Octaves
Hello David,
So I have a question about octaves. So +1 and +4 is an octave, -1 and -4 is an octave and so is +2 +5 but -2 -5 isn't.
Okay the question. First I've noticed ppl playing the -2 -5 as an octave ( here's an example of someone talking about using a -2 -5 at 3:00 minutes in : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKJ_diG4_Tw )
I've noticed it elsewhere but can't quite remember to quote as an example. So the thing is if you look at the harmonica note layout there is an octave at the -2 -5 draw but it requires you bend the 2 hole draw from E down to D. Now are people using the -2 -5 natural because they can't manage with the bend on the -2 or is there actually something desireable about playing an 'E' and a 'D' together (based on an A harp) that I'm just not seing? Or are both worthwhile ?
Hope I make sense lol.
Chris
Ahh this was the explanation I was looking for! So I'm not just crazy there is a dealios with the -2 -5. I agree, I think the sound is very cool but sometimes it's worthwhile to make sure it's not just in my head haha. ( I still don't understand the flat 7th's and the roots and all that jazz -_- lol )
As far as the -2" -5 goes I think it's actually pretty easy... well... to me it's easier than +10" somehow (still can't get it most of the time). The hard part is to get it with no beat or in tune. What I've been trying to do is to take a tuner and mesure my draw 5 (mine's -5cent) then go to -2 and draw bend down to a D -5cents and open up the right side for that 5 draw making sure I still have a good tone.
I haven't made it to tongue block study 4 yet lol. I'm still on level 3. Most of my practice happens when ever I have 2-3 minutes to pull the harp from my pocket and shuffle a few notes. I was actually planning on sending you the level 1 test this week if I can manage some sit down time to go through the theory.
Great, I'm glad it helped. You're right, the it's hard to tune the 2" so there's no beats. Keeping practicing, you can make it one of your signature techniques.
Ha! I like the sound of a signature technique ;P
Hello Chris.
As you stated, the 2/5 is not an octave, but it's very cool, and we use it all the time.
The 2 draw is the root of the I7 Chord (in 2nd Position) and the 5 draw is the flat-7th (one of the, if not the most, defining notes in blues).
Play the blues lick 3+ 3 4 6+ 5. Now play it as 3+ 3 4 6+ 2/5, and 3+ 3 4 3+/6+ 2/5, and 3+ 3 1/4 6+/3+ 5/2... all of these versions are valid, and played often... the key thing to notice is how dissonant and cool the 2/5 sounds in blues.
You would not use 2/5 if you were trying to play a pretty melody. Try Oh Susanna, starting on the 4+. When you get to 3/6, and the second part of the melody with the 2/5, you'll hear that it sounds real bad.
In regards to bending 2 down to 2", to match the 5 draw pitch, it has been done, but it's very rare (I've only heard it done twice). It's also not easy to do. So, a combination of awareness (you're the first student to ask about it), difficulty level (the students I've shown struggled with it), and that it's not a common technique used in songs (students will study something more if it comes up more often), make the technique not a practical solution.
We do use the 2/5 and 3/6 sometimes when we don't prefer to hear the dissonance at full volume, we just play it softer than the other octaves. It's also common to play them as single notes, even if all other notes in the line are octaves (you see this in Joe Filisko's artist study of "Louisiana Song").
P.S., I speak of the 2/5 in the octave study, found in Tongue Block Study 4.