[Harp-L] Re: Harp-L Digest, Vol 80, Issue 69: what key harp is in your pocket?



I carry a lo D xb-40 because that is what I am learning to play. I usually also have a C xb-40 and an Eb (which happens to be a Hering vintage). Thus I can use 1st 2nd and 3rd positions to play in C D Eb E F G A Bb, which is most keys I would ever need. Mind you I have a bag not pockets. 

On another topic: Harmonica players my family like include some virtuosi but not others (they like music but don't have any special love of harmonica):
Sonny Terry
Peg Leg Sam
Junior Wells
Winslow Yerxa
Richard Hunter
Brendan Power playing blues
Chris Michalek
Sonny Boy Williamson I
Frasier Speirs
Larry Adler
Jelly Roll Johnson
Most jazz and rock on harp leaves them cold. Many of the classic blues greats leave them cold. I think they like music to have a narrative force and be to the point. 
Richard Hammersley
Grantshouse
Scottish Borders

-----Original Message-----
From: harp-l-request@xxxxxxxxxx
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2010 16:44:48 
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Harp-L Digest, Vol 80, Issue 69

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Today's Topics:

   1. Re: Creativity Question (Chesper Nevins)
   2. BBE pedals for sale (Rick Tabler)
   3. Re: My Mp3 submission to David Barretts bend control "half
      Steppin Lesson" http://tinyurl.com/2ck8hs9 (JohnnieHarp)
   4. Stevie genius? (Robert Bonfiglio)
   5. Re: Bass harmonica - chromatic (and baritone) (Winslow Yerxa)
   6. Re: Creativity Question (JohnnieHarp)
   7. Re: John Nemeth / Cruncher (Grant Walters)
   8. Genius-- Here's One We All Know (Wolf Kristiansen)
   9. Lee Oskar interview (Michael Easton)
  10. Re: Lee Oskar interview (Grant Walters)
  11. re: genius (jim.alciere@xxxxxxxxx)
  12. Bandoneon Sound (Mustafa Umut Sarac)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2010 10:44:56 -0400
From: Chesper Nevins <chespernevins@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Creativity Question
To: "icemanle@xxxxxxx" <icemanle@xxxxxxx>
Cc: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID:
	<o2ibcaf98a1004280744nadb19a59m588a64ea2fcd802a@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Nice question!  My approach goes roughly like this -

Learn the piece by ear, starting with memorizing the melody until I
can sing it all the way through at any time during the day.

Then I transcribe the harmony.  If some of it is not obvious, I slow
down the track and find the notes of the bass line and various harmony
voices.

This process alone makes the piece forefront in my memory.

Then I analyse the melody and harmony, playing it on piano and
harmonica.  I also analyse possible harmonic and melodic approaches to
improv that I think might work well on the tune and on harmonica.

In performance, I attempt to be in the moment as much as possible, and
to hear the group behind me.  When improvising I sing melodies and
rhythms as clearly as I can in my head and try to capture that on
harmonica.   Sometimes this is easy and sometimes it seems to take a
lot of energy.  (One time when I was really tired, I could clearly
hear melodies in my head and the sound coming out of my harmonica was
something different - I couldn't make them match - not a successful
session in my view.)

I think doing all the preparation makes the spontaneous more informed.

How about you?

Jason
http://myspace.com/jasonharmonica

On 4/28/10, icemanle@xxxxxxx <icemanle@xxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>
>  Do you memorize solos and repeat them or do you improvise in the moment?
>
>  If you memorize and repeat, are they your own creations or do you figure out another's solo and reproduce it? If so, how do you keep it sounding fresh?
>
>  If you improvise in the moment, what is your mental/creative approach?
>
>
>


------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2010 08:03:20 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Rick Tabler" <badtabes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] BBE pedals for sale
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID: <1272467000.5499@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

I have three BBE pedals for sale-all are less than 4 months old, in perfect condition cosmeticaly & functionaly, and all are true hardwire bypass. Tried the Jason Ricci thing for awhile, but, at my age went back to a more peacefull, simple existence-harp-mic-delay-amp--aaaah. JR was right on two points tho, BBE  pedals are built like tanks, and are very harp friendly. Opto stomp optical compression w/power supply, manual  and box-$45.00. Crusher distortion w/3 band eq, power supply, manual and box-$40.00. Mind bender chorous/vibrato w/power supply and manual (no box)-60.00. All three for $135.00. Contact off list if interested.

------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2010 08:03:53 -0700
From: JohnnieHarp <johnnieharp@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] My Mp3 submission to David Barretts bend control
	"half 	Steppin Lesson" http://tinyurl.com/2ck8hs9
To: harp-l <Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx>
Message-ID:
	<t2pb7eab1071004280803k6a07604cnf8a8be7487b2694f@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

> I still can't get the 3rd step down on 3....

This is where customizing a harmonica can make a huge difference ...
making the lower notes more playable / responsive and easier to
maniputlate (bend) ...

I'm a Golden Melody fan however find that out-of-the-box, the Suzuki
harps work much better for me, out of the box, for low note bending (I
have a couple of Bluesmasters and a valved Promaster in addition to a
several GMs) .... I recommend / gift Suzuki Bluesmasters to new
players due to responsiveness OOTB as well as I think the profile and
full length cover plates are advantageious when experimenting with
various embouchures and techniques ... if I'm gifting, I'll emboss the
slots to make the harp as easy to play as possible ...

Also, using Best Practice freeware along with a responsive (customized
or otherwise) A or Bb harp allows one to practice various tracks using
only one harp by pitch shifting the track to fit the harp ... more
economical and can focus on learning to play the one harp well ...
then can start adding harps in keys next to the initial harp and learn
to adapt progressively to the subtleties required in playing the other
diatonic harp keys ...


------------------------------

Message: 4
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2010 11:23:27 -0400
From: Robert Bonfiglio <bon@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] Stevie genius?
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID: <79511BCA-C983-4D0A-9D1D-38958771D980@xxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes

Ted Spenser, my recording engineer, once told me about standing behind  
Stevie in the studio and watched him get a bass sound on the synth and  
then put the bass down in one take on Superstition, then turn around  
and do the same thing for the guitar sound.

He took the Synclavier to new level from what I have heard.  With  
Stevie its the whole package, like Dylan, not just his harmonica  
playing or singing or performing or song writing or ability to play  
multiple instruments or use multitrack studios or synths or his work  
on race relations and international diplomacy.


Harmonically yours,

Robert
http://www.robertbonfiglio.com





------------------------------

Message: 5
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2010 08:26:03 -0700 (PDT)
From: Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Bass harmonica - chromatic (and baritone)
To: harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Message-ID: <914314.76266.qm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Accordion bass reeds use windsavers, so that part is practical. Accordions also use slide-like mechanisms to select among various reed banks (octave, tremolo, etc.).

However air leakage through slides is a bigger concern on harmonicas. Accordion register slides fit fairly loosely, and in the environment of the big air supply on an accordion bellows this is OK. However, on harmonicas with the relatively puny resource of human lungs, slide leakage is critical. The bigger the surface area of a slide, the more leakage, no matteer how closely fitted the parts.

By the way, Brendan stopped making his lowered chromatics. Chromatic reeds are just too small to vibrate optimally an octave below their original pitch because they're carrying a huge load of solder at that point. Reeds need to be only marginally larger to vibrate much lower - as shown in the reeds of the Polyphonia No. 7, but the difference is big enough that it requires a reedplate that is deeper front to back, and, if the hole spacing is remain the same as on a chromatic, wider slots stamped into the reedplate with proportionally less surface between the slots to bear the brunt of stamping, with a higher danger of ruining the reedplate in the stamping process.

These problems likely have solutions, but no manufacturer as yet has seen the profit in addressing them. Yet among players, the ideas of a baritone harmonica (an octave below a tenor, i.e., with Hole 1 blow 2 octaves below middle C) and of a slide bass keep coming up time and time again.

Winslow

Winslow Yerxa

Author, Harmonica For Dummies ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5

Resident expert at bluesharmonica.com

Harmonica instructor, jazzschool.com

Columnist, harmonicasessions.com

--- On Wed, 4/28/10, Eugene Ryan <ryan.eugene@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

From: Eugene Ryan <ryan.eugene@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] Bass harmonica - chromatic
To: "harp-l" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wednesday, April 28, 2010, 3:31 AM

Hello all,

I recently acquired a Suzuki bass harmonica and it's a super instrument with
a great sound.  I'm just starting out on it, and it will take some time to
get familar with it. Jumping between decks accurately is a challenge.

It strikes me that if you could get the same thing in a chromatic body
("hello, I'm a bass in a chromatic's body, pleased to meet you" :-)), it
might make navigation easier than jumping between decks. There were the
Hohner Polyphonia harmonicas, and there are the Tombo bass harmonicas - but
none of them go as low as the Hohner or Suzuki twin-deck basses (which
starts on the same E as a bass guitar).

There may be mechanical reasons that might mean it's not possible to make a
chromatic like this.  The Suzuki/Hohner twin-deck bass harmonicas have two
reeds for each note, each reed being tuned an octave apart - it would be
difficult to fit those reeds, and then double the number required by using a
slide mechanism.  And if you don't have the upper note in the pair, it takes
longer to activate the lower reed.  Then perhaps having blow and draw notes
that low could be problematic, with windsaver issues.  And more issues that
others have probably thought of...

There was a good discussion of this a few years ago on this forum - I wonder
how far anyone got?
http://www.harp-l.org/pipermail/harp-l/2006-January/msg00122.html

I understand that Brendan Power made some extremely low chromatics by
soldering.  Anyone know how low they went and if they were successful?

Thanks for your help,
Eugene



      

------------------------------

Message: 6
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2010 08:46:26 -0700
From: JohnnieHarp <johnnieharp@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Creativity Question
To: harp-l <Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx>
Message-ID:
	<q2ib7eab1071004280846p562ce1ebxd8962cb46bd7c40a@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252

>  If you improvise in the moment, what is your mental/creative approach?

My approach is very different from Chesper Nevins/Jason ... I take a
tune that I like playing, put it on repeat and play along with it
WHILE I surf the net / read HarpL or other news/posts ... hold harp in
left hand and mouse with right ...

Subconscious takes over ... I will start at a different places on the
harp and try various approaches with successive repeats ... play in
the middle ... play at the top and or bottom of the harp ...

Often will create a track in Audacity with the tune repeated 10 or so
times and will record what I'm playing, while I'm playing and surfing,
to hear afterwards what came out as am quite oblivious to it at the
time ...

For me it's a great way to get down the tempo and to experiment with
various approaches without getting bored ... I like playing along with
smooth jazz, up tempo blues with sax, funky jazz .... generally happy
music ...

When ready will do some fully focused versions with two hands for
desired tone/effect ... during this, I'm often startled with what
seems to come out of nowhere ... my preferred approach then will tend
to consolidate but spontaneous alterations can emerge during
performance ... reviewing practice attempts is useful too as what I
think sound great at the time may sound crappy when I replay it so
something to avoid going forward ...

This practice approach is especially useful for me as I play much more
than I would otherwise ... can have one track repeating for an hour or
more without getting bored ... but more importantly I find it FUN ...
perhaps an expressions of some sort of latent obsessive compulsive
condition? ...

But then why would anyone practice anything for hours day after day if
they weren't somewhat obsessive compulsive?

BTW ... errors in post missed due to playing along with “Joe Taylor -
I Just Wanna Stop (f. Al B. Sure) - Accidental Sugar” during proof
reading ... lol



------------------------------

Message: 7
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2010 09:07:41 -0700
From: Grant Walters <grant@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] John Nemeth / Cruncher
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID: <00539C8D-95EA-4097-8E62-F8B29D523FB1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Hey Sonny:

Doing well to Have John on Board..for me it is his vocals that set him apart...one of the best harp Vocalist..
Saw him do an unplugged set one night at a low volume venue...just killed it.....


Grant Walters


On Apr 27, 2010, at 7:41 AM, SONNYTONE@xxxxxxx wrote:

> I met with John yesterday to present him with his Cruncher which he is very 
> excited about, to endorse.. He is such a great player and all around nice 
> person  that I worked out something with John where when he plays my amp 
> there  will be one of the stands stating he endorses SJ harp amps, and due to 
> his  loving different sounds and tones, we shook hands on him being able to 
> play and  endorse whatever the amp of the day is.. It was a pleasure to meet 
> the band of  great guys, all extremely humble with great vibes.. So if you 
> see him playing  another custom amp that has nothing to do with our 
> agreement. Yesterday was a  great day, he will be playing next in PA. , you can check 
> out his website and  see where. I do not know what amp he will be playing 
> on that venue; I am just  glad to be part of the picture... Sonny Jr. 
> 




------------------------------

Message: 8
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2010 10:19:53 -0700 (PDT)
From: Wolf Kristiansen <wolfkristiansen@xxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] Genius-- Here's One We All Know
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID: <723768.75790.qm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

I'm not saying anything new, but this needs to be restated.  Many of the posts regarding what defines genius and who is a genius are informed, as always, by writers' musical preferences.  My nomination, from a classic Chicago blues lover's perspective, is Little Walter.  

Here are the ways he was a genius, there are surely more:

1.  First and foremost, his creativity.  The endless ideas, the constant invention. He did not repeat himself from song to song; he didn't even repeat himself from verse to verse!  Compare that to Sonny Boy Williamson II and Big Walter.  Good as they were, they often repeated stock phrases, song to song and verse to verse.  

2.  His musicality.  He unerringly played something that fit the song, whether backing up another singer or playing on his own records.  His contributions to Muddy Waters' songs, long after he ceased to be a working member of Muddy's band, always fit, and always enhanced the message and mood of the song. He had the ability to channel just the right notes from the blues cosmos, time after time.

3.  On his own records, his firm conception of how a song should work; how it should sound.  I'm going by a quote from one of his sidemen.  He said that Little Walter always had firm ideas as to how a song should sound; ideas that the sidemen didn't necessarily understand or want to do but when executed made believers out of them.

4.  His groundbreaking use of electric amplification as an essential part of the harmonica's tone.  He may not have been the first, but he showed the world, more than any other harmonica player, what could be done with amplification.

Cheers,

wolf kristiansen




------------------------------

Message: 9
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2010 13:54:35 -0400
From: Michael Easton <diachrome@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] Lee Oskar interview
To: Harpl list <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Message-ID: <D6E63CAD-F531-4BB5-A914-4F38702FA4B5@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes


Check it out.  Nice interview, but as always could have been longer.   
Even a little Magic Dick thrown in.

http://www.king5.com/on-tv/War-band-member-starts-2nd-career-in-Puget-Sound-92138679.html

Michael Easton
www.harmonicarepair.com





------------------------------

Message: 10
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2010 11:46:29 -0700
From: Grant Walters <grant@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Lee Oskar interview
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID: <19E8FD55-AA85-4283-B3D7-5993AC982648@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

This last weekend, right before the biggest gig of my life...my C-harp goes out....
took it apart quickly but nothing is going to work...go to my back up....goes out of tune......
Turns out the back up to the back up is not in tune. Yikes.
I look at the song list.....guest performer sings everything in key of G...(and the kind of songs that require C-harp)

A friend in the audience walks up and asks whats up...I tell him...
He goes to his car and returns with a brand new lee oscar C major harp... the guy does not even play.
I told him I don't play those...he says "take it...I just bought it and I don't even play".

You know...I played this harp all day and it played flawlessly...out of the box it was in tune...
I admit it did not have the sweet spots I am used to with other harps...it just played even at all parts of the harp.... 
For some reason I had not been impressed with them when I first tried the product...(when it was first on the market)
Wonder if they improved something...(tuning seemed better and the first ones I bought blew out quickly)
I played with a sax player next to me and the thing was spot on...

I am impressed...This seems to be  a good product...and the harp gods were smiling on me. (the guy had just the key I needed when I needed it...still in the box)

Always loved Lee's playing and perform City, Country, City..every night...his solo album "after the rain" was a lesson in simple lines with perfect tone...tone , tone...(good place to learn tone..get it)

Grant


On Apr 28, 2010, at 10:54 AM, Michael Easton wrote:

> 
> Check it out.  Nice interview, but as always could have been longer.  Even a little Magic Dick thrown in.
> 
> http://www.king5.com/on-tv/War-band-member-starts-2nd-career-in-Puget-Sound-92138679.html
> 
> Michael Easton
> www.harmonicarepair.com
> 
> 
> 
> 




------------------------------

Message: 11
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2010 16:17:35 -0400
From: jim.alciere@xxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Harp-L] re: genius
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID:
	<u2z386fc0381004281317r82d98ee3sa3f2a60b6f935673@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CfKaleZUhE&NR=1

-- 
Rainbow Jimmy
http://www.myspace.com/theelectricstarlightspaceanimals


------------------------------

Message: 12
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2010 23:57:05 +0300
From: Mustafa Umut Sarac <mustafaumutsarac@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] Bandoneon Sound
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID:
	<v2see59684d1004281357ge5dea360xde1c380c51c3250f@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Hi , This my first post to the list and I want to present my best.

I am an tango listener and fan of bandoneon instrument.

There are only Lee Oskar and Hohner distributors in Istanbul and they have
lots of instruments under 30 dollars. I want one closest to bandoneon sound.
Can you advise me with your experience ?

Thank you and happy to be here.

Mustafa Umut Sarac

Istanbul


End of Harp-L Digest, Vol 80, Issue 69
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