Power Chromatic

A space for players interested in my specialist harmonicas, alternate tunings, instructional material, recordings etc to ask questions and share information, experiences, videos etc.
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Brendan
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Re: Power Chromatic

Post by Brendan » Mon Sep 25, 2017 9:59 am

Here's a video showing how to play all 12 keys on PowerChromatic using just about all bends. This is played on the Seydel version, which has been embossed for better airtightness:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDsP4k8-N8g

Paris
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Re: Power Chromatic

Post by Paris » Tue Sep 26, 2017 3:48 am

https://youtu.be/wZG3p1kscc0

Here's a clip of me trying to play Brendan's awesome solos from hesitation blues with Andrew White. Transcribing these solos and working on playing them has really helped me get familiar with PC tuning and its fun!

A little rough around the edges but you guys get the idea!

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness."

richardjews
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Re: Power Chromatic

Post by richardjews » Tue Oct 03, 2017 2:16 pm

I'll just stick with the chromatix or cx12

Paris
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Re: Power Chromatic

Post by Paris » Mon Nov 06, 2017 10:58 pm

Brendan, I was listening to "What a Wonderful World" from "back to back" which is jusy incredibly beautiful by the way! There's a point in the melody where you go from a G to an A and it sounds like a button push us happening. 

It got me wondering if you ever configure your power chromatics like a slide diatonic?? ( slider raises to next scale tone)

Then i also wondered if you ever tune the slider a whole step up respectively.
For instance a G pc slider out and an A pc slider in (as opposed to Ab)


Anyways I'm really just wondering how you get that quick transition from the G to the A!

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Brendan
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Re: Power Chromatic

Post by Brendan » Wed Nov 08, 2017 9:10 pm

Can't remember. Where is it in the track, I'll have a listen

Paris
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Re: Power Chromatic

Post by Paris » Thu Nov 09, 2017 4:42 am

It's right at 43 seconds into the tune.

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Brendan
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Re: Power Chromatic

Post by Brendan » Sat Nov 11, 2017 11:04 am

I just had a listen. At 43/44 seconds that's just a slide push and a couple of blow notes, no bend.

Paris
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Re: Power Chromatic

Post by Paris » Mon Nov 13, 2017 5:14 am

Right! That's exactly my point in a way. On my power chromatics, when I push the slide in it raises the pitch a half step, so in essence I have a Bb(slide out) and B (slide in).
BUT, your slide gives you a whole step, so are you using a power chromatic configired as slide diatonic(slide press giving you the ascending scale tone)??

It had never occurred to me to do this before but seems like a very intriguing modification!

Sachlaw
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Re: Power Chromatic

Post by Sachlaw » Mon Nov 13, 2017 10:50 pm

Paris wrote:
Mon Nov 13, 2017 5:14 am
It had never occurred to me to do this before but seems like a very intriguing modification!
@ Paris.
If you like Diatonic then you might like something I am working with. I just flipped the plates. That way, when I am pushing the slide, I am always "Going Down," so to speak.

Couple of things this does for me so far:

1. I can use the throat bend and/or the button to bend down. This will let me play with the octaves, and I can play some embellishments that sound better to my ear than the other set up.

2. It give me a a chromatic bridge to a full step below (which means easy access to the b7th) any default hole pitch. So basically, every hole (back to front) is now a two hole draw in some way shape or form (a. no bend, bend, then a button push with bend, or b. no bend, button push no bend, then bend). In the other setup, the b7s for the keys to the left of your repeating note (ie on my G harp, the doubled note is E [GBDE/AC#EF#] so the b7s for GBD will take movement off the hole. Flipping the plates gives me G#CD#F/A#DFG. Now I am a push and bend away from the b7th for notes to the left.

This also helps me out quite a bit with muscle memory, as I know all bends or button pushes get me down.

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Brendan
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Re: Power Chromatic

Post by Brendan » Wed Nov 15, 2017 6:03 am

@ Paris: no, my slide on the PowerChromatic only raises a half-step. Check this video where I explain it, with tuning charts:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5J_zVEEfuY

I think you're confusing PowerChromatic with my SlideDiatonic. That's a specialist harp I use for playing Irish and other folk tunes. It has the slider raising the note to the next diatonic note above, which could be a tone or a semitone.

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