Re: [Harp-L] fugue state

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

jim.alciere@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

>> I looked up counterpoint (in Wikipedia--isn't the
>> 21st Century cool?) and Bach was right there as the 
>> expert. It's a cool
>> concept. You write two completely separate melodies, 
>> which also have to
>> magically harmonize. So is anyone doing this with 
>> harmonica?

Yes, a lot has been done with real-time counterpoint in performance, by a range of players working in a range of styles.  

I'll start with my stuff.  I have released two CDs worth of solo harmonica that together contain about a dozen original compositions and arrangements for solo diatonic harmonica in which real-time counterpoint figures prominently.  Because these pieces are solo acoustic harmonica, the counterpoint is right out in front of the listener, too.  I played live sets of solo pieces at SPAH 1998 and Buckeye State 1999.  The both shows were recorded, I think.  At Buckeye, I also had a backing piano trio for a number of pieces.    

It's not so "magical" to harmonize lines on the harmonica, since on most off-the-shelf diatonic tunings any two blow or draw notes will certainly harmonize, though some of the draw intervals are not the kind of thing you use everyday.  The movement of the lines is more difficult, because you have to position two corners of the mouth (plus the tongue) at once, and move each corner precisely to hit intervals that are changing frequently, sometimes in opposite directions.  Working out the breathing can be a challenge, too, especially if you use long notes, because you're playing two notes at a minimum.  You also need to make sure the harp is in tune, because playing chords of any type is likely to expose bad tuning more than single notes do.   

I use six different tunings in order to maximize the harmonic variety of my pieces: natural minor, dorian minor, harmonic minor, standard, country, and melody maker.  All of these tunings are really very similar, in that the same scale degrees are all found in pretty much the same places on every one of these harps.  In other words, I don't think these tunings are either very radical or very hard to learn for anyone who knows standard tuning well.  (Tunings used on records by Tony Eyers and James Conway are much more different from standard.  Of course, they get some effects you can't get any other way, which is true of any tuning.)  I do think these six tunings produce radical sounds, especially when you play them in different positions.  5th position on a standard harp is a nice minor blues setup.  5th position on a dorian-tuned harp makes the saddest sound a harp can make, and the harp in general does sadness very, very well.  

I can play a maximum spread of two octaves on blow notes, meaning a 12th or 13th on draw notes.  I suppose someone with a really wide mouth could do the whole 3 octave range of the harp, assuming they could fill the space between the end notes with tongue or lips.

Blackie Schackner recorded an album of Bach that includes some passages with counterpoint, played on the chromatic, very beautiful performances with a point of view about the music.  I have heard some of Sam Hinton's solo stuff, which uses counterpoint and chording techniques to sometimes thrilling effect, as well as Howard Levy's blistering counterpoint on "Amazing Grace."  I've heard about Carlos del Junco's work in this area, but I haven't heard it.  I haven't heard anything from Hinton that was played on anything but a standard diatonic, and I'm pretty sure that Levy never uses anything but a standard tuning.  In that case, the harmonies are limited.  There are some intervals you just can't play on a standard diatonic--there's no way to play a major seventh against a root, or a 3rd of a chord with a major 7th above it, anywhere on the harp, for example.  You need a melody maker, or a natural minor, or a country harp for those.  Howard Levy makes up for it by playing blindingly fast arpeggios with the harmonies he wants, i.e. one note at a time, coming at you so fast that it seems like a chord. He gets some extra mileage with bends on his chords,and with overblowing some chords too.  But you can't beat a harp with the chords built into it for big, lush chords all over the harp.  

You can hear a number of my solo pieces at: http://taxi.com/rhunter.  "Requiem", "Bela's World,", "Billy The Kid," and "Widow's Walk" all use counterpoint extensively.  The first is played in 3rd position on a dorian minor harp; the second is 3rd position on a natural minor; "Billy" is 2nd position on a country harp; "Widow's Walk" is lots of different positions on a natural minor, starting in 1st.  My latest solo piece, "Ostinato", can be found there too, along with "Hymn For Crow" and "You Gonna Need somebody on Your Bond," and all of these pieces are played in second position on a standard harp.  I don't remember what keys I used on these pieces.  All the pieces were recorded live in the studio, and there are no overdubs--the counterpoint is played in real time.  

Regards, Richard Hunter
latest mp3s and harmonica blog at http://myspace.com/richardhunterharp

 





  

   

 



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