Two months in - I need to reward myself!
David, I'm not much smarter than your typical dog. I need positive reinforcement in the form of treats on a regular basis if I'm going to keep from going on the rug. So with that disgusting analogy, I've decided to reward myself for sticking with your program for more than a couple of weeks (you've no idea of the level of ADD I suffer from!).
So I'm buying a couple of new harps.
I've used Special 20's for a while now. I would love to go higher end. I'm looking specifically at the Crossover and the Seydel 1847. First off, what is your opinion of the two in a side-by-side comparison?
Second, I'm only going to buy a couple of these - with the intention of using them in your lesson plans. If I'm only buying two, which keys should I get to go along with your program?
Jjudson,
I've just bought a Crossover in A for the tongue blocking lessons - it's fantastic. I definitely notice the difference going back to the Special 20. On the Crossover, it seems I can play it a lot lighter without losing volume or control. The only downside is that it seems too easy to bend, so now my three draw is bending all the way to the bottom with the slightest tongue movement! Still, it's only a matter of readjusting.
Come to think of it Dave, maybe that's another quote you can use in your marketing:
"This lesson program is so easy - even people with the attention span of a Dalmatian can stick with it!"
Dave, I'm looking at my normal music supply sources (like Musician's Friend and Coast-to-Coast), and I'm not finding too many Crossovers. Do you have a dealer recommendation for someone who might have an appreciable number of keys in stock?
Glad to hear you like the harp! I contacted Hohner to see if they have any suggestions... most likely they'll say it's a new product and will take some time to hit in full forcer. I get back to you if they give me a good tip.
Thanks!
Dave, I just saw this statement from Steve Baker on the Harp-l site. The post was dated January 10th and was in response to someone questioning Musician's Friend's website stating that the Crossover has been discontinued:
"Musicians Friend is mistaken, Hohner has definitely not
discontinued the Crossover. As the latest addition to the Marine Band
range, it was only introduced in August 2009 - the instruments
available at SPAH were the very first to come off the production line
and the high level of demand has led to this 0 series being sold out
very fast.
"However, there is another reason for the current non-availability of
some keys: we've been making improvements to the covers in order to
eliminate reed rattle. This mainly concerns keys from Bb downwards,
hence the delay in filling Mad Dog's order. The new tool takes some
time to set up exactly right and we have been testing carefully every
step of the way. The factory expects to have it running by the end of
the month. Sorry for the delay, they'll be worth the wait."
Thanks, good info.
I like the Hohner Crossover... I'm a Marine Band man, and the comb is very nice. As for keys, I would say G and A... and for next month's treat a B-flat and Low-F! ;-)