Re: [Harp-L] limited instrument?

[Scott Albert Johnson <scojoharp@xxxxxxxxx>]

You are very much missing my point.  It's about expertise.  Advanced
players can indeed hit the bends or overblows and make them "stable."  I
haven't heard your playing, so none of my comments should be construed as
criticism of your technique or ability... but it is absolutely possible to
play these songs on the diatonic in a way that is not "amateur hour."  Top
players can do it.  To argue that it's not doable is to profess ignorance
of what these players are doing.  The ability to hit bent or overbent notes
in an accurate and stable is, in fact, one of the hallmarks of advanced
playing.

*"**Scott Albert Johnson's debut mixes blues, rock, folk and jazz, unified
by first-rate harmonica playing." *(Maureen Palli*, Relix*)

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On Fri, Oct 31, 2014 at 3:16 PM, william price <promultis33@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

> Thanks SAJ, You are absolutely correct! Because blues bends are also
> unstable when trying to maintain pitch or trying to hit the bend without
> the the arch into it. To give you an example of the stability problem: try
> and play Come All Ye Faithful in the low octave on your diatonic harmonica
> without sounding like armature hour.  I can do a spectacular job with that
> song by using my whole step method for playing it. I have All the right
> notes and more usable chords. The whole step rendition of that song is
> better than what you could do on a chromatic as well.
>
> Bill
>
>
>
>   On Friday, October 31, 2014 2:20 PM, Scott Albert Johnson <
> scojoharp@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>
> "Problem: over blowing even for those that claim the ability is not stable,
> therefore not a plausible method, for accurately over coming the
> instruments stubby scales."
>
> This is absolutely, positively untrue.  An overblow is no more "unstable"
> than a regular "blues" bend or countless types of notes played on a
> saxophone, trumpet etc.  An overblow can be sustained, bent etc.  Here is
> an example from my own playing:
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q4SEs_HXnU
> <https://us-mg5.mail.yahoo.com/neo/launch?.rand=4mtelrjd7l50e>
>
> Note in particular a bent-and-then-unbent 5OB at 3:49.  Whether you like
> OB/OD playing or not, to say it is not a plausible method just because YOU
> can't do it is, to put it delicately, implausible.  There's nothing
> unstable about the playing of Howard Levy, or Carlos Del Junco, or Jason
> Ricci etc. etc.
>
> SAJ
>
> *"**Scott Albert Johnson's debut mixes blues, rock, folk and jazz, unified
> by first-rate harmonica playing." *(Maureen Palli*, Relix*)
>
> *scottalbertjohnson.com <http://www.scottalbertjohnson.com/
> <https://us-mg5.mail.yahoo.com/neo/launch?.rand=4mtelrjd7l50e>>  *
> *facebook.com/scottalbertjohnsonmusic
> <http://www.facebook.com/pages/Scott-Albert-Johnson/57364390664
> <https://us-mg5.mail.yahoo.com/neo/launch?.rand=4mtelrjd7l50e>>*
>
> *youtube.com/user/scojo123/videos*
> <http://www.youtube.com/user/scojo123/videos
> <https://us-mg5.mail.yahoo.com/neo/launch?.rand=4mtelrjd7l50e>>*
> soundcloud.com/scojo
> <https://soundcloud.com/scojo
> <https://us-mg5.mail.yahoo.com/neo/launch?.rand=4mtelrjd7l50e>> *
>
>
>