[Harp-L] re: semantic limbs



The venerable fjm writes:

"I can only find one quibble with your very reasonable response. You quote my thoughts regarding there being no diatonic harmonica player that I am aware of who is capable of playing symphonic works on diatonic harmonica. You further quote my conclusion that I am not convinced the diatonic cannot be played chromatically. I think the problem here is that I don't find the playing of symphonic works convincingly to be the definition of chromatic playing."


True, that was the context you were putting it in. I was expanding that to argue that I haven't heard it in other contexts and thus made the case that it can't be done. Perhaps. I may also have been misreading what you meant and thought that you were making a generic rather than specific statement. Sadly, with the memory of a now- aging Cocker Spaniel I can't remember what it was I intended in that regards.



fjm:


" What about Howard Levy in the context of Trio Globo? Personally I find this to be an utterly convincing example of diatonic harmonica played in a chromatic context."


Perhaps. I must admit I haven't heard Trio Globo in quite some time, so can't really comment specifically. However, I will say that I have heard the diatonic played quite convincingly in jazz, for instance, but not necessarily in the way implied by the "playing chromatically on the diatonic" idea. The examples I can think of (Rhythm Willie, for instance, Levy with the Flecktones) tend to be more along the lines of very careful matching of style, song and technique together as opposed to the "play any song on the diatonic in whatever position is chosen" mentality--which is what got me started in this thread.


fjm again:

"This is really an aside but here goes anyhow. Would you not agree that Dave Therault's diatonic harmonica playing on The Deb is totally and completely convincing? He's playing jazz and it just works. Granted it is just one song."


Agreed. But how "chromatic" is it? I don't recall Magic Dave playing many chromatic runs or switching into far key signatures. I would again reiterate that I believe there are two things being discussed: the "chromatic diatonic" playing style focusing on bends and overblows and often ignoring the use of positional choice (remember, this started out as a discussion about the usefulness of positions); and using the diatonic(s) in more overtly chromatic music. Now, they are related: it's pointless to talk about playing chromatically without putting it into the context of the music (whatever context that might be--usually jazz in this case). However, it's also wrong to assume that successful uses of the diatonic in such musics are by necessity examples of the "chromatic diatonic" approach being talked about. Take Richard Hunter--he often plays in jazz and other styles, but his approach is radically different from that being talked about as "chromatic diatonic" playing. (Sorry for dragging you into this Richard, but you're just such a good example.)


In that regards, I'd actually use The Deb as an example of how you can play jazz on a diatonic without falling into the traps I've been trying to point out. Of course, I'm really going out on a limb here as I haven't listened to that piece in over a year and my CD collection is too much of a mess to look for it now. I have been meaning to put it into iTunes, though...



 ()()    JR "Bulldogge" Ross
()  ()   & Snuffy, too:)
`----'







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