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From: dijk~orldaccess.nl
Date: Mon, 02 Sep 96 16:05:18 GMT
Subject: RE: augmented triad tuning & the jazz sound!

on 30 Aug 96 10:06:46 EDT
Subject: augmented triad tuned chromatic, Winslow Yerxa wrote:

>I built one of these out of a Koch 980 in 1971, thinking that to learn
>this you only need to learn 4 key positions. Later, Richard Hunter
>published a similar idea (where the harp is tuned to the complete
>whole-tone scale, not just the augmented triad). He proposed it to
>Toots Thielemans, and Toots said he didn't think it would necessarily be
>any better than solo tuning - you'd gain some things, but you'd lose
>things, too.

Ofcourse Toots is not interested in another tuning system. His way of improvising
is for 40% based on harmonica specific playing. I don't say that his playing is not
interesting, but his note choice is very much influenced by the tuning system of
the chromatic harmonica. For me, Toots' best recordings are made in the 1950-60
period. Recordings like 'Man Bites Harmonica' are great. But, his note choice
didn't develop very much any more and his fast runs become more and more harmonica
dependend. Listening to this recording ('Man Bites Harmonica'), Toots' old
fashioned tone and vibrato are the opposite of the straight-a-head bariton sax
sound of Pepper Adams.

>The present tuning system - Solo Tuning is the usual name for it -
>does have one very strong advantage over symmetrical tuning systems like
>the augmented-triad system or the whole tone system - it offers more
>type of intervals, with more types of arpeggios and more types of
>smooth-scale passages when the slide is used.

All these advantages are very much key dependend. It offers more different sounding
intervals and arpeggios which can be played by making the same movements. But I
don't think it is an advantage for a player who does not want to use harmonica
licks extensively and who does not play only all kind of thinks which are easy on
the harmonica. I have a certain sound in my head which has to come out of the
harmonica.

>Why is this important? In jazz, smooth phrasing is highly desirable,
>and the best way to produce this on the chromatic is to avoid hole-leaps
>and changes of breath, playing as much as possible notes in adjacent
>holes, on the same breath (all blow or all draw) and using the slide.

NO, this is not the truth. In jazz, smooth phrasing is not desirable. Listen to
Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, Clifford Brown, Eric Dolphy, Don Byas, Wayne
Shorter and Dexter Gordon. They do all have a very personal way of articulating
phrases. Clifford Brown does play almost every note. The problem is that
articulation is one of the topics in harmonica playing that did not develop enough
yet. The tongue blocking technique is one of the techniques that makes a very
precize articulation which is very import in jazz music, very difficult. What you
mentioned about the smooth phrasing in jazz is based on the sound of the HOLY-COW,
Toots Thielemans. Although he is one of the few chromatic harmonica player who
developed a professional sound, his playing is very personal and should not be
considered the absolute harmonica jazz sound. A couple of weeks ago, I played with
Jens Bunge at a session in Munich, and he also is a harmonica player coming from
the 'Toots school of jazz sound'. We played a medium fast Rhythm Changes based
song, and all of his fast runs were based on the tuning system of the chromatic
harmonica.


>Measuring by this criterion, which has more to offer in variety of
>intervals, the traditional tuning or the augmented-triad tuning?

Measuring by my criterion, the augmented-triad tuning is more interesting. To be
able to play phrases in all keys with almost the same articulation possibilities is
one of the most important factors in my jazz sound.

I think it is clear that the middle passage in your text, which a deleted to make
this e-mail not to big, is not interesting for me.

>Of course, we haven't even begun to get into the possibilities using
>double embouchure (blocking out middle notes and corner switching) for
>even larger smooth intervals, or the possibilities for stringing
>together complete arpeggios, substitutions, or even same-breath scales.
>But my bet is that the standard tuning offers far more possiblities
>here, too.

Although the possiblilities of using double embouchure is interesting in certain
circumstances, I think it should not be concidered THE technique for playing large
intervals. Articulation again is the problem. I've been listening to a lot of
players, using this technique and the problem is: I never heard someone phrasing
and articulating better than with the single embouchure technique.
Again, all the simple arpeggios and same-breath scales are only interesting in
certain keys.

>I'd rather have an instrument that has more to offer, even if it is
>harder to master. The twentieth century is about expanding
>possibilities, not about reducing choices to symmetrical uniformity
>(unless you like the hammer and sickle, symbol of a 19th-century idea
>that is finally getting the heave-ho in most parts of the world).

I think my point of view if completely clear, concerning this subject. Maybe it is
again all a matter of taste. The jazz sound has many faces. Toots Thielemans his
sound is one of them, but its far from the only interesting harmonica jazz sound.
Actualy, it is a very personal jazz sound which has some little simmilarities with
the sound of the major players of his time. Players like, Cannonball Adderley, Stan
Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Chet Baker, John Coltrane etc. When someone
wants jazz harmonica lessons, one of the first questions I ask him is: which
players do you know. When he is only able to mention Toots Thielemans, Hendrik
Meurkens, Jens Bunge or Gallisson, I have to face a problem, he did never listen to
a important jazz players of our time.

Wim Dijkgraaf
The Netherlands