Other web Sites
Harmonica Blues  Harmonica Amps
Harmonica Links Harmonica Pages
• Archives Home
• Years
 · 1992
 · 1993
 · 1994
 · 1995
 · 1996
 · 1997 		 · 1998
 · 1999
 · 2000
 · 2001
 · 2002
 · 2003
 
Web HarpL
Ebay Searches:
Amps:
Microphones:
Effects:
Harmonicas and Gear:
Harmonica Music and Instruction:

 

 

Harp-L Archives

[Previous Message] [Next Message]
[Previous in Thread] [Next in Thread]
[Start of Thread] [End of Thread]

From: Mike Curtis
Date: Mon, 7 Oct 1996 20:49:45 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: Proving the Existence of Fish

On Mon, 7 Oct 1996 WVE~ol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 96-10-06 23:12:43 EDT, Hugh writes:
>
> >I'd much rather hear the harps played by a non-partisan player. I feel
> >that the instrument and the player combine to form the sound, and not just
> >a constant stream of air. If comb material alters the way a player feels
> >and plays the instrument, then that's a big factor.

> Am I missing something here. My assumption is that the purpose of the test
> is to measure the effect of materials on the tone of the harmonica and not on
> how the player feels. You have given the precise reason for a mechanical air
> supply. We don't want how the player feels to be a "big factor" or even a
> small one....do we?

Maybe you don't, but I do. I have a drum machine, but no plans for a harp
machine in my setup :-) Seriously, though, because the player is in fact
THE major factor in harmonica playing, I don't see how any test that
ignores this can be valid. I remember one test using a vacuum cleaner to
sound notes that couldn't sound all the notes on a perfectly functioning
harmonica. Even though this is a sample of one, I submit this as a very
strong indication that such tests are inherently flawed. But go ahead and
do it anyway, and let us know how it went. and I'll keep on doing as the
bumblebee despite scientific evidence that what I do doesn't work, rinsing
my older harps before playing because I imagine the reeds loosen up and
don't stick nearly as much, using plastic harps because I imagine that
they sound and play better, and breaking them in lightly first before hard
playing because my imagination deludes me into thinking that my check
register shows that I have to replace my harp or reed plates every three
months instead of every month. Run-on uniparagraph format (c) and used
with permission of fjm.


-- IronHead Mike Curtis
New Cassette available - email for details