Re: [Harp-L] Educator 10
I got my Educator at SPAH 2008.
I must say that it is the best thing since sliced bread.
1. Economical -- list price is $50 but Elderly Instruments (elderly.com) in
Lansing, Mich. has it for $35. It was released in 2007. Other dealers may carry
this remarkable harmonica, but I don't know of them off hand.
You cannot get a chromatic this good anywhere for $50 -- even if you have to
pay the list price.
2. It is built tight so it does not have windsavers -- those pesky little
things intended to stop the air leaks that buzz and stick This element alone is
enough to cinch the deal for most people in the market for a chrome.
3. It comes in any key you want as long as it's C.
4. It draw bends on the holes where there is a half-step between the
blow/draw reeds : C/D -G/A. It does not blow bend because it lacks windsavers and the
top end has the same note distance as all the other octaves (unlike the
diatonic which can blow bend on holes 8-9-10. I don't know if it is possible to
overblow/overdraw -- I can't get an overblow on it.
5. Pocket size: 5 3/4 inches button-to-stern and 1 1/2 inches deep and 1
1/8 inches deep-- even with carry case. It is about the size of an XB-40 or
Hohner Slide Harp (10-hole, half-valved)
6. At $35 (Elderly's price) -- it's within the price range of a diatonic.
Perfect for "trial size-pricing."
All those other little low-priced chromes that Hohner sells cost about twice
as much and are said to be leaky.
The harmonica comes in a cute Hohnica (Hohner + harmonica =s Hohnica?) zipper
fabric pouch with a 4 1/2 inch strap.
And if you are thinking about venturing into the uncharted world of chromatic
harmonica, there is no better place to start than with the Educator 10 by
Hohnica.
Don't be discouraged by previous chatter on the Harp List about how difficult
it is to play the chromatic harmonica. It's only a little different and what
could be easier to play by ear than an instrument that gives you all the notes
with the simple push of a button.
If you can play tunes on the diatonic in holes 4-7 -- you are ready to make
the jump to the chromatic. For the chromatic harmonica is nothing but holes 4-7
and holes 4-7 and holes 4-7.
The chromatic takes that module of holes 4-7 and builds every octave like
that. No missing notes. If you want a flat or sharp -- press the button to raise
the pitch a half-step.
"Despite what you may have heard, the chromatic is no harder to play than the
diatonic, takes the same amount of wind, and yes, you can bend notes on it.
The chromatic does require a slightly different approach from the diatonic, but
in some ways it's actually easier to play than the diatonic.
"Some of the great harmonica music you hear, like most of what Stevie Wonder
plays, is played on a chromatic harp. Most good blues harmonica players use a
chromatic for some tunes, usually in third position.
"Most chromatic harmonicas come in the key of C, though you can get them in
several other keys. The most popular types are the 12-hole chromatic, with the
same three-octave ranges as a diatonic, and the 16-hole chromatic, which has a
deep low octave added. Several manufactures make solid chromatic harmonicas,
including Hering, Hohner, Seydel and Suzuki."
Harmonica for Dummies by Winslow Yerxa, page 288.
(The book also provides views of the chromatic layout and the diatonic
layout, highlighting in gray the octave on the notes for diatonic holes 4-7 and
the identical notes for EVERY octave on the chromatic. (Winslow renders the
notes with the draw notes on top because they are higher in pitch. Some people
prefer the layout to be rendered as notes fall on reed plate. They are the
same notes regardless of how they are displayed--this is not a NEW tuning.)
Check out the Mel Bay listings for chromatic books/videos (melbay.com) --
they have a lot of great stuff with harmonica tablature and music notation.
Hope this helps.
Phil
In a message dated 2/19/09 9:06:09 AM, grillslinger@xxxxxxxxx writes:
> I got one for Christmas. It's my first chromatic, so I have no idea how it
> hold up against a regular one, but it is exactly what you would expect. The
> notes are all there. The slider works.I think it's a good way to learn.
> Playing chromatic is harder than I thought it would be!
>
> A.
>
>
> On Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 7:04 AM, Randy Power <randy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > Does anyone have any experience, good or bad, with the Educator 10
> > Chromatic? I want ease into the chromatic world and thought this might be
> a
> > good way.
> >
> > Randy
> > --
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
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