Re: [Harp-L] How We Can Save the Chromatic Harmonica from Possible Extinction

[Michael Easton <diachrome@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Funny you should mention how people perceive the term harmonica.  I  
played a gig last night and a bar patron came up to me and asked do I  
play the blues harp or harmonica. I asked what do you mean. He said,  
"I thought the blues harp came in different keys and a harmonica is  
only available in one key. It took about 5 minutes to explain the  
names given to harmonica.  I'm glad he didn't ask about the chromatic.

While the chromatic doesn't sell in the proportions that the diatonic  
does I don't think it's becoming an extinct beast.  I do believe it  
isn't played the way it was designed to be played. Both young and old  
players fall into the same trap of not learning to use it as a full  
chromatic instrument. Having chromes available in several keys has  
perpetuated that lack of wanting to learn to play it as a whole  
instrument. Very few take it beyond 3rd position in the Western  
world. I think the chromatic still holds popularity in the Asian  
countries where it is played as a classical instrument.  One of my  
customers in Singapore plays chromatic in a harmonica orchestra at  
his University. He told me several hundred people signed up to play.

 I joined up with a well known diatonic harmonica guild back in  
1999.  While I was suppose to build a client base of diatonic players  
it never happened. Almost 90% of my business was/is chromatic  
players. How that happened I don't know. The market dictated where my  
business grew. There are players out there serious about tweaking  
their chromes, buying vintage chromes and having them restored, or  
having them custom built.

The desire is out there. There just needs to be someone to hold the  
flame for them to follow. To bad Toots never taught it like Howard or  
there might be more players on the scene.I think there is a need for  
classes like the one Robert Bonfiglio held in order to educate the  
values of using a chrome to it's fullest.  Perhaps by starting
Dave Barrett type workshops for chrome players.

mike


On Oct 3, 2005, at 8:05 PM, randy singer wrote:

> Here is a letter i am posting that one of my harmonica students  
> wrote. I think it is an intriguing concept, though I  have not had  
> a chance to fully analyze it.
>
>
> snip..