Dear Brendan,
besides my respect for all the different and intressting types of harmonicas and tunings you have created, i find it even more impressing how easy you seem to switch between the harmonicas and play great stuff with all of the them.
In contrast to that i have even problems with switching between my solo chromatic, richtertuned diatonics and my asiaband and confuse the layout while improvising.
So the question: Have you any special "mind-instrument" you imagine in your mind while you play ? ( like Howard Levy imagening a piano)
regards,
Mind-instrument or Orientation on different harps
Re: Mind-instrument or Orientation on different harps
Good question. I manage by having two types of harmonicas:
1. A couple of tunings that I'm confident improvising with: PowerBender on diatonic and PowerChromatic for slide harps.
2. A larger number of specialist genre tunings where I mostly memorise tunes, and don't improvise beyond a few melodic variations. These include Paddy Solo diatonic and Slide Diatonics for Irish music, the AsiaBend in pentatonic and heptatonic tunings, a Bulgarian chromatic tuning, and some experimental X-Reed harps.
PowerBender and PowerChromatic are related as well, so it's not such a big leap between them. Hope that helps!
1. A couple of tunings that I'm confident improvising with: PowerBender on diatonic and PowerChromatic for slide harps.
2. A larger number of specialist genre tunings where I mostly memorise tunes, and don't improvise beyond a few melodic variations. These include Paddy Solo diatonic and Slide Diatonics for Irish music, the AsiaBend in pentatonic and heptatonic tunings, a Bulgarian chromatic tuning, and some experimental X-Reed harps.
PowerBender and PowerChromatic are related as well, so it's not such a big leap between them. Hope that helps!
Re: Mind-instrument or Orientation on different harps
Quite instressting, focusing on a few and practise. Ok thanks.
Anyone else? How do you manage switch harp und tunings? Do you think in skales or positions or at the exact tone names?
Anyone else? How do you manage switch harp und tunings? Do you think in skales or positions or at the exact tone names?
Re: Mind-instrument or Orientation on different harps
I use many different types and tunings.
First I try which one seems to be suitable best for a certain piece I want to play. This one I use always for these pieces. Then I practice to play. Afterwards I usually have no difficulties when playing it as I think it sounds best. Sometimes I chose the instrument by mood, if there are more than one suitable for a certain piece.
Usually none of all this. I practice and play by ear.
My "mind-instrument" is singing, if not directly the harmonica itself.
dear greetings
triona
Aw, Thou beloved, do hearken to the Banshee's lonely croon!
sinn féin - ça ira !
Cad é sin do'n té sin nach mbaineann sin dó
https://www.youtube.com/@triona1367
https://soundcloud.com/triona-966519605
sinn féin - ça ira !
Cad é sin do'n té sin nach mbaineann sin dó
https://www.youtube.com/@triona1367
https://soundcloud.com/triona-966519605
Re: Mind-instrument or Orientation on different harps
So you first sing it, decide which harmonica you use and then search the sung niootes on the instrument, right?