[Harp-L] Playing Chromatically on Wide-Bending X-Reed Harmonicas - Various Approaches

[bren@xxxxx]

I like playing wide-bending X-Reed harmonicas, for their unsurpassed
expressiveness. The best-known of this type of harp is the Hohner XB-40 (now
sadly discontinued). Part of the reason it didn't catch on was because
players found it difficult to get the 'in-between' notes: the chromatic
notes from shallow semitone bends in between the big full-tone-or-more bends
that are on all the reeds. Though I love playing the XB-40 diatonically, I
find it tough playing chromatically on it too! 

 

My all-draw AsiaBend is another X-Reed harp that is intended for soulful
diatonic playing, with wide bends on all the scale notes. On the original
model, it was possible to get the chromatic notes with overblows - as I
showed in a video some time ago:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TdkBflwKPg

 

But I still found this a bit unsatisfactory, because the pitch and tone of
the overblows can be variable. I've been looking for a better way, and think
I've found it. It's demonstrated on a retuned Kongsheng Lyra chromatic in
this video:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrCDHu7S39Q

 

Brendan Power

www.x-reed.com <http://www.x-reed.com> 

www.brendan-power.com <http://www.brendan-power.com/> 

www.youtube.com/brendanpowermusic <http://www.youtube.com/brendanpowermusic>