RE: [Harp-L] Stevie Wonder harmonica

["Stephen Jennings" <harpfixer@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Also, 'For Once In My Life' goes up a semitone to F# for the solo, and,
indeed the remainder of the song. This would, perhaps, seem to indicate that
he prefers 'draw, button in keys'. Or not.
Kindest regards to all,
Steve Jennings 

-----Original Message-----
From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Winslow Yerxa
Sent: 12 June 2014 4:39 PM
To: Robert Hale; bob piscura
Cc: harp-l@harp-l org
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Stevie Wonder harmonica

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.