slide use?
David, I haven't really spent any time thinking about playing chromatic blues (do have a C chromatic around somewhere), but I did watch Rod Piazza closely as he played chromatic in a small club setting. He didn't use the slide at all while playing. Is there a simple explanation of playing chromatic without using the slide?
Most of the time if my band is playing in a minor (I wish they did more) I use a natural minor - yes I am that lazy. So I could use my c chromatic against the d major - I'll give that a shot on one of our originals (no one will know if it is right or not). That does bring up another question that I am sure would be clear if I had a theory background. I have never really understood how 3rd position could be used for a minor and also against a major. While it sounds really great (love the dark sound) for the minor, I just couldn't get a feel for it against a major. I suspect I am missing something that I would already be up to in the lessons if I wasn't struggling so much with making the transition form lip pursuing to tongue blocking.
The short answer is you'll want to emphasize the major-sounding notes in 3rd Position... which are 2+, 3, 5+, 7 and 8+. Another way to look at it is when you go to play the 5 draw, which is bluesy, replace it with 5+, a lighter note. So, the lighter notes are 2+, 3, 5+, 7 and 8+ (better for major) and the dark notes (better for minor) are 2", 4+, 5, 7+ and 9.
The 3rd Position Study song "Rollin' Rhumba Version 1" is a very light 3rd Position solo. Play it pucker for now.
I was wondering for players that don't plan to use the slide why not buy something like the Seydel Solist Pro with the Solo-Pro 12 tuning? It seems like it would be a lot cheaper than a chromatic, and perhaps lower maintenance? Perhaps it's the lack of selection of this type of harp today? e.g. hard to get something like this in keys other than C? (or G?) I think that the Hohner 364S-24 Marine Band 12 Hole Solo Tuned Harmonica and Huang Cadet Soloist are similar. It looks like Hohner used to carry more keys in the past.
Anyways just wondering since I didn't see this possibility mentioned here.
You can get solo-tuned diatonics, and yes, they do work just fine for third position, are cheaper and more compact, don't have issues with buzzing valves, sticking slides, and buttons that get bent or broken. Also, you can play diatonic-style dual-reed draw bends, though none of the notes bends more than a semitone. And they fit in yor hands more like a diatonic does.
But what you miss out on is the sound of the chromatic - that huge, church organ-like sound that gives you variety in your sound.
Also, while Little Walter seldom used the slide, he did use it some, as did Paul deLay and does Dennis Gruenling. The slide - especially when you figure out where it fits when you play lines in octaves and other splits - gives you a cool sound that you can't get from solo-tuned diatonics.
I just checked on the Seydel Solist in solo tuning. I have one in G, so I know they used to be available in various keys, but presently they're listed only in regular C - like the Hohner 364 Solo and the Huang Cadet (and Hering Master Solo).
Which brings up another point. A big pat of the third position chromatic sound is the dark sound you get by playing the notes below Middle C on a 16-hole chromatic. All the solo-tuned diatonics presently available have Middle C as their bottom note and will miss out on the low-dark, brooding sound that you can get from a chromatic.
Thanks for your thoughts on this. How would a 12 hole solo-tuned diatonic sound compared to a 12-hole chromatic such as the Hohner 270? If the 270 sounds more church organ-like what is it that contributes to this? I know that sound that you're talking about, but don't understand exactly what contributes to it.
Chromatics and diatonics use the same reeds but nearly everything else is different.
On a diatonic the blow reeds and draw reeds interact, as the air directed to one also affects the other. On a chromatic each reed has a valve that directs air only to the blow reed or only the draw reed.
On a chromatic the air space inside the hole is bigger, as the blow reed and draw reed are mounted side by side instead of one above the other.
On chromatics the reeds are farther away from your mouth due to the mouthpiece and slide.
The really dramatic difference would be between a standard diatonic and the 16-hole chromatics such as the Hohner 280. You still hear the difference on a smaller chromatic such as the 270. But Every time you hear Little Walter, for instance, you hear the 280 (except for Oh, Baby and the other similar tune where he plays a Koch 980 which is like a diatonic with a slide - but even that sounds different from a standard diatonic).
Traditional blues chromatic harmonica was played (and still is by its traditional players today) without the usage of the button. A quick answer to your question is that 1 draw is your home base on the chromatic (yes, you commonly play it in 3rd Position)... use draw notes as your main notes, using blow notes only as stepping stones. Put a jam track on in the key of D ("Gary's Blues" jam track [TB Study #3] is in the key of D) and give it a try!
After all of the 3rd Position study songs are on the site (there are 7) you'll start to see chromatic harmonica lessons come up... so, figure about 5 to 6 weeks. I'll be happy to send you the first study song if you provide me with your email so you can get started now.