Chrometta 14 or another
Hello,
I play the diatonic for several years. Now I get a 20 years old chrometta 14 and like to start on the chromatic.
I used to tongue block the diatonic and try to tongue block the chrometta as well. It is a very weird feeling to play it. The holes on the chrometta are very big and there are narrow dividers between them. It fells like to play a grill.
Is the chrometta not usually tongue blocked?
Should I buy an other chromatic that feels better or should I practise till I get used to it?
Which Chromatic has the best diatonic-feel to tongue block?
Thanks, Finnegan.
Hello Winslow,
thanks a lot for your answer. It helps me to look for another chromatic harmonica.
You should write a chromatic harmonica book for dummies with a lot of informations and tabs. There aren't so many available. Fro me the chromatic feels like a total new instrument that i have to learn.
Glad I could help, Finnegan.
I've suggested a chromatic book to my publisher but they won't bite as they feel the market is too small. I used to write a chromatic column for the webzine harmonicasessions.com (also edtied by bluesharmonica.com's David Barrett) but that stopped publishing a few years ago, and not all the articles are still available. You can see an index of the chromatic articles at http://winslowyerxa.com/articles/harmonica-sessions/
The Chrometta was designed as a beginner model and in in some ways was innovative for the mid-1950s.
But I agree, the narrow dividers between the holes make it harder, not easier, to isolated single notes. And the slide has the longest in-and-out movement of any chromatic.
The Chrometta has a mellow tone that non-harmonica players seem to like.
But yes, you can do much better for airtightness, tonal focus, and comfort and accuracy in embouchure.
There's another problem that can come up with tongue blocking with a lot of holes in your mouth. If you look at the harmonica from the side, notice how the line of the mouthpiece transitions into the front of the covers. The Hohner 270 is in many ways a great harmonica, but the covers present a sudden steep bump that can be physically uncomfortable and break the airtight seal of your lips when you're tongue blocking octaves.
The 16-hole 280 Chromonica is a bit better, but the best chromatic profiles have a slim mouthpiece and an unbroken slope where it meets the covers.
Here's a picture , from left to right, of profiles of the Suzuki G-48, Hohner Ace48, Hohner Discovery, Hohner Meisterklasse, and 270 Deluxe. On the right side of the 270, you can see what I'm talking about with the cover bumping up and disturbing your embouchure (perhaps it's clearest in the reflection below the harmonica). The three in the middle all have great profiles, but the ACE and Meisterklasse are expen$$sive. The Discovery isn't, but I feel it suffers from weak tone. The G-48 is another great but expensive harp, but its profile is very similar to the Hohner CX-12, which is reasonably priced and is renowned for being airtight and relatively easy to bend (as chromatics go).
EDIT - For some reason the picture doesn't display here. But if you right-click and choose to open it in a new tab or window, you can see it.