Re: [Harp-L] Stevie Wonder harmonica

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

I'd be interested to know of a specific citation of Stevie wonder playing with a flipped slide.

I've transcribed a fair number of his solos, and none of them used a flipped slide. Sometimes the tape was slowed down so that he can play his solo in a key one semitone lower (I Feel For You in F# but recorded in F, Do I Do in B but recorded in Bb).

A note on slide flipping. This is easily done on Hohner 270 and Hering chromatics, where the slide spring stands exactly halfway up the height of the slide. However, on the 16-hole instruments that Stevie customarily plays, you have to drill a new hole in the slide, as the spring is located near the top of the slide. Sure Steve "has peope" who can do his bidding, ut it's not a casual act.

Winslow Yerxa
President, SPAH, the Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica
Producer, the Harmonica Collective
Author, Harmonica For Dummies, ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5
            Harmonica Basics For Dummies, ASIN B005KIYPFS
            Blues Harmonica For Dummies, ISBN 978-1-1182-5269-7
Resident Expert, bluesharmonica.com
Instructor, Jazzschool Community Music School


________________________________
From: Robert Hale <robert@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2014 4:00 PM
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Stevie Wonder harmonica


On Wed, Jun 11, 2014 at 11:35 AM, bob piscura <bpiscura@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Stevie Wonder playing harp

CHROMATIC
I have read that some of Stevie's hits were recorded on chromatics with the
slide paddle reversed, so that the momentary touch of the slide lowered a
pitch half-step rather than raise it.