Blues Chromatic

Ross Garren will be teaching a class on 1st and 2nd Position Chromatic Harp, using examples of George Smith and Paul deLay, on Friday, April 8, as part of the 3-day, 4-night Harmonica Collective teaching event in Indianapolis, April 6-9. I've seen his outline for the class and it looks like a rich, in-depth look into a way to triple your abilities on blues chromatic.

Other Expert Guides teaching classes include PT Gazell, Jason Ricci, and Winslow Yerxa, with teaching circles anchored by Buzz Krantz, Dan Ridgeway, and Jarre Goldweber. continue reading...

Hi,

I was given an unused recently and was wondering if anyone had an opinion on the model. A google search brings up quite little except they haven't been made for a while (decade or more) and any reviews were vaguely negative.

Being completely new to chromatic I'm wondering if it is worth using or if, despite the freebee, I should invest in a 270 or CX12 to do my learning on.

Thanks for your time and I look forward to any replies.

Per the recent queries about 4th position blues chromatic, I recently recorded an instrumental in 4th position called Blue Rant. 

You can listen to it here: Blue Rant

Each verse explores a different technique, but most of what I play is based on the A minor pentatonic scale: A C D E G - but with chromatic passing tones, and sometimes notes from the D and E blues scales. I also use splits and chords that fit with A minor (and D minor and E7 and F7). continue reading...

I started watching the blues chromatic lesson and using 3rd position makes perfect sense to me. However 4th position is not mentioned and I was wondering abort that, the notes of the A minor scale is just the C major scale reordered so most notes of the blues scales are easily accessible, the b5 being the exception.

Not so straight forward with the chords though, the A cannot be played with a single breath. Is that the reason 4th position isn't common?

/Fredrik

Winslow..... i would like to learn this song with the music from the original movie....how does a person go about getting something like that on a cd .....so that you can play the harmonica....you can get the song but always including the harp.

Paul Laskey on utube has the track....but its all in French....so i cant ask him.

what to do?

Thank you...

does any one know how to tell how old a harmonica is? My grandfather gave me a Hohner Chromonica back in the 80's and I would like to get an idea of how long he had it before he gave it to me. I've had it 30 years now. 

Hi folks,

This involves a Suzuki SCX-64.

I'm having issues with my attack on my 1 draw.  The second octave D, not the low one.

I have not been able to get a decent attack out of it.  The note does more of a slow crescendo rather than a defined attack.  This occures tongue blocking right or left, and puckering.

  continue reading...

Any info on the early history of the chrom?  How it was advertised when it was introduced, the first method books, comments by pioneer players, the first few recordings?

I got a Suzuki Chromatix scx-48, 12 hole chromatic,  and I am having trouble playing the high notes (9 and above), its really hard to get a pretty sound. is it like that in all the chromatic harmonicas, is it just this brand (If it is i'll know that when I get a 16 hole one I will get a different one) or is it just me? :D

Thanks

Hey Blues Chromo friends!

I'm conversing over Facebook with a harp player in Barcelona and we've decided to generate a list of best all time blues chromatic songs (meaning a song which employs chromatic harp, either exclusively or with vocals, or diatonic, doesn't matter). This is just for fun, no particular point to it. I have my ideas and opinions, of course, but I'm sure my listening is partial and there's probably lots of great stuff out there I've never heard. We'll probably keep the list to twenty songs.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks!