theory on playing octaves verses double stops
I've just learned that there's a thing called double stops similar to playing the split octaves? I want to delve into that now remembering an early exercise in playing octaves but I can't recall which level that exercise was in.
my question: when to play octaves verses the thing called double stops which to my understanding would be playing two more disonnant notes at a time?
the when to use which or does it matter? which to practice for greatest effect?
Monty
Great explanation from Winslow. Question: Are you playing two-hole chords on chromatic or diatonic? Or both? Different intervals are played differently on each. Here on the website David has lessons in the LOA series that include learning different intervals on diatonic, and five progressive chromatic lessons that include playing octaves and other intervals. To have the most complete "toolbox," you'll want to become familiar and comfortable with all available combinations, but like everything else harmonica, you'll best learn slowly and progressively, at an effective pace. The great thing about octaves and "fake" octaves (minor 6th combinations) is the powerful sound. E.g., check out George Harmonica Smith, Little Walter, Mitch Kashmar and Paul deLay on chromatic, and Rice Miller (Sonny Boy II) and Paul Butterfield on diatonic. The powerful sound of two-note combos seems to be another case of "the sum being greater than the parts" in a lot of blues harmonica situations.
can somebody tell me where that study and playing octaves exercise is? it's soimewhere in one of the early studies, either solo or movment but I can't locate it now. it was with advice to "try it and come back later to where how much more the tongue could do" exercise. and try as I might I cannot find it now
Monty
I think you mean the exercise described at the video "Tongue Agility - Tongue Blocking Study 1 Technique", which is on the Tongue Blocking Study 1 - Single notes lesson.
I still use this one often: play 1 blow followed by 4 blow followed by 1-4 blow octave, 1 draw followed by 4 draw followed by 1-4 draw octave, 2 blow + 5 blow + 2-5 blow octave etc all the way up to 4 blow and down. The idea is to ensure you keep 4 holes in your embouchure at all times and that you can do tongue switching between the higher and lower note without moving the harp.
"Double stop" simply means two notes played at the same time.
It's a term borrowed from violin playing.
When you "stop" a string with your finger partway up the fingerboard, you make it sound a pitch higher than its open string pitch.
When you play two stopped notes at the same time (on neighboring strings), that's a double stop.
However, despite the origin of the "stop" part of the term, any two notes played at once, whether "stopped" or not, constitute a double stop.
On harmonica, likewise, any two notes playe at once constitute a double stop. Those two notes could be consonant or dissonant. They could be two notes in neighboring holes, or two notes in non-neighboring holes, played as a tongue-blocked split, including octaves.