[Harp-L] Multiple harmonicas

[Jonathan Ross <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Bill Price writes:

"A lot of people have used more than one diatonic in a song and some just happen to be a whole step apart. That's a big difference from what I've done. "



Actually, it's not.  It's exactly the same thing.  And that shouldn't  take anything away from what you have done--you have developed a very unique way of playing the diatonic harmonica which works well musically.  You have developed some adaptions (much like the ones Brendan posted and as were planned for the Lee Oskar system but never produced) which facilitate this new style of playing.  This is extremely laudable, and if enough people adopt it could evolve into an a distinct and recognizable musical style in its own right, like the Asian style of multiple harp playing.  But, it is not a new instrument nor substantially different from other styles that use multiple harps.


For instance, I've seen players who use the tremolo and octave double harps (back to back style) who switch them within songs, flipping the instrument back and forth.  But even though these are two harps sharing one comb, they aren't a "new instrument", it's just two harps smashed together.


Similarly, I don't think what Brendan had done is create something new.  Rather, he has created an elegant means of joining harmonicas together which allows for expanded playing possibilities. This is essentially what the chromatic harmonica does already (indeed, Brendan's system is basically the same idea as a standard chromatic harmonica--just done in a way not easily feasible before).  These are both great developments, and like so many things wonderful examples of how we live in the best time to be a harp player.


It seems like a lot of your focus is the whole tone nature of your style.  But, I suggest stepping back and you will notice that while this may be a less common way of playing multiple diatonics, it is neither unique nor unprecedented.  People have been choosing harp pairs for many reasons for a very long time.  While they have gravitated to fifths and semitones, thirds, whole tones and others are by no means unknown.  You have developed this particular pairing to a high level, but I think err when you assume that anyone else who uses a whole tone pairing is influenced by your method--I mean no offense, but this type of direct influence is unlikely outside of well known musicians (Charlie McCoy for country tuning, Howars Levy for overblows, etc...).  More likely, Brendan had a new device, tried a few combinations and discovered that whole tone was an interesting one (for similar reasons that you did originally).  It's what I would have done with a new toy like this, were I Brendan (and possessed both the time and energy to actually make my ideas real).


I think people focus on who was "the inventor" of an idea when what ends up being more important is who figured out a means of doing the thing.  Most things harmonica wise like alternate tunings or helper reeds or multiple harp systems are not radically new concepts, but rather successful extensions of theory into reality.





JR Ross