Search found 818 matches

by Brendan
Fri Oct 29, 2021 9:20 am
Forum: Interesting Alternative Harmonica Ideas
Topic: Sets of modal tunings, especially for digital/midi chroms
Replies: 8
Views: 6222

Re: Sets of modal tunings, especially for digital/midi chroms

Your concept of having the same breathing pattern for every mode is interesting. Of course, all seven modes can already be played without bends within a single tuning scale on a standard harmonica (eg. in Solo, Bebop, PowerChromatic tunings). This way, each has its own unique character because of th...
by Brendan
Fri Oct 29, 2021 6:08 am
Forum: Interesting Alternative Harmonica Ideas
Topic: Sets of modal tunings, especially for digital/midi chroms
Replies: 8
Views: 6222

Re: Sets of modal tunings, especially for digital/midi chroms

Definitely the DM48. At the moment alt tunings in the HM12 need to be sent to the factory, you can't input them yourself. The 'downside', if you perceive it as such, is that the DM48 doesn't have onboard sounds, HM12 does. My recommendation for external sounds is the iPad: many fantastic options in ...
by Brendan
Thu Oct 28, 2021 11:05 pm
Forum: Interesting Alternative Harmonica Ideas
Topic: Sets of modal tunings, especially for digital/midi chroms
Replies: 8
Views: 6222

Re: Sets of modal tunings, especially for digital/midi chroms

Hi Patrick, you're certainly right that Midi Harmonicas such as the DM48 and HM12 add a lot of fascinating options for extending the capability of existing tuning scales, and offering other new possibilities as well. We should probably have a whole category in this forum just for them, because they ...
by Brendan
Thu Oct 21, 2021 10:32 am
Forum: Interesting Alternative Harmonica Ideas
Topic: Snake Solo. Countering the regular-breath hegemony!
Replies: 3
Views: 3974

Re: Snake Solo. Countering the regular-breath hegemony!

Thought-provoking as always, Edvin... The Slide-Diatonic version looks quite usable for fiddle tunes. Having the root and upper/lower fifth of the blow notes of the scale in adjacent holes is a plus - although for the draw notes they are still two holes away up and down, in most cases. When you say ...
by Brendan
Thu Oct 21, 2021 12:42 am
Forum: Interesting Alternative Harmonica Ideas
Topic: 91% of Irish music with 2 harps and only 1 breath pattern!
Replies: 3
Views: 3824

Re: 91% of Irish music with 2 harps and only 1 breath pattern!

Things get a bit weird at hole 8. Why don't you continue with the Spiral pattern?

The Slide-Diatonic is a far more interesting harmonica than it first appears, whether in Solo or Spiral tuning.
by Brendan
Wed Oct 20, 2021 9:36 am
Forum: Interesting Alternative Harmonica Ideas
Topic: Keys of Irish songs
Replies: 9
Views: 6246

Re: Keys of Irish songs

With a name like Pat Byrne, you must surely have an affinity for diddly diddly music in your genes! But my best advice for Irish music is: forget the analysing, just listen hard and play a lot! A great way to learn the tunes with good rhythm and technique is to pick a player you really admire, on wh...
by Brendan
Sun Oct 17, 2021 10:55 am
Forum: Interesting Alternative Harmonica Ideas
Topic: Playing Rolls or Turns on Harmonica
Replies: 6
Views: 5204

Re: Playing Rolls or Turns on Harmonica

Actually... After doing more practice this morning, I'm not sure. At a slow speed the slide jab/jaw-flick combination is ok, but when the tempo goes up it's just not fast enough. After doing more detailed study of rolls in Irish music I've found that they are really better described as rhythmic even...
by Brendan
Sun Oct 17, 2021 6:32 am
Forum: Interesting Alternative Harmonica Ideas
Topic: Playing Rolls or Turns on Harmonica
Replies: 6
Views: 5204

Re: Playing Rolls or Turns on Harmonica

Further to my speculation above that rolls might work well on a standard slide harmonica if you combine a slider jab for the note above with a jaw flick to the left for the note below, there's one place in Solo Tuning where this makes good musical sense: holes 4 and 8. Here you have the sixth, seven...
by Brendan
Sat Oct 16, 2021 10:01 pm
Forum: Interesting Alternative Harmonica Ideas
Topic: The All-Trills All-Bends Dimi (aka Edvin's newest curiosity tuning)
Replies: 7
Views: 5852

Re: The All-Trills All-Bends Dimi (aka Edvin's newest curiosity tuning)

Good points Triona, and thanks for your encouragement. I am still intending to release those harps you mention, hopefully at least a couple by Christmas.
by Brendan
Sat Oct 16, 2021 2:48 pm
Forum: Interesting Alternative Harmonica Ideas
Topic: Playing Rolls or Turns on Harmonica
Replies: 6
Views: 5204

Re: Playing Rolls or Turns on Harmonica

I had a listen Edvin, but I don't think those are rolls. If you want to hear them played beautifully, listen to Mary Bergin. She is using rolls and other decorations constantly: https://youtu.be/w725fJV3VXg Listen at tempo, then choose the 0.5x speed option in the YouTube drop-down options. You will...