[Harp-L] Bending, Overblowing and Larry Adler

[Joseph Leone]

Exotic manipulations are fine. IF you can do them. Which brings up an interesting dichotomy. Diatonic harps are much much harder to master than chromatics.
T’other night I had the unfortunate occasion to ‘try’ and listen to 3 different versions of Schubert’s ‘Ave Maria’ played on diatonic. There were 3 notes that all of
the players got wrong. And another 2 that were missing. One of the players made no attempt to get these notes, while two of them tried to whip out a can of 
‘Snowjoberoll’ (MY patent), spray it around and expect the audience to buy it. 

Eventually I got onto the tune ‘Unchained Melody’. Two different players, one the same. Same deal. None of them could do the tune. Now maybe I’m too callous
but it occurred to me that it was painful and borderline vomituous to listen to these people. And here’s the crazy part. Several of these performances were in front
of large crowds. We’re talking between 308 and 1,030 people. I suppose the artists? (sic) felt that the large orchestras that they had would give them sufficient 
cover. This may be why harmonicas are disrespected? by some people.

BTW the tunes require a bow bend and a few draw bends caught ON pitch. I tried them and had no trouble. And I suck. Too much rubbish on you tube.  

smo-joe  

> On Nov 17, 2018, at 6:54 AM, Aongus Mac Cana <amaccana at xxxxx> wrote:
> 
> All this exotic bending and overblowing debate is way over my head since I
> never even learned to bend - although I have succeeded in doing it once or
> twice on an experimental basis, to prove to myself that it can be done. 
> 
> I am old enough to remember when Larry Adler was the only game in town and
> when if you wanted to pay in different keys you were advised to buy a
> Chromatic.
> 
> As regards Mr. Adler's alleged economy with the truth, It brings to mind the
> old Irish saying that: "No story is the worse of having a skin put on it"
> 
> Beannachtai
> 
> Aongus Mac Cana
>