Key of my first Chromatic
Mon, 03/10/2014 - 02:40
Hi Winslow, like many others before I want to get a litte bit familiar with the world of the chromatic harmonica. SO just a simple question: Should I start with a C-tuned harmonica? When it comes to the lessons: Which keys will I need? Is it easyer to start with a lower tuned harmoonica? Thx in advance 4 your advice :-)
I'd start with a C, as it's the most often used key. True, you will hear west coast players such as George Smith, Paul deLay, William Clarke, and Rod Piazza use 12-hole chromatics tuned to other keys so that they can get that big, chordal third-position sound in keys other than D and E-flat. (Norton Buffalo, on the other hand, favored second position and used different keys of chromatic to get that sound.)
One thing to kow about chromatics in different keys is that C is the highest key. F , Eb, and D, are all lower than C.
Little Walter always played a 16-hole chromatic, which is is available only in C, and includes that dark-gritty added low octave. The 16-holer is awfully big, though, and it's easy to get lost in its vastness. You might be a bt less daunted by starting out with a 12-hole in C. Twelve-holers do come in Low C (called tenor by Hohner, and Baritone or Batitono by Seydel and Hering).
Many players claim that they can't get the lowest notes on a 16-hole to sound; same for low keys of 12-holers. Yet the wide chord and splits with a spread of 4 or 5 holes used in third-position blues don' seem to be poblematic.