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Forums :: Blues Chromatic

Chromatic Harmonica

1 reply [Last post]
Sun, 05/19/2024 - 06:49
Fastfreddy
Fastfreddy's picture
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Level 6
Joined: 04/27/2024

I have a trochilus 10 hole blues tuned harmonica with a slide.

The slide changes the note a semitone . Can I use this to do the exercises on the chromatic harmonica study ?

Thanks

Fred

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Wed, 05/29/2024 - 11:47
#1
Expert Winslow Yerxa
Expert Winslow Yerxa's picture
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Joined: 01/16/2010
Kinda sorta

There are two big differences between a slide diatonic such as the Trochilus Blues (I have those, along with the older Hohner Koch 980) and a solo-tuned chromatic.

A solo-tuned chromatic takes Holes 4 thru 7 of the dinatonic and repeats that note layout in every octave. 

A slide diatonic in standard tuning has a different note layout AND a different chord in the bottom octave, and with notes missing. On a C harp, you'll get a G chord, with the notes F and A missing, instead oa D minor chord with all notes available without bending.

On a slide diatonic, in the top octave the draw notes will shift one hole to the right instead of staying in the same position as in the middle octave.

So no, a slide diatonic won't give you the same scale layout or the same chords as a solo tuned diatonic.

If money is a concern, get an Easttop Forerunner, an unavalved three-octave solo-tuned chromaitc. Costs about the same as a good diatonic and will serve you better for blues chromatic studies.

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