Brendan Power & Alternative Harmonicas Forum

Thanks for the information Brendan. I had noticed the bowing before but never really gave it a second thought, but that makes sense now. Every day’s a school day!.. I’ll keep an eye out for those Herings and probably keep as is, since I am quite impressed with the 48 (although they don’t sound like ...

Hi, not sure if this really fits in this forum but I’m not part of any other chromatic harmonica community… I got myself a really nice little 10 hole Hohner Chromonica in G, but I really can’t stand the mouthpiece (compared to my Hering professional 48 in C for example), and the pitch is too sharp f...

Thanks for the info Steve, I’m still using tools from the old Lee Oskar toolkit that hasn’t been for sale for several years, so I’m a bit behind the times!.. Now, I just need to decide which Trochilus to put on the Christmas list - a C6 solo tuned for the classic Chromatic harmonica repertoire, or t...

Hi Steve, Good to know that the Trochilus might just cut it in the session environment (although I may be asking a bit much to match the Castagnari boxes!..) Yes, similarly I’m looking for a diatonic with chromatic features, to be able to play well with single notes in other keys but come back to tu...

There are many options of course, I’ve been through a few of them over the years!.. Keeping to the topic of the thread though, I feel that the Trochilus tuning I proposed in the original reply would work nicely. G Richter is my natural home for this kind of music… Paddy Richter doesn’t work for me, ...

Thanks Triona, Yes, it sounds like the CX-12 in G might be the way to go if I decide to go for a full-blown chromatic (I’m a fan of the G6 alternative layout). G is certainly the base key for me in this context... However, the tongue block approach including some chords has kind of become my style, ...

I play mostly English session tunes in first position on a diatonic harmonica. I’m considering getting a G Trochilus (richter tuned), and retuning the first 3 holes, slide in blow; A, C#, E, and slide in draw; C, E, G. This fills the gaps in the G and D major scales lower octave, and also acts as a ...

Good question Triona, Firstly, I mean 4/4 Hornpipes. I’m not sure how they came to share a name with earlier 3/2s… More confusingly still, a 4/4 Hornpipe may be played with either a straight or dotted (swung) rhythm. It is the dotted type, developed in the north east of England I think, that is the ...

Thanks Triona, I have found your post very helpful, as are your other ones that I have read through :) It is the ‘melodeon’ that I refer to, yes. Not so much emulating the sound as imparting a similar drive to the rhythm. So bass/chord patterns, become tongue slap/release and so on. I’m getting ther...

Hi all, I just discovered this forum having got back into the harmonica after a long break, and after a chance meeting with Mr Power himself (down on the Kentish coast)... Looks like I'm in interesting and intelligent company :ugeek: Anyway, I got my first harmonica, a Hohner Blues Harp I think (or ...