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From: Winslow Yerxa <76450.32~ompuServe.COM>
Date: 30 Nov 96 22:47:34 EST
Subject: Blowing too hard?

TO: internet:harp~arply.com

Siegfried Naruhn finds amusement in my vagueness:

But now, when Mike ask for the physical force which causes the
reed interaction, you simply say: "Don't know". Moreover, when
Mike thinks about a possible "resonance", you immediately
develop a theory about the mouth cavity as a resonance chamber
which induces the opening and closing reeds to sound at that
pitch.

That's really great, but the top is your remarking in brackets
(Why? Dunno. Ask Johno.)

Mark Twain couldn't has said it better. Think about, normally
an explanation about any a circumstance is simultaneously and
naturally the answer to a "why". But to explain something
without knowing the reason is artistic on its highest level.
Thanks a lot for this demonstration.

Siegfried, if you read carefully, you'll see that I did not
"develop" a theory about resonance. I merely stated the outlines
of one that Johno has experimentally verified and published,
writing it up with great mathematical accuracy (wanna know the
details and the math proofs? Ask Johno).

I stated that this is my "less than scientific understanding"
i.e. an understanding, not an experience. One of the meanings of
"understanding" in English is that of "received wisdom" that one
has not acquired directly, but rather "received" from another
source (as phrased: "it is my understanding that . . " or "I am
given to understand that . . ." or "my less-than-scientific
understanding is that . . ."). I was being very careful here, and
not at all "artistic".

You will notice that in the remainder of my post, the only things
I state with any assurance are the result of my own direct
experience. As I get older and realize that the more I know, the
less I understand. And the less likely I am to assert what I
cannot directly demonstrate (i.e. that resonance causes bending.
This is the almost commonplace wisdom, but I can't pull out a
harmonica and prove it in front of you, even though I can
demonstrate the things considered to be caused by resonance).

Siegfried goes on:

Whoopy, when the strongest notes are produced by the opening
and closing reed, I had known Pat, whether there are some more
reeds aside, other than opening or closing. Perhaps
half-opening? BTW, when you claim >>-phew, I wish there was a
simpler terminology!<<, how should the non-natives find the
way among overbends, overdraws, drawbends, benddraws,
overdrawbends,....overkill?

Siegfried, once again, you're not reading carefully. A closing
reed (e.g. a blow C reed being played at C) or an opening reed
(the same C reed being played as a draw reed at C#) can be
induced to change pitch, upward for an opening reed, downward for
a closing reed. But the C and the C# are the strongest pitches
produced by those reeds. My experience, and Pat's, is that as the
pitch is altered, the vibration of the reed becomes weaker. That
is what he was referring to.

He does, however, assure me

PS. Winslow, I'll not pour a bear on your head next year in
Trossingen but would drink it myself, cheers.

Well, that's a relief. And I'll gladly buy it anyway. This may
puzzle non-German readers. I have made a vow, as published in
Didi Neumann's Harmonica-Player, that if HIP No. 5 has not come
out by the International Harmonica Festival in Germany next fall,
and if I am there (I hope to be), I will buy a beer for any HIP
subscriber on the first night in the Canapee (the blues jam bar),
and they are welcome to pour it on my head.

Winslow Yerxa
Harmonica Information Press
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