Re: [Harp-L] octave detuning, on purpose

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

Some blues harmonica players deliberately detune octaves while playing as an effect. William Clarke was the first one I heard doing this. Originally I thought it was either out-of-tune harps or just playing too hard, but later I heard Jason Ricci doing it, obviously intentionally, to give a coloring effect to his playing. The amount is not micro-amounts, either. It's intended to be noticed as a detuning of the octave. Maybe other playeres do this as well.

Winslow

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>
To: harp-L list <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx> 
Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2014 11:46 AM
Subject: [Harp-L] octave detuning, on purpose


I read about a famous violinist who confirms playing octaves slightly out
of tune, because, he said, otherwise "you wouldn't know I was playing
octaves." Of course, I know he meant out of tune by a micro-amount, just to
put a slight "movement" in the pitches. Perfect octaves sound dead-still.

We hear harmonica octaves slightly out, but I think the intention is to
have them dead-on. Would processing (Digitech RP355) octaves for harmonica
benefit from slight detuning as well?

"Well, go TRY it," they said.
"Ok, I will."

Robert Hale
serious honkage in Mesa, Arizona
youtube.com/DUKEofWAIL
DUKEofWAIL.com