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From: Mike Curtis
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 20:42:42 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: Chromatic Positions

On Tue, 13 Jan 1998, robert bonfiglio wrote:

>The term "chromatic positions" and my comment on it got the same reaction
>it has elicited since I started teaching chromatic to diatonic players in
>the early 70's. I admit, I threw it out there (on purpose) to see if I
>couldn't stir the waters. I just wanted to see if everyone knew there was
>a button out there on the end of the chromatic. It still amazes me that
>people will retune harmonicas in every configuration, learn to bend every
>note in every way to get every chromatic tone and are still afraid to death
>to reach out there and touch that button.
>
>Where is the sense of adventure!

For some of us, that "easy to touch button" is beyond reach. My two hands
play guitar; my left foot plays MIDI bass pedals, and I need something to
stand on so the right foot is ruled out.

My goal was to play like a chromatic player, but in the process I have
found there are things I can do that a chromatic player cannot, such as
smoothly glissando from E down to Bb (5B to 5Bbbbbbb), etc.

So I might likewise ask a chromatic player who doesn't play diatonic
chromatically "where is _your_ sense of adventure" :-)

>We ought to redefine "chromatic positions" to read "diatonic positions on
>the chromatic," i.e., how to play the chromatic as if it were a diatonic.
>Stick to the key of D minor or tape the button or (flip the slide on an old
>280) and play in Eb minor.
>
>Where is the sense of adventure; that button won't kill you; chromatic
>blues in D minor might be really exciting. I guess I learned to play
>diatonic before there were positions (which I think came with that Glover
>book); anyhow we just played in different keys.

And I learned to play diatonic in keys rather than positions.

But positions allow me to express things in less words. It's simpler to
say "4th position" than "A minor on a C harmonica", etc.

>By the way, Stevie and Toots both play in keys and we all have used
>different keyed harmonicas to have things lie better. For me, a B
>harmonica allows me to play in flat keys but sounding in sharp keys, thus I
>can take advantage of the blow F and draw C. A little knowledge of
>keyboard harmony will help.

Agreed, although most of my knowledge is on guitar, but I do have a
working knowledge of keyboard.

>I do agree that if playing in positions helps you get a Dorian mode out of
>the harp, play in positions. I only mean to expand on that to take
>advantage of the chromatic. If you are playing in D minor, button motions
>of A to draw C button in, or the blow F button in to the E make for legato
>phrases. So if you are shaking D to F in triplets, then F to E in the
>same triplets, the blow F to E will be smoother.

And this is similar on valved diatoinic, except there are MANY more
duplicated notes. The following shows what I have been able to do using
valved bends on a C Lee Oskar, as far as the lowest note I can get out of
the harp in my shirt pocket. I've omitted the normal bends for claritys'
sake. Not all of these bends are really useful at this point, but I'm
constantly improving so don't be surprised if this changes. However, MOST
of these notes are useful, and many are VERY musical. Please keep in mind
that I'm a nitpicker and don't use notes that don't sound good.

A C Eb G Bb C
BLOW: C E G C E G C E G C
DRAW: D G B D F A B D F A
G B D G
>This brings me a very disconcerting thing that happened to me this weekend
>when I was playing with Santa Barbara Symphony. I went down to the local
>blues club to play a little and a local harp player was playing in the
>Little Walter style; this was okay until I began to notice that this young
>harp player was playing the solos note for note as Walter did on the
>recordings; I MEAN NOTE FOR NOTE!
>
>Now Little Walter in a Beethoven type classical context was weird to me. I
>mean we all used to learn those licks from the records, but I thought the
>object was to improvise a solo and to have your own style, not be a Little
>Walter clone. Is this where we're headed? I shiver at how retro that
>sounded to me; color definitely does not define blues, but this is as
>"white" as blues gets. Thoughts please!

The object of blues _is_ indeed self expression. And yet there are plenty
of players out here who copy like a Xerox machine.

Some folks memorize and copy. We've always had 'em, and I suppose
always will. Some take chances and play their own music. I prefer
originals myself. It bothers me when someone pumps out carbon copy after
carbon copy.

I'm too lazy to memorize Little Walter solos. Besides, I enjoy playing
music _my_ way. There was already a Little Walter, so if I copy him,
who's going to play MY music?

If you come to hear me, that's exactly what you'll hear - ME!


-- IronMan Mike Curtis
My CD "Doin' It All Myself" available in Tower, Blockbuster, Camelot, PX