Clarke definitely used
it more.  So you won't be able to duplicate the button using this diatonic
trick, but it does sound pretty good.

Additionally, there is a Marine Band - style harp that is solo tuned (like
a chromatic).  Someone on the list will know the model number, etc. It's
something like twelve or fourteen holes.

Bill



On Saturday, April 26, 2014, Dan Hazen <bluesmandan76@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Hi all, I am mostly a diatonic player, but also play some chromatic. I have
> a couple of chromonikas, a swan, and a chrometta 8. I have a problem
> playing them though... my mouth is too small to play octaves on a
> chromatic. I've been told before "ah, your mouth isn't too small, you just
> have to press it in your mouth more." Uh... no. I push the doggone thing as
> far in as I can, til it hurts, and then I can get an octave, but of course
> lose all musical ability at that point. Shoving it in farther and harder
> does not work for me. If the holes were spaced a little closer, so that the
> octaves were a little closer, that would work.
>
> Is there a chromatic model available that has narrower hole spacing that
> someone with a smaller embouchure would be able to more effectively use?
>


-- 
William Lifford, CP
Progressive O&P, Inc.
1111 Willis Avenue
Albertson, NY 11784
516-338-8585