EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT | CHROMATIC AARMONIGSA. BUT DIDN'T KNOW WHO 70 ASK! HOWTO BEND NOTES -TUNE THE REEDS - PLAY DOUBLE STOPS, OCTAVES AND CHORDS - ALSO: TONGUE SWITCHING - TONGUE BLOCKING - SINGLE, DOUBLE AND TRIPLE TONGUING LIPPING « IBRATO + TREMOLO ~ AS WELL AS CHAPTERS ON REPAIRS, REED TRANSPLANTS, ELECTRONICS, QUESTIONS AND: ANSWERS, SPECIAL EFFECTS AND MUCH MUCH MORES! .. NO KNOWLEDGE OF MUSIC REQUIRED, Ald EXAMPLES DEMONSTRATED ON THE INSTRUCTIONAL RECORDING.EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT CHROMATIC HARMONICA BUT DION'T KNOW WHO TO ASK! by Alan "Blackie" Schackner ©1983 WARNER-TAMERLANE PUBLISHING CORP. AlTABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword 4 Questions and Answers .. 5 Learning to Play the Harmonica - 10 Special Effects ..............0. 0s eee eee eee ee 40 Maintenance and Repair of the Chromatic Harmonica 55 Electronics, Amplification, Microphones & Accessories .... 71Track 1 Track 2 Track 3 Track 4 Track 5 Track 6 Track 7 Track 8 INDEX FOR THE RECORDING . Playing your first song - rere Jacques... . Alouette . Battle Hymn Of The Republic . ‘When The Saints Go Marching I ". How to play the Chromatic Scale ... ). The Chromatic Scale in other keys... B> DORP OED Double and Triple Tonguing ... Bending Notes .... The Growl, also the Tr . Whole Tone Trills The Shake . SOR> OF> SORP SOBP OmD> . The “Harp”, the “Shimmer” and two types of Train effects 52-54 ART DIRECTION/DESIGN: Ty S. Ochman ILLUSTRATIONS: Alan “Buckie” SchecknerForeword ALAN “BLACKIE” SCHACKNER is a composer, arranger and conductor, as well as a top rated harmonica virtuoso. After graduating from the New York College of Music, he attended New York University where he studied the Schillinger System of composition under Rudolph Schramm. Alan composed and performed the special music for the Pulitzer Prize play “THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE.” Among other scoring credits are several documentary films, as well as the critically acclaimed music he composed for the nationally televised UNICEF program on ABC-TV. When not performing in concerts or nightclubs he is one of the busier recording musicians in New York City. “Blackie,” as his friends affectionately call him, has been a guest on the “TONIGHT” show, on “WHAT'S MY LINE?” as well as with DAVID FROST and many others. He currently holds the alltime record for personal appearances at the famed CONCORD HOTEL in New York. Allan is also the author of the best-selling harmonica book entitled “EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THE BLUES HARP AND MARINE BAND (but didn’t know who to ask!)" and the follow-up: “EVERYTHING etc. etc. about the ROCK HARMONICA (but didn’t know who to ask Before I started to write this book, I read through all the material I could find that had been written about the chromatic harmonica. I did this in order to find those areas of instruction and maintenance that had not been covered in previous books. found that there were many books available, and they came in all sizes and colors. Some were written so long ago that they were simply old-fashioned and out-ofdate. Others were downright incorrect! Some were so complicated that they required a college degree in music just to interpret them, much less to learn anything from them, Inall fairness, some books were well-written and made an honest effort to teach, but in my opinion, did not go far enough. Much useful (and some necessary) information was left out. For instance, none of the books I researched answered the questions most often asked by harmonica players. Not one had a “HOW TO” chapter (with diagrams) that could or would explain how to repair and maintain a chromatic harmonica (amost important and essential piece of information for any harmonica player!) Each of the books seemed to have its own symbols for BLOW and DRAW‘ and the use of the slide or button. Some used circles around the numbers, others used the letters B and D, and still thers used the arrow system, and even then they didn’t agree!! (The method that is universally accepted today is an UP ¢ arrow for BLOW, a DOWN # arrow for DRAW and a HORIZONTAL + arrow which indicates that the slide is to be pushed in!) It quickly became apparent that a need existed for a book that would answer all of your questions, one that would tell it “like it is,” and show you how to fix your harmonica when it needed fixing. (I'm assuming, of course, that the instrument is not a “basket case!”) Most of all, this book should teach you to play, or if you already know how, should help you to play alot better. Hopefully, it will fil that need. Many thanks to the Hohner Harmonica Company for their cooperation and assistance in the preparation of this, book.Questions and Answers Q. What exactly is the CHROMATIC HARMONICA, and how does it differ from the MARINE BAND type? ‘A. It's a mouth organ that provides all of the half steps in the chromatic seale. These half steps, which can be compared to the black notes on a piano, are not normally available on the diatonic (MARINE BAND) type of harmonica. Then, too, the tuning is usually different. Q. Isit a beiter harmonica than the MARINE BAND??? A. It isa completely different harmonica. The CHROMATIC can pretty well doit all! In all fairness to the MARINE BAND, itis a marvelous lttle instrument, but is limited in what it can do. The CHROMATIC, on the other hand, has practically no limitations and is at home playing jazz, folk, rock, classical, or any other type of music one can think af, Q._Isit more difficult to learn to play the CHROMATIC? A. In some ways it may actually be easier. For instance, when learning to play the diatonic (MARINE BAND type) harmonica, should you need to play a half step (sharp or fla) you would have to learn to “bend” the note you need. This can be pretty tough for the beginner. With the CHROMATIC you just push the button, and there itis! I you really want to learn to play like a pro, there are more techniques to master on the CHROMATIC. Q. If that’s the case, wouldn't Ibe better off learning to play the MARINE BAND harmonica first, then going on to learn the CHROMATIC? ‘A._Ireally don't think so. Look atit this way.... i you wanted to learn to play the clarinet, would you start with the flute or the penny whistle?? Probably not! Learn to play the instrument you're going to stick with, There are several reasons for this. The diatonic harmonica is tuned somewhat differently than the CHROMATIC. Some of the techniques are different, so if you learn to play the MARINE BAND first, and then tackle the larger, more versatile CHROMATIC, you will have to unlearn some of what you already know. Once you become proficient, however, you can develop enough technique to play both instruments. (There are many “pros” and advanced amateurs who do just that. And well, too!!!) Q. How does the CHROMATIC harmonica shape up against some of the traditional wind instruments, like the flute, or clarinet? A. In some ways it might be considered superior!!! Neither the flute, clarinet, or oboe can play octaves, double stops, or chords. The CHROMATIC cant It is also capable of many unusual effects. None of the traditional ‘instruments even come close. However, to be fair about the comparisons, the harmonica does have some individual limitations. (All instruments do to some extent.) The piano, for instance, can't sustain a note, or bendit either. The flute can’t play chords the way the harmonica can, and the harmonica can'thandle large intervals or legato passages as wellas any of the above. But when you consider how small the mouth organ is in comparison to the others, you can readily appreciate what a remarkable instrument it really is! Q. Does the CHROMATIC have to be “broken in” before it can be played in a normal manner??? A. I don't really think so. In the past some books have suggested that you coddle the instrument when you fist start to play it. Ihave never found that to be necessary. I will, on occasion, adjust some of the reeds for the type of playing] expect to do (see the chapter on repairs and maintenance). | may even adjust the spring, but other than that, 1 generally put the instrument into service right from the start! What does happen after the CHROMATIC has been played for awhile is that saliva, which is almost always resent, manages to work its way into every passible crevice on the harmonica. This tends to swell the comb slightly. Then, too, saliva, when dry tends to form a gasket-like material. All of this makes for better compression, so the harmonica may actually sound louder, and perhaps be easier to play. Saliva is a mixed blessing, however, because when dry, it alsa tends to act ike a glue, and often causes the slide to “stick”. (A later chapter will show you how to deal with that!!!)Q. What about boiling the harmonica? Wouldn't that clean it? A. Never! Never! Never boil or soak your CHROMATIC harmonica in any way. Not only won’t that clean it, it will ruin the instrument forever! Unlike the MARINE BAND type mouth organ (which some players like to soak before they play), the CHROMATIC has valves, or pads which are made of plastic. They would be ruined. Then too, if the comb were made of plastic, and some CHROMATICS are, tha: would distort it beyond repair. So forget boiling!!! ) b { } } CS ‘ DON'T EVER BOIL YOUR HARMONICA... THATS THE. QUICKEST WAY TOKILL IT! Q. Then how do I keep it dean? ‘A. By using common sense. Don't play while you're eating. Try not to blow saliva into the reeds. Always tap the harmonica, holes down, into your palm after playing, which will generally clear the instrument of excess saliva or foreign particles, and last but certainly not least, wipe the harmonica clean after using (holes facing down) and return it to its box, case, or wrapping. Q. Supposing | follow all your instructions and the harmonica stil gets stuck??? A. That’san excellent question, and occasionally it does happen. Sometimes somethingas simpleasa speck of dust or foreign matter can cause problems, or it might bea stuck valve. In either case, the chapter on repair should help, you to clear it up with no harm to the instrument. Q. Dol have to know how to read music to use this book?? A, Not at all. This book uses the universally accepted number and arrow method, which is a simple, yet direct way of teaching the harmonica. If you can read music, so much the better! The more you know, the better off you are. This book will explain some of the fundamentals of reading music, but to be perfectly honest aboutt,learningto read is best accomplished with the aid of a qualified teacher. Q. So how come you use musical notation in addition to the numbers and arrows? A. That’s easy: suppose you're not sure how long to hold agiven note, or suppose you're not even sureit's the right, one. Thenall you have to do is ask anyone who reads music on any instrument and he of she can clear it up for you as easily as you are reading this! Then too, if someone wants to play along with you, it’s al there. Q. How long should it take me to learn to play the CHROMATIC?? ‘A. That depends. If you already know how to play the MARINE BAND, very little time. If you've never played before, obviously it wil take longer... much will depend on how often you practice, but if you stick with it, you will learntQ. Dol need a great deal of wind to play the CHROMATIC harmonica? A. Not atall. The mouth organ (or harmonica, ifyou prefer) is the only instrument that s played by both blowing and drawing, 50 you automatically breathe as you play. Of course, there are situations where you may encounter a whole series of DRAW notes, in which case you will have to let some of that air escape without interferingwith your playing. ‘Sometimes the opposite may occur with a string of all BLOW notes. This is a problem that always faces brass and woodwind players. Fortunately, this does not happen very often on the harmonica. YOU DONT NEED ALOT OE WIND. Q. What are the reeds made of? ‘A.A special formulation of brass designed specifically for harmonica reeds. Q. Why don't they make the reeds of steel, or some of the new plastics? Wouldn't they be better?? A. No they would not. Plastics just don’t seem to work well as reeds. Many plastics have been tried, but the tone they generate is lacking in quality, and the material lacks resiliency. As for steel, it's strong allright! Too strong! Much too hard to blow, and besides, steel rusts! Sowhy not stainless steel? Not nearly flexible enough. Then there are technical limitations as well; so for the present, brass seems to be our best bet. (When we consider the speed at which reeds vibrate, it's remarkable that they hold ups well as they do. For instance, the high C on the CHROMATIC vibrates at the incredible rate of 2093 times per second. That's amazing! Q. How long should a CHROMATIC harmonica last? A. It's impossible to answer that honestly. There are many variables. Same harmonicas last for years. Others sometimes fail prematurely. Much depends on how you play. If you tend to blow very hard, and do a lot of note bending, don't expect your harp to last as long as the harmonica of a player who plays softly and lightly. Q. Are harmonicas guaranteed? A. Yes, but not against usage. They are warranted to be free from manufacturing defects or other imperfections at the time of purchase. This also applies to tuning Ift's out of tune when you get it, the factory will generally repair ot replace it at no cost to the purchaser. (Don't try to fool them with a used harmonica, and say you just bought it. They're experts! They can tell a used harp in no time at all) Q. Do the harmonica companies repair used harmonicas?? ‘A. I know the HOHNER company does. | don’t know about any of the others. The usual procedure isto send the harmonica to the factory with a note explaining the problem. They will then advise what charges are involved, Sometimes, if only a slight adjustment is necessary, there may be no charge. Q. Do manufacturers sell spare parts? A. Notas ageneral rule, but recently HOHNER decided to make spare valves (windsavers) available to the general public for a small charge. So that’s a step in the right direction. Q. Can the CHROMATIC harmonica be tuned? A. It can, but for the average player its not very practical. Let me try to explain, We know the instrument is tunedat the factory, but the tuning of harmonica reeds is not the same as tuning a clarinet, or trumpet. It is, in fact, a rather laborious process requiring a great deal of expertise. Special tools are required and a set of jewelers files are amust. ‘Sometimes even magnification is necessary. Generally when an instrument is badly out of tune, I will always suggest the owner send it back to the factory for a complete replacement of the reed plates. However, if note drops slightly in pitch, atouch upis possible. This is explained fully in the chapter on repairs. It also describes exactly how reeds are tuned, should you want to try one yourself.Q. Is there more than one CHROMATIC harmonica? A. Youbet! The HOHNER catalog lists seven different kinds, starting with an 8 hole (32 reed) harmonica called the CHROMETTA 8, all the way to 2 different (16 hole) CHROMATIC instruments, each of which has 64-reeds. One of, theseis the relatively new CBH PROFESSIONAL CHROMATIC which is the first really different and new harmonica design in many years. Among these harmonicas is one called the KOCH CHROMATIC (a HOHNER product). It's tuned exactly like the MARINE BAND, except that it has the chromatic feature, so you really have a choice. Q. OK. Now that ] know many types are available, which is the best? A. There is no “best.” It’s what you like and are most comfortable with. The most popular of the CHROMATIC harmonicas is the 12 hole SUPER CHROMONICA #270. This is probably the most practical of all, and is the instrument most professional players use. It has 48 reeds, andits rangeis slightly greater than that of the flute. Itis also available in several different keys. (A, Bb, C, D, E, F, and G.) INE GOT 40 REEDS! AND GIERYBODY KNONS “Different strokes for different folks!” These are all good harmonicas. It all depends on what you are most comfortable with!mat 50 WHAT! IE GOT 64 NOTES Too! BUT (IM THe Newest DESIGN IN YEARS! Q. Why would I need different keys?? Can't you play in any key on one CHROMATIC? A. Of course you can, and generally, one key of “C” CHROMATIC harmonica will do it all! But to give you an example: suppose you wanted to play in the key of “E”, using full chords, double stops and flourishes. Itjust can’t be done ona “C” harmonica. (You can, of course, play in the key of “E” on the “C” harmonica, but you're limited almost exclusively to single notes.) But pick up an “E” CHROMATIC, and it all becomes relatively easy! Then too, some players like the lower, more mellow sound of a““G” or an “A” mouth organ. However, for all-around playing, reading music or performing, the key of “C” CHROMATIC is the harmonica of choice. Q. Can you quote some prices for the various CHROMATIC models? ‘A. Nowyou've got me! Because of worldwide economic uncertainties, any price] might quote would be sadly out of date by the time you read this, so I'll have to take a “rain check” on this one. Shop around! Many stores give very attractive discounts. Q. What about playing blues? Can the CHROMATIC handle that?? A. The CHROMATIC harmonica can handle any kind of music! Blues, Jazz, Classical, Country, Western, or Rock style of music. The notes are there! It’s up to the player fo learn how to use them. Q. One last question, and maybe it’s a foolish one. How do | know when to use the button???? ‘A. Not foolish at all. Inthe many yearsI've been a professional 've probably been asked this question more than any ‘other. The simplest, and most logical answer I can gives this: if you can't find the note you want with the button out, push it inill I's sure to be there! HOW'D HE GerLearning to Play the Chromatic Harmonica A few pertinent comments before we actually start to learn. Your harmonica, although relatively small, is a remarkable example of ingenuity. The notes are already in tune and arranged in such away that just blowinginto the instrument resultsin a perfectly fine chord. Itis practically impossible to create a discord. [It can bedone by pushing the button halfway in, but you'd really have to work at it.I you've ever tried to play a trumpet, clarinet, or violin you can appreciate what this means. No long period of time is required to learn toform the notes. They are already there, just waiting to be sounded. Play them in proper sequence, and you have music! Although extremely versatile, the chromatic harmonicais not an accompaniment instrument. Many chords, and combinations of chords are possible, but primarily your harmonica is a solo instrument. [Chord harmonicas are available, but the technique is completely different.) Since the 12 hole Super Chromonica is the most popular of al the chromatics, the lessons and examples in this book will be geared to that instrument. However, should you have any other chromatic, with the exception of the KOCH, it too can be used with no problem whatsoever. [The KOCH is tuned differently, and will not work with the examples in this book] Ifyou think of the chromatic as being fwo diatonic harmonicas tuned one-half step apart, you'll have a good idea how it works. Half steps are obtained by pressing a button on the end of the instrument. This combination of both diatonic scales makes possible every chromatic tone within the range of the individual harmonica. The following sketeh illustrates the layout of the #270 12 hole Super. Note that each group of four holes forms a complete chromatic octave, and each octave (with the exception of the very last hole] is identical. This makes playing a great deal easier because, unlike the Marine Band tuning in which each octave is laid out differently, anything you leam to play on the solo tuned chromatic, in any register, can be played in any other register in exactly the sameway! {1 told you earlier it’s an ingenious instrument!) Tuning layout of the 12 hale Super (Key of “C”) (mouthpiece removed) middle “C” Large letters are blow notes/Small letters are draw notes. Each bracket denotes a complete chromatic octave. Note D4 occurs out of sequence on draw hole #12, You may be wondering why there are no flat notes shownin the preceding diagram. That's because the notes that are shown are called “Enharmonic Equivalents” which simply that they can be spelled differently, yet sound the same! [C# sounds the same as Db, Fit sounds identical to GD, and so on.} Generally, when notes ascend, we use sharps (#). When descending, we use flats (b). ‘The following diagram illustrates the tuning or the various solo instruments, Incidentally, this chart does indicate ‘two ways in which the same note can be spelled. It also compares the various chromatic harmonicas for size and range. You should find it very useful.Notation charts for Hohner Chromatic Harmonicas Blow notes are shown in large letters/Draw notes are shown in small letters (Key of “C”) Solo Tuned Chromatic Harmonicas slide in FRESE 23TatsTel7[eloloRl Loi 2] 3[74[5[6]7]| 8| 9[10) 1] 12 rieitsf[alif2ts[a{siel7] ej sol ni Citl> “Kul il “1 a _i@12 This book is not designed to teach you to read music like an expert. To accomplish that, a teacher is indispensable. However, we can certainly provide you with the basics, and with that in mind we've included some of, the fundamental elements of music notation. These examples should make the lessons that follow easier to understand. Comparing Note Values This is a whole note @ . It receives four counts. This is a half note f . It receives two counts. This is a quarter note J + It receives one count. This is an eighth note f It receives 1/2 count. Or to put it another way. . A Whole note gets 4 beats. It is equal in value to 2Half notes or 4 Quarter notes as well as 8 Eighth notes and even 16 Sixteenth notes. 1 2 3 4 ed ee SS ‘2 Half notes 4 Quarter notes Asingle ith ng looks like this. . . B Eighth notes = +, and a single Sixteenth like tl 16 Sixteenth notes xe | |13 Rests Rests are nothing more than rhythmic silence. They correspond in time value to the various notes. ‘A Whole rest normally gets 4 beats and sits below the line. (However, it is often used to indicate one bar rest regardless of the Time Signature.) A Half rest always gets 2 beats. (It's placed above the line). A Quarter rest receives one beat. An Eighth rest receives i beat. Whole rest Half rest Quarter rest Eighth rest The Staff Originally, the music staff had eleven lines, which made reading music very confusing. Later it was divided into ‘two groups [or staffs] of five lines each. The upper staff is called the Treble Clef and is indicated by this symbol: Ut is also referred to as the G Clef.) fp ‘The lower staff is known as the Bass Clef and is identified by this sign: {It is sometimes called the F Clef.) — ‘Since each staff has five lines, it stands to reason that it also has four spaces. The Treble Clef is arranged as follows: Lines Note that the lines and spaces are counted from the bottom up. Each line has letter name. Should you forget the letters, just think of the sentence: “Every Good Boy Does Fine,” and you'll be reminded of the correct order. j ve SS ‘Spaces are even easier to remember. Just visualize the word “FACE” [formed by the letters] and you're in business! Incidentally, in this book, we will be concerned primarily with the Treble Clef. Whenever we want to indicate a note that exceeds the limitation of the staff, we add ledger lines. These can be added above or below the staff.1“ Sometimes too many ledger lines are called for, which can be very confusing. In that case, we simplify matters by using the symbol 8VA, which means thal one should play the notes an octave higher than written, [Ifthe sign were to bbe placed below the note(s) and written 8VA basso it would mean play that segment an octave lower. ] but is much. is played the easier to same as Fecognize. Bar lines divide music into equal parts. These are called measures, ot in popular usage, referred to as “bars.” {Four bar intro, 32 bar chorus, etc.} Then thereis the TIME SIGNATURE, which is generally indicated by the use of a fraction. [It always follows the Clef sign. The only exceptions are Common Time, whichis the same as $ andis designated by the symbol C, and Cut Time, for Alla Breve] which generally receives two counts per measure, although it has four quarter notes. It looks like this. ‘The top number of the Time Signature indicates the number of counts, or beats in a bar, while the bottom number shows what kind of note gets one beat. For instance, the fraction $ would mean 3 beats to the measure, while ‘each quarter note would get one beat. If the Time Signature read $ it would mean four beats to the measure. Although modern Time Signatures are sometimes very involved, the type you'll encounter most often look like this: g is often used in In practice, C is marches. It Generally Sell-Explanatory identical to $ calls for 2 beats per bar 102 3 4 123 4 : BR 1 23 1 and 2 and —— + + 3 is used in waltzes, Cut Time: generally as well as other ‘counted in “2” i types of music (one and two and) and generally fast music15 You will also occasionally see some odd groupings of notes like Triplets, Sextuplets, etc. While these are probably best explained by a teacher, we've included some examples. CEP is called an eighth note triplet. It gets one beat. Note that it has a beam. 3 CF _ Iscalled a quarter note triplet. (It has no beam.) It must Le played in the same time as two quarter nates. aay eeeer Is called a sextuplet. [It has two beams.] It would get one beat. —— ttl Thenthereare also groups ofseven ELEEEP nine FEEEEEEES andevenmore. (Theseare generally played by violins.) 7 ° Key Signatures ‘Sharps and flats are often referred tos accidentals. The accidental (or group of accidentals) at the beginning of the staff, is called the Key Signature. } is called a Sharp. It raises the pitch of a note 1/2 step. (For example, "C” to “CH."] b iscalled a Flat. it lowers a note 1/2 step. is called a Natural. It cancels the sharp or flat that occurred earlier in a given measure. It can also be used to cancel or change a key signature. Inwriting musicinany key but “C”, there are notes which must >e altered by accidentals in order to produce the desired scale. Instead of writing the accidentals before these notes every time they are needed, we place them at the beginning of the staff. The number of sharps or fiats indicates the key. SHARPS ARE ADDED IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER Fe ce Gt De Ae EH BE oe = a + SIGNATURES OF SHARP KEYS Names of Keys G D A E B Fe ck Number of Sharps Fb SIGNATURES OF FLAT KEYS Names of Keys F Bb Eb Ab Db @b ch Number of FlatsMusical Signs You Should Know About The Tie ‘The Tie is simply a curved line ~~~ joining two notes of the same pitch. The first note only is sounded and sustained for the combined value of both notes. oo, Slurs ASlurisalsoacurvedline~ ~~ , but unlike the Tie it indicates a phrase whichis tobe playedlegato. [Very smoothly.] Wind instruments generally play slurred phrases in one breath. A Slur can be placed above or below the notes. Accents Themark > canbe placed above or below the note head. It indicates that the notes to be played witha strong attack, ‘When written in this fashion A it usually denotes an attack at a louder volume level but somewhat shorter. ry fy Dots A dot above or below a note [or notes) indicates that note is to be played staccato [very short.] A dot placed after anote or a rest,, adds to that note [or rest] 1/2 of its value. For instance, a half note d that normally would receive two beats would get three beats when written with an added dot ded dL DID DBE > Trills Trills are fully covered in the section on special effects. Glissandos Also fully explained in the section on special effects.Double Lines and Repeat Signs Adouble line usually indicates the end of a section’ the end of an introduction etc. jin a given piece of music. For example, the endof averse, When used at the end of a composition, the second line is always heavier. SS) —— | Then we have the “Repeat Sign”, which looks like this: It simply means go back to where this sign last appeared and play the section again. ‘They indicate that you should play the section up to and including the 1st ending, then go back to the beginning (or t the repeat sign) and play the section again, only this time skip the Ist ending and play the 2nd instead. Another repeat sign you may encounter is this. It indicates that you are to repeat the preceding measure. There are literally hundreds of other musical terms and symbols, and while space does not allow us to list them all, we have included those we think you'll encounter most frequently. ADAGIO—A slow tempo. AD LIBITUM—[{Ad Lib] use your own interpretation without regard to time. ALLEGRO—Moderately quick. ANDANTE—Moderately slow. CODA @ —A final section which brings a composition toa definite finish, CRESCENDO [Cresc.] «<<< a gradual increase in power and loudness. DECRESCENDO [Decresc.] <== a gradual decrease in power and loudness. DA CAPO—{D.C.] From the beginning. DAL SEGNO—{D.S.]Repeat from the sign. % Often used with a Coda. For example: D.S. al Coda, which means réturn tothe sign §, play until the CODA sign ® , then jump directly to the CODA. FORTE—Loudlly. [f] FERMATA 4 —Variously called a pause, ahold, even a “birds eye.” When placed over a note, that note is sustained at the performers discretion. FINE—The end. FORTISSIMO—Very loud [ff ] MEZZO FORTE—Moderately loud. [mf] LENTO—Slow. | (THE) LUFTPAUSEN // — —means to stop or | pause — Pop musicians call this sign “Railroad Tracks!” | PIANISSIMO—Very softly. [pp ] PIANO— Softly. [p ] POCO A POCO-—Little by little. PRESTO—Very fast. RALLENTANDO—Hold back. (Rall.] RITARDANDO-—Ritard. [Rit.] (Slow down) VIVACE—In a lively fashion.18 Itisnot necessary to read music to play the melodies in this book. In addition to the musical notation, a simplified number and arrow system is provided. The number (or numbers) indicate the exact note [or notes) to be played, while the direction of the arrow will tell you whether to blow or draw. If the arrow points up } it means BLOW that note. Should it point down + it means DRAW or inhale. If a horizontal arrow is added, =- it means PUSH THE BUTTON IN. (Blow 5 & (Draw 5 & (Blow 5) (Draw 5) Push slide in.) Push slide in.) = ¢ ‘Whenever several numbers appear together in the music, it indicates that all of the notes are to be played simultaneously to produce a chord. The top note which is the highest number will always be the melody note and should predominate. Holding The Chromatic The first thing to learn about your chromatic is the correct way to hold it. The low notes should always be on your feft, which means that the button will be on your right. This basic position will never vary. Exactly how you hold the harmonica depends on what is most natural and comfortable for you within the confines of the two basic positions shown, Theaccompanying illustrations show the choices. As you progress, you wil find yourself using both positions. (finger on the button.) Thisis the position you'll be using most often. When played this way, the harmonica is held in the left hand, while the right hand takes care of the vibrata, *tremolo, cupping effects, and most important, the button, or slide. Note that the index finger is in constant contact with the button. If you're using the larger 16 hole chromatic, just adjust your position slightly so that the index finger can touch the slide. When held in this manner, the slideis activated by finger movement only. The word “TREMOLO” has cursw- lu have sonora caning ctpacialh ioe hazmonicists Soe later lax(2nd joint of index on button.) This positions also used. When held this way, the button is activated by the arm pivoting from the elbow, Note that the index finger contacts the button at the second joint rather than the tip. Ihave found this position ideal when. button work is called for, when very fast trills are required, and when [ want a very open kind of sound. Holding your harmonica in the first position shown, let it rest easily and naturally in your hands. Now blow and draw on it lightly. [Don't worry about the button at this stage.] You will hear several pleasant sounding chords. You tight even keep this up for a few moments just to get the feel of the instrument. However, soundinga full chord (more than two notes at the same time) is not your goal at the moment. Your most important first stepis learning to play just ‘one note ata time. This often gives beginners a bit of trouble, but once this step is mastered, everything else falls into place much more easily. ‘There are two ways that you can play a single note. The easiest is the pursed lips method, in which the lips just cover a single note. We refer to this as “lipping.” If you think of drinking a soda through a straw, your lips will automatically be in the proper position. Lippingis very useful when triple tonguing, bendingnotes, and for many other special effects. Lipping Lips are pursed only over the note to be sounded. The tongue does not touch the harmonica. Regardless of the number of holes in the particular chromatic you are using, for this moment we will not be concerned with any notes below hole 5. Also, in order to avoid confusion in notation [the note names C, D,E, etc. itis suggested that you usea chromatic harmonica tunedin the key of “C”, although the following procedures willwork in any key. 1920 Tongue Blocking Inner circle (shaded) indicates the tongue, which blocks holes 2, 3 and 4 {leaving 5 open] Outer line indicates area covered by the mouth. Some players only block 2 holes with the tongue, but as long as only ane hole sounds, this is not critical. The second method, which is used much more often, especially by professionals, is called tongue blocking, because the mouth covers four holes, the tongue blocks three, and the remaining hole is the one that is sounded. Admittedly, tongue blocking is more difficult to learn than lipping, but literally thousands of others have learned, so why not you??? Besides, if you really want to play well, tongue blocking is a must. PLAYING THE SCALE: Lipping Method ‘We will start by using the lipping method. With your lips pursed [as though you were going to whistle] try blowing into hole 5. There should be nothing strained or forced about this. Just blowlightly and naturally, almost like breathing. You should then hear a single note. Myou are correct, that willbe the first note of the scale which is“C” or DO [Asin DO, RE, Ml, etc.]. Tomake certain that you've done this properly, check yourself by covering holes 2, 3, and 4 with the index finger of your left hand, and holes 6 on up with the index finger of your right. Obviously this leaves only hole 5 open. Blow into it lightly, and you'll hear C, which is the note we're after. You can use this device to check yourself as you proceed, being sure to leave ‘open only that particular note you're trying to sound. Itis very important that you learn to play a single note at a time before continuing, Since we have already played C or BLOW 5, the next note must be D (RE) or DRAW 5. Now move the harmonica slightly to the left, just far enough so that you can BLOW in hole 6, which results in E (Ml). DRAWING on the 6th hole then gives you F (or FA). The rest of the scale is merely a continuation. BLOW 7s G (SOL) and DRAW 7 makes the A or (LA). On hole 8 however, we have a very important difference. Here you DRAW first to obtain theB (or Tl) then BLOW to complete the scale. This combination of BLOW DRAW, BLOW DRAW, BLOW DRAW, DRAW BL OW, will result ina DIATONIC scale in C, regardless of the octave you are in. [It can start on hole 1, on hole 5, or on hole 9.] More about this later. A complete diagram of the scale appears below. Note that it is shown both ascending and descending. [Everything that goes up does come down.] All numbers, names, and musical notation are included. If you try to associate the notes shown with the corresponding numbers, you may find yourself paying more attention to the notes themselves. A good idea! To repeat our earlier instructions, ALL BLOW NOTES WILL BE INDICATED BY AN ARROW POINT UP + . DRAW NOTES BY AN ARROW POINTING DOWN 4 . IF A HORIZONTAL ARROW IS ADDED = IT MEANS YOU ARE TO DEPRESS THE SLIDE. [This is the universally accepted method of notation developed by the M. HOHNER Company.]a Diatonic Scale Key of C Ascending Descending Practice this scale both ascending and descending as many times as necessary to get the “feel” of it. This leads us toa complaint often voiced by harmonica students: no matter how good an instruction book may be, in many instances, the printed word is inadequate to describe particular sound or effect. [I's sort of lke trying to explain the color red to a person blind from birth. Practically impossible!] Unfortunately we can’t help the blind person, but we do believe we have a solution to the sound problem in the recording we've inclucled with this book. Now, not only can you learnin the usual manner, but you can listen to the examples as they are performed for you. This is about as close toa real live teacher as one can get. Start now by listening to track 1 If you've listened to the recording, you should have a much better idea of exactly what you're trying to accomplish Should you decide you'd like a little more “tipping” practice before tackling the more difficult tongue blocking, skip the next paragraphs [temporarily] and go directly to the first piece of music, “FRERE JACQUES.” T not, start again with hole 5. This time your mouth covers four holes, your tongue blocks three holes, and only hole 5 is left open to play. dust to be sure, check the diagram below. Outer circle indicates mouth. Inner shaded area indicates tongue. BaGiiid Crane a Only hole 5 remains open. Again, just blow naturally, and doit as many times as necessary to make the note play easily. We want to hear just one note. This may be a little frustrating at first, but don't be discouraged. Think positive! Now go back to playing the scale, only this time use tongue blocking. Practice this until you can play it with assurance and authority. Learn to play it backwards as well, until it all comes naturally, and it willl2 AL this point you may be wondering why we started the scale on BLOW 5 rather than BLOW 1. The reason is auite simple. In order to tongue block, the tongue must cover ‘hree holes to the left of the note you're playing. If you were to start on hole 1, there wouldn't be any place for your tongue to go. There are no holes to the left of hole 1.** Therefore in order (o learn the correct placement of the tongue, one has to start on hole 5. So what happens when you want to play downward from hole 57? That’sa good question, and one which most books avoid. The best solution Thave found is to use tongue blocking as you play down the scale until you reach hole 1, which is then played in the lipping position. This works very well, Conversely, when ascending from hole I, just reverse the procedure. Start with the lipping position on 1, then immediately switch to tongue blocking on 2. Descending The Scale To Hole 1 @ Hole 4 Outer outline indicates mouth Shaded area indicates tongue 6 7 8 @ Hole 3 Tongue blocking @ Hole 2 @ Hole 1 12 S67 On hole 1 switch to lipping. On hole 1 tongue does not touch the harmonica To ascend the scale, simply reverse the above and start with hole I Descending Ascending r ~ ar 1 ec B A GF E DCC DF F GAB C Do Ti La Sol Fa Mi Re Do Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti DoBy this time you have probably noticed that BLOW 4 and 5 are identical notes. This is also true for BLOW 8 and 9, an octave higher. If you refer back to the first sketch in “LEARNING TO PLAY,” you will see why this is so. Holes 1 to.4 constitute the first octave which starts on Middle “C.” Holes 5 to 8 comprise the second octave, and 9 to 12 the third. The chromatic harmonica was designed in this way so that whatever one might learn in any one octave can readily be played in any other octave in exactly the same way! Very clever. Now that you know the how and why of it, let's try to play the complete 3 octave diatonic scale. Three Octave Diatonic Scale 3rd octave 2nd octave [7 Ist octave rmiddle*C eappeet te fj ¢ Tiezg2 3344 5566 778 8 9 9M UNE rey tate tv Pes Pf oP alt try Ff sound the sound the ‘same same Note that the tone “C” which is written: = can be played using either BLOW 4 or BLOW 5 dependingon the octave in which you happen to be playing. A similar situation exists for the note “C” an octave higher whic! This particular note can be played by BLOWING hole 8 or 9. It should also be noted that when you DRAW on holes 4 and 5, or 8 and9, thenotes are NOT the same. [DRAW 4, (or 8) gives you the “B” and DRAW §, (or 9) results in a “D."} Practice this scale. I's the foundation for all that will follow. Incidentally, if you're becoming impatient, and want to get to the chromatic scales, remember that first we walk, then we run. You've gotten this far, the worst is over. By this time you should be reasonably familiar with the scale, so why not proceed to the next step: actually playa tune. For a first attempt, try a very simple melody that everybody knows — the folk song “Frére Jacques.” You will notice that in addition to the actual music and numbers, guitar (or piano) accompaniment is included, Thisis also true for the other tunes in this book, just in case you have a friend who plays guitar or piano and wants to help out. This simple tune should be played slowly at first until you get the feel of it, then try playing ita little bit faster at about the speed you would sing it. {*tyounspen ote pyinga"64” Chromaiintendel "Super the ongveboclingexplnatin woulda telesmatked "23 and hice the mes cae on fat maument: Ober oe [which fds) we enicl eandse aeaT on the SetsFrére Jacques Moderately ‘Traditional c Gc e G7 oc ce a7 oc c Gai oc = =e P= pep =f 5 5 8 5 5 5 6 5 6 6 2 6 6 7 t+ tf o fF FoF FF riturd, c qe Cc. Gc ec a7 oc c a ¢ ———— ——— a 17766 8 T7766 5 6 9 5 8 3B 6 PePpyt Ft tere t tf FF F FoF F Remember totry to produce a single tone atall times, although “Frére Jacques” will sound good evenif you don't quite succeed. If you're having problems, this should encourage you, but don'tiet it goto your head. Practice this until you can doitin single notes. Incidentally, thesymbol “which occasionally appears means that you are to hold that nate alittle longer than the note value would indicate. The word RITARD directs you to hold back, or playa litle more slowly at that point. Another simple melody that you might try (after you've mastered Frére Jacques) is “Alouette”, another universally known “sing-along.” Again, not too fast at first, then gradually play it at normal tempo.Alouette Moderately c G7 c c G7 c G7 c (Solo) Gr a 55 56 777 + Allof the illustrated melodies are included in the recording that comes with this book, so if you are at all in doubt about how anything should sound, just listen to the appropriate track. In the pages that follow, you'll find several songs written out for you. These will gradually improve your technique. Atfirst the tunes will be diatonic in nature, that is no sharps or flats. Then as you become more proficient, we'llgo into the use of accidentals. Some of these melodies will include lyrics, and all include actual musical notation. Should yau still be in doubt about the rhythm or feeling of any of the songs, you can ask anyone who reads music en any instrument, and it’s all there. The following perennial favorite is always in good taste and is easy to play. Try to memorize it.Battle Hymn Of The Republic March tempo ¢ Mine eyes have seen be y of the . F SSS = ae = 3 38 44 44 3 ¥ vo + F + Ff v com - ing of the Lord; He — is. tramp - ling out the vin - tagewhere the grapes of wrath are stored; He hath loosed the fate - ful light - ning of His EvB Am am/G Dm/F DmD C/G G7 c 6 5G 5 5 4 + F + tf , UY F 7 F ter = ri ble swift sword, His truth = igs march = ing on. Chorus Glo + ty! Glo = ry! Hal - le- tu = jah! Glo = ry!Glo- ry! Hal - le - Iu jah! EB AmAm/G Dm/FDm/DC/G G7 c See SSS — z 3 2 2 3 5 5 6 5 55 8 58 t vy tf FF ¥ F F roy FY t Glo = ry! Glo - ry! Hal - le- lu = jah! His truth is march - ing on. ‘The note “Cin he second measure is payed frst a6 a BLOW 5, then as 2 BLOW 4 when becomes pact ofthe lower octave] Both are corre.This next arrangement, “When the Saints Go Marching In”, 's an exercise in “tonguing”. Remember to use the tongue blocking method. Play the single note first, then simply lift your tongue to include the accompaniment chord. ‘Naturally, when you put your tongue back on the harmonica, the chord will cut off, but the single note should sustain. I've indicated a simple but effective rhythmic accompaniment. Practice this. It's really a very nice effect. Incidentally, in this tune you may notice that some of the afterbeats (or “compahs”) show only rwonotes, yet you are directed to play three numbers. This is readily explained if you remember that “C” is a double note or unison. (BLOW 4 and BLOW 5). Therefore in order to avoid confusion in notation, since other instruments do not have the double “C” it is shown asa single note. Thisis only true for BLOW notes. It does not occur irany of the DRAW tones. When The Saints Go Marching In Moderately Oh when the saints go march-ing in, — Oh when the saints © march - ing in, — 1 wan to be in that mum - berAnd now, as promised, we're going to explore sharps and flats. As a first step, study the following diagram. It shows very clearly exactly what happens when the slideis depressed. The top music scale (with the button in the out position) is the diatonic scale of “C” which you have already learned. Incidentally, the heavier arrows that occur on holes 4, 8 and 12 are there simply to remind you that the BLOW DRAW, BLOW DRAW pattern changes’ at those notes only to DRAW BLOW. Now look at the scale immediately below the harmonica which has its slide depressed. That is the scale of “Ca” (C sharp. )Itis played exactly like the “C” scale except that the slideis kept depressed. The only difference in the key of Cttis that the note D natural occurs out of sequence in hole 12. (In order to play the scale in sequence, you simply substitute BLOW 12 with the button out for DRAW 12with the slide in.) Play the C#scale several times starting with hole 1, untilit feels comfortable. Note And Arrow Layout For 12 Hole “Super” Chromonica Ist Octave 2nd Octave 3rd Octave G w 1 1 middle “C” Note that the slide is out — Here slide is depressed _—- Note D occurs out of sequence in draw hole #12. Although spelled differently, these enharmonic equivalents sound exactly the same!As the preceding diagram indicates, the Chromatic harmonica in “C” is actually 2 diatonic harmonicas tuned 1/2 step apart. [Key of “C” and key of “C#.”| This combination of both diatonic scales makes it possible to play every chromatic note, resulting in the following chromatic scale. The Chromatic Scale Ascending Ist Octave 2nd Octave c cho DHE FT} GGhA ARB C GHD DEF FRGG A A BC — = oie « £ Ee 22% 3% 3%45% 5% 6 6% 7% 7% 8 8 i 2 re a Note that at the end of the first octave we use BLOW S for the “C”, rather than BLOW 4. (Since we're continuing up the scale, it becomes more logical to make that “C” part of the 2nd octave}. To play the 3rd octave, continue in exactly the same manner. Descending c B Bb A Ab G G@ F E Eb D Db Cc All higher octaves are basically identical. 4 % 3% + + t Ss When descending, flats are generally used rather than sharps. This is just another way of musical spelling, Once you've mastered the Chromatic Scale it becomes possible to play in any key. A good way to practice this scale is by ascending as well as descending. (Start slowly. Speed will come with practice.) Cc chD DEF Fi G GA aAtB CB Bb A AbG GFE bbD DC + | [eg rirteet s§sG%ae48 338225141 re 2Inthe preceding exercise, we used BLOW 4 for the note “C”. This was the logical choice since we were starting ‘back down the scale and that“C” then became part of the first octave. (A possible alternate could have been the BE (DRAW 4#) which sounds exactly the same as the “C” andis equally easy to play.] Which note to chose then becomes: ‘a matter of personal taste. As you progress, you will find that these choices become virtually automatic. Itis interesting to know that once the chromatic scale has been conquered, it can be played in any key simply by starting on the tonic note of the key you want and ending on the same note an octave or two higher. The “fingering” does not change!!! For instance: you'd like to play the chromatic scale in the key of “D”. c ch b ph E F Fi G Gf A af B Cc CE D pi E F FE G Gf etc. - < + « “+ 1 3 34 5 5 59 “5 6 6 67% PF t t won} ana } here here Or say you want to play a Chromatic Scale in the key of “A” c ch D pte F F#G GHA Af BC CHD DEE F FHG GHA Af B ete, just and start end here: here’ Inthe keys of C, Chand, itis actually possible to play a full three octave chromatic scale, but in any key hig than “D” one-can only play two octaves and just part of the third. Why is this so?? Simple: since Dis the highest note on the harmonica, you would simply run out of notes. The simple little folk song which follows calls for only one accidental, soit should be easy to play. Itis in the key of “A” minor, which is relative to the key of “C.” Try to play this with feeling. It has interesting harmonies, and if you can have someone accompany you, so much the better. Should you be in doubt about how any of this should sound, listen to track 3 of the recording.3 Folk Harmonica Slowly by ALAN BLACKIE SCHACKNER Am D F aE a —————— a oll ¥ tt 3 4 5 6 5 3 5 4 3 4 4 + + Ff F v v t ++ vif Am Am/G D/Fe F Em7Also included in the following pages are some great all-time favorites. They are excellent choices for the chromatic harmonica. Alllof these melodies are easily playable, but a certain amount of practice will be required. However, if you've done your homework so far, youshould have no difficulty. The compositions that follow will be found on track 3 of the recording. Melody In F ANTON RUBINSTEIN Moderately with expression Fo Gm? F cr ritard. D.C.al Fine33, Humoresque Moderately A.DVORAK G Cc - = Se ae ep ar ep et - _— +- 33s 3a 568 ot OT TS tT | F + F v¥ oF + F + FF +f optional 6 An? Dt « 5s 665543) 8 33 c ToCota@® 6 Em? Am? DT G D.C. al Coda ritard. Dr D7, BT Gmé arg DTStars And Stripes Forever March tempo G es 3 33 toF ales + + +00 >} 4 4The following pieces are slightly more difficult, but lend themselves admirably to the harmonica. All are self explanatory...you can hear them on track 4. Mexican Hat Dance Moderately 7776655678 38Russian Sailors Dance Start slowly, gradually increase speed to a comfortable tempo. Am Dme/B ET Am D Dm Am37 Dm6é Am Dmé F7/E> bass Am AT Am Er 1 Am Tr yee ET Am Am DmModerately JACQUES OFFENBACH F cz F 7Now that you've come this far, you should be ready to tackle the chapter on SPECIAL EFFECTS. This is the part of the book where we discuss, explain, and hopefully teach you to perform some of the newest and most innovative techniques yet developed for the harmonica, ‘As we've done with the preceding segment, all examples will be demonstrated on the recording.Special Effects THE GLISSANDO Ofallthe effects that are possible on the harmonica, I don’t know of any that are easier to play than the glissando or “gliss”, as musicians calli. It is produced by starting on a low note, and rapidly sliding up to a high note. It indicated by awavy line: w——~ [It canalsostart ona high note andendlow: “nu... |Ifitends onaBLOW note, it will usually be a BLOW glissando. Should it end on a DRAW note, make it a DRAW “gliss.” If the button happens to be depressed, the same rules still apply. However, when glissing from a sharped note to a natural, you might try releasing the button halfway up [or down] for a very interesting effect. Or experiment! Don't be afraid to make your own rules. If you can find a way to make some of these effects sound better, wonderful!!! That's the way these techniques are developed and improved. Used sparingly, and with taste, the glissando will add great flavor to vyour music. THE TREMOLO Another very useful, and equally easy to play musical device is the tremolo. Itshould be noted, however, that the word itself has a somewhat different meaning when applied to certain other instruments. For instance, if we refer to the violin, the word tremolo means a rapid up and down mation of the bow on a given note. Toaclarinetist, the same word calls for the rapid alternation of two notes at an interval greater than that of atrill. But to the harmonica player, the word tremolo has come to mean the rapid fluctuation in the intensity or volume of a given note [or notes. Itshould not be confused with the term “vibrato” in which the pitch is involved. There are three ways that I know of to produce a tremolo. The easiest is to play the harmonica as you normally would, while at the same time cupping and uncupping your right hand. (If you happen to be a “lefty” use your left.) Played this way, the hand should pivot from the wrist. That's really all there isto it! This can be done either lipping, or tongue blocking and is especially useful and appropriate for folk, country, or just plain pretty music. The second method is what I call the “show-off” tremolo. Everything described in the first example applies, except that the arm pivots at the elbow, the swings are very wide, and the sounds produced are slightly different. Although this is not one of my favorites, it is showy and does appeal to some. The third type of tremolo is not very often used. It requires more practice, and can only be playedin the lipping position. It sounds alittle ike a mandolin because it features the repetition of a given note. This is accomplished by moving the tongue from side to side while maintaining an even air stream. Where the chromatic harmonica is concerned, | have found it to be of limited use. THE VIBRATO Happily, this means the same thing for all the instruments. The vibrato is obtained by rapidly alternating the original tone with a slightly perceptible variation in pitch! This is exactly what a violinist does when he vibrates [or pulsates] his fingertip on a string. Another way to put itis to think of a normal tone as a straight line looking like this: ‘A vibrato would then look like this; ~~~ The vibrato can be produced either by lipping or tongue blocking. When performed in the lipping position, the sound resembles that of the oboe. Regardless of the method used, the sound originates in the throat. The silent syllable “yuh” is repeated very rapidly like this: “yuh yuh yuh yuh yuh yuh yuh.” Actually, what you're doingis bending the tone very slightly in a pulsating fashion. Don't think of it as a wah-wah or it will slow down the pulse. This will require some practice. Itis equally effective in both the BLOW and DRAW modes, and when tongue blockingis used, it can be played on all but the very highest notes. In the lipping position, the best effect is achieved in the first 1170 octaves. SINGLE, DOUBLE, AND TRIPLE TONGUING NOTE: For all the following special tonguing effects, the lipping method must be used. Single Tonguing Used for sudden sharp attacks and staccato cutofis. Also effective when simulating brass figures using chords. In the BLOW mode, articulate the sound “tut.” If DRAWING say [silently, of course ] “hut.”Double Tonguing Used for repeated double note patterns that might look like this musically: JJJJJVJ9 inthe BLOW mode, you canuse the sound of either “hutta” or “tukkka” whichever feels more natural ta you. In the DRAW mode “hutta” is easier. Personally I prefer to articulate “hutta” for both BLOW and DRAW. [You might try to originate your own method using another sound, A longasit works, fine! ] Sometimes when doubled, very fast single tonguing can be used for this as well. Listen to it on the recording. Triple Tonguing Excellent for playing 3 note groups either singly or repeatedly: JddJeddddJdad —Thiscanbe done with chords, as well as with single notes. The sylables to be articulated here are “tuh-de-kuh”, and the same sounds are used for both BLOW and DRAW. (Again, if you can find a better set of syllables, by all means go to it!] The combination of syllables I've suggested may be abit cifcultat first in the DRAW mode, but a bit of practice should cure that. Triple tonguing can be practiced silently without the harmonica. Just say itn groups of three like this: “tuh-de-kuh tubde-euh tuh-de-kuh tut,” (The last syllable is a single tongue.) Of course, if yourre going fo try this without a harmonica, don't let anyone hear you, or they'll think you're ready for the “funny farm!” In the following pages you will find several examples of single, double and triple tonguing. Before attempting to play any of these, I strongly suggest that you listen to the various examples on the recording, It will make everything easier. You will find it on track 5. Unless otherwise indicated, use direction, ping forall of the following examples. Of course, this can be played in either Single Tonguing Single Tonguing (using chords) Note the slurs in the last measure. Try to play that bar more smoothly, without tonguing. Double Tonguing Last note is a single tongue. Triple Tonguing (using BLOW notes only) a 444atis 6 This example can be played in chords as well, using the same articulation as you would for single notes. Triple Tonguing (using DRAW notes only) Notice that this fanfare is identical to the previous one except that this time itis played in the key of D maior. Interestingly, all of the notes (in this case) happen to be DRAW notes. In this key, this particular example c ‘cannot be played in chords. : + ECG 5 a 7 ¥a Bending Notes BENDING NOTES Anoteis bent by changing the position of the mouth (embouchure) in such away that you lower the natural pitch of anote. Lower it slightly and you can producea “wah wah” effect. Pulsateit that way and youhave a vibrato. Lower itmore, and you'llactually change the pitch of that note! (On the Marine Band type of harp, some notes canactually be bent 3 half steps down.] Because chromatic harmonicas have valves, the notes generally resist bending much more thana 1/2 step. Unlike the diatonic harp however, every single note up to DRAW 9 sharp (E flat) can be bent easily. Higher than that, it becomes difficult. Notes can only be lowered from their natural pitch. They cannot be raised. You can make a note seem to bend up, however, by starting in the bent position, and letting it come up to its natural pitch. Somuch for explanations. Now how do you do it? Easy! A good note to start on is DRAW 4. At first do this:in the lipping position. [As you learn you'll find you can bend notes in the tongue-blocking mode as well. As you DRAW, silently form the syllables “wah-oo-wah”. This produces the simple wahwah effect and is the basis for all bending. Now let's break it down! Asyou say “wah”, your hands should be in an open position. When you say “oo” you cup your hands, then open them again for the last “wah.” Think of it this way: wah 00 wah open cupped open ‘The opening and cupping of the hands accentuates the bending, which is actually performed by changing the embouchure. When you form the “oo” sound, your lips should jut forward a little. At the same time, your cheeks should tighten up, so that the air chamber in your mouth is reduced, and the opening between your lips should become much smaller. [Something like sucking on a straw when something suddenly clogs it.) If Iwere to draw an exaggerated diagram of the lip opening, it might look like this: CO O CO wah 00 wah Itis not necessary to force the breath, or to draw very hard since this can be accomplished softly, as well as with more volume, BLOW notes are bent using exactly the same syllables. This holds true for tongue blocking as well. Incidentally, double stops, chords, and even “shakes” can be bent this way, so don't be aft sorts of variations are possible. This is a most useful technique. Practice it! toexperiment. All Refer back to the chromatic scale in the chapter on learning to play, and try to bend each note starting from hole 1 ‘See how far up you can get. Whatever you do, DON’T EVER SOAK A CHROMATIC HARMONICA IN WATERI!It won'thelp youto bend notes, and you'llend up with a useless piece of junk! (Soaking can work for a wooden bodied Marine Band type harp, but your chromatic is a whole different bag.) THE GROWL An old fashioned effect that is probably better suited to the Blues Harp. It is played in the lipping position. Just play normally, and at the same time roll the letter R as a classical singer might. If you do this right, your tongue will actually vibrate! This effect works best in the BLOW mode. If you want to growl in the DRAW position, you literally have to snore!! Very awkward, of limited value, and I wouldn’t waste too much time on it.THE TRILL A trill is the rapid alternation of a given note and the note above. The interval can be a whole or half step depending on the scale. Itisindicated by the sign tr which appears above the note. Ifthe noteis of longer duration, the sign is followed'by a wavy line tr wee . Should the trill call for a flatted or sharped note, it will look like this: trh wh etree or like this: ee On the harmonica, half tone trill in which the slide is used are the easiest of ll to play. Unfortunately, these tills are not possible on every note. For instance, in the key of C every single note in the diatonic scale can be played as a halftone trill with the utmost ease, andas fast as one can jiggle the slide. (This type of till also sounds better than any other.) However, ifwe try the same thingin the key of C# (or Db} these trills become literally impossible as slide tills The only exceptions to this are the notes E# to Fi, and Bt :o C#. In each of these examples we can use the enharmonic equivalents which are easily played. difficult enharmonic (easy) difficult ‘enharmonic (easy) rea, rane Lia. E. ‘The following notes constitute a simple scale in the key of C. Each note is to be trilled using the slide. These are half tone trills easily playable in all three octaves. When playing this scale, use one breath for each two arrows. », Paes thas re te the ee restr - is << 1 1 + Not all half tone trills are as easily played, Some are exceedingly awkward if not impossible. For instance: 1 4 ¥ ro and F# to G = + F D#toE are literally unplayable (as trills.) Why? Because the sequence is DRAW slide in, BLOW slide out, plus a hole change! Or take a trill ike C# to D which is barely playable, but not at any decent speed. Inthis case the sequence is BLOW slide in, DRAW slide out, but no hole change. Somehow it just doesn’t soundlikea trill. There is one other kind of half tone trill that is possible, sounds like a trill, and is less awkward to play. The sequence here is DRAW slide in, DRAW slide out, plusa hole change. Because both notes are DRAW notes, it canbe played smoothly. This trill does require excellent coordination, since the slide has to synchronize with the note change. Lots of practice required, but it's worth it. A#toB44 WHOLE TONE TRILLS Most, but not all whole tone trills are generally difficult, awkward, and impractical on the harmonica, especially if they happen to be BLOW DRAW trlls. find the results to be less than satisfactory. [Not all harmonicists agree with me on this, but let the reader compare any BLOW DRAW trill with any slide tril, and I leave it to the listener to decide.] However, the following whole tone trills are both useful, practical, and not at all difficult to play. They are performed exactly as one would play a “shake” and are effective in all the octaves. eae rome 3 Use one breath for two arrows Obviously, many more pages could be devoted to the various possibilities, but we have listed only those wills we consider most representative. [You'll find some of these demonstrated on track 6 of the recording. } SHAKES Whenever the interval to be alternated is greater than a whole tone, we reler to it as a “shake”. Blues Harp players like to call this effect a “warble”, and a clarinetist would probably identify it as a tremolo! Surprisingly, they ‘would all be correct. [For chromatic players, it's definitely a shake. On the harmonica, the notes ina shake are always adjacent to each other and are to be alternated rapidly. These. notes can either be both BLOW, or both DRAW. It's impossible to shake a BLOW DRAW combination, and most impractical to try to combine sharps and naturals in a shake, so that while B to D is perfectly logical, B to D# is not. Musically, a shake looks like this: T've picked DRAW 4 and§ at random, but you can use any combination you like. Shakes can be played by either lipping or tongue blocking. The easiest way to play a shake is to select either of the two notes you're going to use (it really doesn't matter which one you start on); then rapidly move the harmonica back and forth to add the other note. That'sall there is to it. Some players try to accomplish this by moving their head! Forget it!!l! Aside from becoming dizzy, you'd probably dislocate your vertebrae. For an even more interesting effect, it's possible to bend notes simultaneously while playing a shake. [A wild, wailing sound, most effective when playing blues.) Shakes can even be played using double stops! [More about this later.] The following shakes are playable in all the octaves. (with button out)CHORDS Any harmonious combination of three or more notes sounded together is called a chord. The chromatic harmonica we're using has just four (builtin) 4 note chords. These consist of the following: Jereoaft etscou C4 (or Db) major Dimé (this chord can also be called a Bm7-5 depending om how itis used.) and a Ditm6 (enharmonically an Ebmé,) It can also be called a Cm?-5. With a little bit of musical ingenuity, these chords can be used in several different ways so that many combinations are possible. For instance. if you were to play the Dmé chord, and another instrument supplied the note G in the bass, the result would be a perfectly fine G 9th chord! Or let another instrument play a Bb7-chord while you sound a C triad above, and what you would then hear would be a very sophisticated Bb augmented 11th chord. So you can readily see that the possibilities are only limited by the imagination of the player. Chords can be used effectively in endings. They can also be tilled! (Try that on an accordion some time!) Organ imitations are most impressive and quite easily played. (You just use the same “yuh, yuh, yuh,” that you would when playing a vibrato, except that you do it with a mouthful of notes, lipping, of course.) Ifyou refer back to the section on single tonguing, you'l find another way in which chords can be used. Track 7 of the recording has some examples of the various chord techniques, including “brass section” simulations. 4546 OCTAVES What exactly is meant by an octave? A combination of two tones sounded together, one being eight full tones above the other and having twice as many vibrations per second, or below a given tone, and having half as many vibrations per second. It sounds complicated, but is really very simple. An octave using the note C looks like this: or like this All octaves are not only possible, but relatively easy to play. They can be played in any key, or any note, and at any tempo. ‘When used with taste, octaves create an interesting color and can add excitement, contrast, and even volume to your playing, Alter learning to play octaves, the player can advance to the playing of broken actaves. [A very advanced technique which makes possible musical passages that once were considered unplayable on the harmonica. You'll find more about this in the section on tongue switching. } HOW TO PLAY OCTAVES. Octaves are always played in the tongue blocking made, since the mouth has to cover five holes, while the tongue blocks three in the center, leaving the two outer holes to sound. This results in a perfect octave. For instance, if we want to play the following octave: mouth on the harmonica it would look like this: tongue The obvious question is: why cover five holes with the mouth?? Wouldn't four holes do??? Wouldn't blowing ‘holes 1 and 4 give us an octave??? Yes it would! But what happens when you DRAW 1 and 4?? You would’hear the notes D and Bwhich is not an gctave at all, but a major 6th. Then too, if you were to move up one note, and BLOW 2 and5, the result would beE and C, again not an octave. On the other hand when you cover fue holes asin the original instruction, blocking the three in the center, the result will always be a perfect octave, regardless of what part of the harmonica you're playing. [The only exception to this ishole 12 DRAW sharp, which was explained in the harmonica layout diagram.) (Incidentally, covering four holes is a “no, no” only where octaves are concerned. It happens to be very useful when playing double stops, a subject we'll discuss thoroughly in the next section.) Now that you know the how and the why of octaves, try to play the following diatonic scale in C. As you become proficient, go back to the single note chromatic scale and try to play it in octaves. You'll find that the more you practice this technique, the more natural it will become. I consider the playing of octaves one of the most useful devices I know.DOUBLE STOPS ‘The term “Double Stap” refers to the playing of any two notes simultaneously. Double stops are identified by the interval being played. These intervals are always counted from the bottom up. The design of the harmonica permits the playing of 2nds, 3rds, 4ths, 5ths, 6ths, and even diminished Sths and augmented 4ths! Unfortunately, not every interval can be played on every note or in every key. The player can however, play any combination of BLOW tones, or any combination of DRAW notes, but he cannot mix BLOW and DRAW, nor can he combine naturals and accidentals in any but a discordant manner. ‘The following diagram shows why this is so, and the groupings that are possible. Blow Tones Draw Tones ss ot ge SF got Sy ae" oe oF geri goo go ws 8h eet eS wits © og wh wits WA Whe Fao wer So ee ae Every one of these examples is possible in the various octaves depending on the range, of course. They can also be played in the key of C (slide depressed). HOW TO PLAY THEM The simplest double stops [on the harmonica] are callled thirds (3rds) and can be played by either tongue blocking or lipping. Blocking is certainly the better choice since the player has greater control, especially when switching to some of the wider intervals which cannot be played by lipping. Lipping can be useful while you're learning, but only to familiarize yourself with the sound of 3rds. For instance, you'd like to play the following double stop: If you were to lip it, it would look like this: However, in the blocking mode, it’s different, as the following sketch shows. [ABR EE TongueIn the second instance, your mouth would cover four holes, your tongue would block the 2 holes on the left, allowing the remaining? onthe right to sound. (It should be understood that this placement is not absolutely critical as long as the desired result is achieved.) Some players only cover three holes, others as many as five. It should also be noted thal not every combination of 2 notes adjacent to each other will result in a 3rd. For example, holes 3 and 4 [BLOW] would sound a G and C which happens to be a perfect 4th. If you were to DRAW those same holes, you would hear the notes A and B, a major 2nd!!! If it seems confusing, don’t be discouraged. It’s not that tough. Eventually, your ear will learn to differentiate between the various intervals. Now let's try this simple exercise in 3rds. ae ee SEs 6 7 6 > 6 7 6 3 6 6 5 a 5 5 6 5 4 5 6 &§ 4 5 5 1 4 4 FPF yy PREF t+ Ff ¥ 4 F In the very last measure, the two nates [BLOW 4 and 5] sound exactly the same. They are. That is called a “unison.” This exercise can only be played this way in one other key: C#. Inany other key, this exact sequence (in 3rds) is impossible. OCTAVES COUPLED WITH THIRDS In the previous segments, we've explained how to play octaves as well as 3rds. Its also possible to. combine bath for a richer sound. Played this way, the octave reinforces the top (or melody) note of the third. Admittedly, it sa bit more difficult than what has gone before, but it can be learned. It looks like this: the added octave To play this combination, your mouth has to cover five holes, your tongue must block just wo, allowing 2 holes on the right, and 1 on the left to sound. The following diagram illustrates this a bit more clearly. Mouth Ean eele j -2) Inner circle indicates tongue To practice this, go back to the last exercise dealing with 3rds and try to play it, adding the octave below.‘SIXTHS What exactly is a 6th??? Nothing more than an inverted 3rd. For instance this is a major 3rd: When inverted, the top note is placed on the bottom, and it becomes a minor 6th. Like ards, 6ths have a very pretty sound, and once learned, are easy to play. HOW TO PLAY THEM Your mouth must cover four holes, only this time your tongue will block the 2 holes in the center, allowing the 2 ‘outside holes to sound. mouth Note that holes 2 and 5 remain open, but holes 3 and 4 are blocked. tongue Asin the playing of 3rds, not every interval played this way will be a 6th. The note G (BLOW 7) for example, yields a Perfect 5th, while the note A (DRAW 7) becomes coupled with a B, which happens to be a 7th. (Luckily, these are the ‘only exceptions.) The following exercise is a good example of how to use 6ths effectively. It is suggested that you listen to this on the recording first, before attempting to play it. You'll find it on track 7. Note Perfect 5th ‘The trill that is indicated (in the second measure) is a simple slide trill. This exercise can be played in exactly the same way [except for the trill] in the key of C4. In that key, slide tricks con some of the other notes are possible. Experiment!TONGUE SWITCHING A telatively new and important technique borrowed from violin studies, tongue switching enables the harmonicist to play from either side of his mouth. This males possible musical passages, wide skips, and legato phrases that only a few years ago would have been unplayable on the harmonica, Normally. playingsingle notes on the Mouth Organ can be compared toa pianist playing with one finger. Inorder for him to get from one note toany other he has to lift and move that finger. By the same token, the harmonica player has to move his harmonica, or his mouth. However, if we allow the pianist to use his thumb as well asa second finger, he can then get around on the piano very much faster, easier, with much more accuracy, and with a mininwum of movement. Adding that thumb to the pianist is the equivalent of tongue switching. By being able to play from both sides of his mouth, the harmonica player can now play wide skips and awkward intervals at great speed and with very little movement. HOW TO DO IT Inorder to tongue switch, one starts in exactly the same way as for tongue blocking, except that when switching, the tongue is moved from side to side as necessary in order to block different notes, or groups of notes. For instance, in order to play alternate (or broken) octaves, the person learning should start with a perfect octave. (If you've forgotten how, refer back to the section an octaves.) Now move your tongue to the left just enough to block the bottom note. If you've done this right, only the top note will sound, (You will be blocking fournotes onthe left, and only the note on the extreme right will sound.) To get the other note (on the bottom) to play, simply slide your tongue to the right, blocking the four notes on that side. For instance, you want to play these 2 notes legato (smoothly. ) To learn to do this (Eventually first play the you will octave. eliminate this step.) ‘Now we want to sound one note at a time. Tongue Only hole 5 will play. To isolate + this note you must <> do this. Outer line indicates mouth For this note ~+to sound you have to switch your tongue to the side. way only hole #1 is heard. Rapidly alternating the tongue from side to side this way results in the switching effect. Incidentally, you can start with either the top or bottom note. It may also help to tilt the harmonica from side to side the way a violinist does: his bow. Each player should experiment to find what works best. ‘Should you have difficulty covering four notes with the tongue, try moving your jaw very slightly to compensate, 0 that you will be able to isolate ane note at a time.st The following exercise should be played slowly at first, then gradually increase the speed. It is an excellent ‘example of alternate octave switching. ALTERNATING OCTAVES When explaining this procedure, I'm sometimes asked: “But how would you use it in a musical context???2” The following exarnple suggests one possibility. (There are literally hundreds of others.) In this illustration we've used some of the effects discussed earlier. You'll hear some bending, a grace note or two, a glissando, and of course, alternate octaves. Listen to it on track 8. CIs BIS Bed Ab13 Creuse Gr 3 crs, F7 m7 FT52 (Other intervals are tongue switched in exactly the same way, except that the players mouth covers either 3 or 4 holes, depending upon the interval required. (If4 holes are to be used, the tongue must block 3. Ifthe mouths to cover just 3 holes, then the tongue will have to block 2.} In either case, switching the tongue from side to side will give the desired result. The following passage is a good example. In this instance we covered 3 holes and blocked 2. Played this way, the sequence can he executed considerably faster and much more smoothly than by conventional means. Surprisingly, this is all played using tongue switching, and nothing else moves at alll! [Not the mouth, nor the harmonicat!} Switching Fourths = a SS SUF 505 $5535 TVS sas SVS 5s | re ee a 2 2 Inthe case of thirds, tongue switching is unnecessary since the notes are always adjacent to each other and can be played very efficiently in the normal manner. THE HARP Thisis exactly what the ttle implies, an out and out imitation of aseries of stringed harp glssandos. To create this effect, we do precisely what the harpist does, except that we do it with reeds, rather than strings. Most effective when used sparingly, itis best in the DRAW mode, where it lends itself admirably to impressive introductions. [Either in the key of C or C#.] TO DOIT First, to establish a dominant tonality, play a sustained low G [BLOW 3]. Then using DRAW notes only, “gliss” upto the high A [DRAW 11]. Allof this works best in the tongue blocking mode in which one note at a time is sounded. Itthen becomes a simple matter to play continuous glissandos :o and from the indicated notes. Although the exact notes are indicated in the following diagram, none of thisis critical. If you miss a note here or there, it doesn't meana thing, It's the effect we're after. Alllof this should be played very freely with no particular feeling of tempo necessary, Since almost all of the notes are DRAW, you may find that you're filling up with too much air before you've reached the end of this example. Ifthis should happen, I've indicated a logical place in the music where you can exhale some of that excess air. Listen to this first on track 8, then try to play it, very ad lib Fi vrerhale) ula) _10 9 a 8 9 10 Ped Pe he 7 ae Py et 3 --THE “SHIMMER” An interesting effect which combines double stops with a “shake” to create a unique sound not unlike “shimmering” violins playing tremolo chords. HOW IT’S DONE Like the harp effect, this works best in the DRAW mode. Start by covering 3 holes with your mouth, then block the center hole with your tongue. [We'll do this on DRAW 1 and3, blocking hole 2 with the tongue}. It should look like this: Lips —— fa | Ceca 5 6 7 9 10 Tongue Now you simply “shake” this interval with the one immediately above [holes 2 and 4 DRAW]. This is performed in exactly the same way as for a single note shake, except you're alternating double stops! To continue this effect, shake 2 and 4 plus 3 and 5, each time accenting the new interval. This is continued as indicated, until the double stop glissando, which lands on an A octave, and then leads into whatever tune we're going to play. Should the double stop gliss scare you, or seem difficult, you can substitute a single note gliss instead. Listen to it first, then try to duplicate it. You'll find it on track 8.THE TRAIN IMITATION [don’t know why itis, but people expect all harmonica players to be able to imitate a train. I know of twoways on the chromatic to do this. The first is what | like (a call the musical approach, in which actual chords are used. The second methad, which is a bit more difficult, loses most of its tonality. HOw TO DOIT Play the following chords as you would normally, but accent the first beat of each group. Start loud, gradually increasing the speed. Alter sounding the whistle, continue at speed, but start to fade in volume, eventually becoming inaudible as the train fades in the distance, MUSICAL TRAIN cup these ‘means Open hands and pS] Feet accent this beat each time ete. Add train whistle as often as you liké! THE TRAIN WHISTLE This is the same for both train effects. {open) (cupped) (open) wah —00— wah wah-oowah ‘one breath NON-MUSICAL TRAIN Thisis probably the best imitation of all, but is also the hardest to do. It uses only one chord in the BLOW mode. The chord is choked and cupped so that it aimost loses all tonality. Only open the cupped hands for the accent on the first beat of each group. As you start to run out of air, just sound the whistle, which will replenish your air supply. Start slowly, as a train would, gradually increasing the speed. Start with the sounds of: CHUCK, chuck chuck chuck, CHUCK, chuck chuck chuck. As the speed increases, use the sounds of CHUCKA, chucka chucka chucka continuously until it becomes almost uncontrolled. This should continue until the sounds become inaudible (as the train fades into the distance.) Since all of this uses a lot of wind, you may have to resort to the whistle more often thanin the other type of train effect. open cupped Qe > Accent this chord Increase speed ——»Maintenance and Repair of the Chromatic Harmonica Unlike the 10 hole diatonic harmonica, the chromatic instrument does require a certain amount of periodic maintenance, due primarily to the fact that it has moving parts. Located just under the mouth piece, are the slide assembly, two shock absorbers [which help to cushion the slide] and an internal spring held in place by a spring retaining pin. The entire assembly is fastened to the ‘‘comb” by two screws. Refer to the stripdown diagram of the #270 Super. Stripdown Of The #270 Super Chromatic (12 hole) Harmonica Screw ~T 1 Mouthpiece t ‘Note slot 68 re Te? L (onthe right) 2 RAITT ETS F [eV DACA ECE CELE: § is a Shock Absorbers “> (top) note positioning g lugs wo a Gn shown ) Cross ! (slide) 1 should be section ‘—Libottom) "top lugs fitin these recesses dep lage tin these recesses: a) Yon the right assembly Retaining Pin. : HEME Holds spring 4 in place. jf finternal Spring Wooden body (called “The Comb”) of The #270 Chromatic sues] MT ATTN OMA Blow Reed Nail — | ICE l as | Draw Reed Reed Plate — 2 required (front & back) note plastic windsavers Starr —<2 GC 0 Ronan. iCh="9 KH Cover Plate Nut & Bolt DC Cover Plates — 2 required (front & back) Also reauived 18 nails to hold reed to comb, 4 “Standoffs” ( () ) to keep caver plates from deforming or collapsing.Unfortunately, after the harmonica has been in service for awhile, the slide tends to stick. That is, it will not budgel! That's generally true for ail the chromatics. It is caused by the accumulation of saliva which seeps into the ‘spaces between the slide and the top and bottom of the slide assembly. When you put the instrument away for alittle while, the saliva dries, and literally becomes glue-like. The result is a nonfunctioning harmonical!! — So what to 0??? What I do, is inject [with my mouth] some of that same saliva in each end of the mouthpiece, being careful not to let any get into the harmonica itself. Then I wiggle the slide from side to side for a little bit, gradually pushing the slide in. Generally this works...for awhile, but eventually, the slide will become so stiff that more drastic efforts become necessary! That's when we take the harmonica apart. (I must mention that I subscribe to the old mechanics’ adage that says, “IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT!!!" So the only time we should take the instrument apart is when all else fails. ‘You should start by carefully disassembling the mouthpiece, remembering the order of the various parts you disassemble. Be especially careful of the tiny shock absorbers. They have ahabit of gettinglost. Allof the metal parts will have to be cleaned. To do this, I use a flat piece of plastic about 8 inches long and 3 inches wide. It should be at least inch thick. Plexidass or Lucite is ideal. You will also need a steel wool pad. (Brillois OK). Then wejust layeach part flat on the plastic, and scour away, being careful not to bend, or otherwise deform the various parts. Notein the drawing below that when the slide is cleaned, the button hangs over the edge. THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT! [If you don’t do that, you'll bend or deform the slide.] Also, be sure to clean the edges of the slide as well. Cleaning The Slide, and Slide Assembly Fine steelwool Slide is (Don't use a exaggerated coarse grade) for clarity Note that the “button” overhangs the edge, so as not to deform the slide The other parts of the slide assembly are cleaned in the same way,s7 ‘When everything is nice and shiny, reassemble the harmonica 2y reversing the original procedure. If you've forgotten how the parts fit, just check the diagram below. Remember, the slots are always on the right! If you forget that, the spring will have no room to move. Also, if you find the shock absorbers falling off the screws while reassembling, just put a dash of vaseline on the screws and the shocks will then stay put. It will also protect the screws. from corrosion. Note lugs Correct Order Of Mouthpiece & Slide Assembly For The 12 Hole “Super” Mouthpiece —ZEEETET ODEO DTP— Sto Shock ! Absorber ZEPSEZE SF a Spring fits in this hole This order is also correct for the “64” Chromatic except that the slide can only fit one way!When replacing the slide, make certain that the open holes are facing the front of the harmonica. Ii they aren’ flip the slide over. The slide will ft either way, but if 's reversed. you will be playing in C4 instead of C, and alll the functions will be reversed. The result? Complete confusion. So be careful of this. As you continue reassembling, be sure that the lugs (shown in the diagram) fit into the proper recesses. Finally, tighten the screws. I generally take a few (urns on bott. screws, then I push the button in and while holding it that way, Itighten one screw ara time until the slide binds. At this point, I back off on the screw until the slide pops out. I then loosen another quarter turn, to make sure the slide moves freely. Do the same with the other screw, and you should be all set The above procedure applies to the #270 12 hole “Super” andis virtually identical to the #280 16 hole model, the only difference being the slide, which can only fit one way, so the problem of accidental reversal is eliminated, Inthe case of the CBH 2016, the slide mechanismis completely different, and while itis less likely to bind, it can, “get stuck.” The diagram below (courtesy of HOHNER) shows you how to handle that. ple Maintenance Instructions For Your CBH-2016 A.—To Clean Mouthpiece, Slide Channel and Teflon Slide Step 1. To clean mouthpiece, remove the two flat- screws that hold the mouthpiece in place. Remove mouthpiece. Rinse clean and dry thoroughly. Step 2. Remove the two rubber end pieces on either side. Litt up the half-round Teflon slide, rinse clean and dry thoroughly. ‘Step 3. Wipe clean the half-round slide channel on the harmonica body. CAUTION—DO NOT rinse or submerge the harmonica body in water. This will damage the reed plates unless they are disassembled from the body. Harmonica: Body _-—— 4 Rubber End Piece V Step 4. Replace Teflon slide back in the harmonica body. Note thal the square hole on one side of the Tefion slide must engage with the head of the control lever Step 5. Replace the rubber side pieces. Note the strall nipple on the side of the rubber piece must face inside for proper positioning Step 6. Place mouthpiece in position and fasten ‘with two screws. B.—To Clean Inside Cover Plates Step 1. Remove the two flat-head screws which hold the top caver plate in place. Remove cover, rinse clean and dry thoroughly, Follow same procedure for lower cover plate. CAUTION—DO NOT clean reed plate since reeds are delicate and can be easily damaged, Cover Plate Plunger Reed Plate Rubber — End Piece Half Round MN Teflon Slide X> Mouthpiece 2-Flathead Screws for Mouthpiece A word of caution: If you're thinking of using oil on the slide, remember that most oils are toxic, they can make you sick and tend to become gummy or seep into the instrument. It just doesn’t seem to be a good idea! On the harmonica, saliva is your best lubricant. [The only exception I can think of is that sometimes when my lips are very dry, l may smear a bit of vaseline on the cover plates so that the harmonica will slide easier.] Now that we've covered routine maintenance, let's go or. to solving some of the problems that often arise.SYMPTOM: A note is stuck, and no amount of tapping will clear it, It just won't respond. SOLUTION: The first thing to try is rapid, hard BLOWING and DRAWING. Your mouth should cover several holes while doing this, including, of course, the faulty note. Very often this will work. [fit does not, do the following. First remove the covers, being careful not to disturb the windsavers. This will expose the reed plates. The reeds that are completely visible, rivets and all, are the DRAW reeds. The reeds under the external windsavers [or where only the slots are visible] are the BLOW reeds. Locate the offending :eed. Then just take a pin or a needle, and very gently push or fick the reed that’s giving you the trouble. Ifit happens to be a DRAW, it's easy, I’sall there infront of you, and should you happen to have a magnifier, you might even see a speck of dirt [the usual cause of this type of symptom. |But sometimes, even this does not help. If the reed still reluses to respond, look into the harmonica at the windsaver directly behind the non vibrating reed, and make sure itis free. Again, use the same pin. Sometimes, the windsaver sticks to the plate which will stop the reed from sounding, Ifthe windsaver is stuck, just free it up, and that should be the end of your problem. If the stuck reed happens to be a BLOW reed, the same procedure prevails, except that you'll start by gently lifting the exterior windsaver and pushing the reed in a tiny fraction of an inch. Ifafter all of this, the note still won’t play, it can only be due to a swollen comb, or misaligned reed, in which case, you're in ‘over your head. Send the harrnonica back to the factory, and let the “pros” take over!! If you look back at the stripdown diagram, you'll notice that each reed plate has 26 reeds. [12 BLOW, and 12 DRAW, for attotal of 48 reeds]. These are “fixed” reeds. Unlike aclarinet or sax, these reeds are permanently riveted to the plate at the factory, and are not intended to be replaced or removed. They can be tapped out, and changed, which is certainly beyond the scope of the average player and should be done by an expert. Special tools are required, the procedure is time consuming, and the results, even for the “pro”, arenot always satisfactory. When you send the harmonica to the factory, they replace the complete reed plate, and sometimes even the “comb,” s0 it ‘seems a waste of time to fool with replacement of a single reed. However, I know that players do experiment, so will try to provide you with as much information as possible. The more you know, the better your chances of success. Reeds are tuned by filing. To raise the pitch, the end of the reed is filed. To lower the pitch, the upper middle of the eed is filed. This is done at the factory. Generally, a new harmonica is fairly well in tune. How Reeds Are Taned File here to File here to Weighted end on raise pitch lower pitch longer reeds also lowers pitch Alternate Method Of Tuning . " 7 til Scratch here Scratch here, to lower pitch (with the tip of a file) to raise pitch 59Inorder for any reed to vibrate, it must be able to move freely inits slot. It must also be slightly angled away from the reed plate so that the air stream will activate it. [More about this later.] Clearances between the reed and its slot. are very, very close, so even a tiny speck of dust can jam the note. That's why I continue to stress the importance of cleanliness, and why the harmonica should always be kept in a case when not in use. Some of the longer reeds have an extra piece of metal on the ends. It's there to add weight to the end ofthe reed, slowing the rate of vibration, and resulling in a lower sounding note. If the weight were not added, the reed would have to be much larger to accomplish the same thing, It would also require a tremendous amount of wind. Mos: impractical! Now what about those peculiar looking white plastic whatchamacallits? What are they? Those are windsavers. Also referred to as valves. They serve a very important function by keeping the air-stream [your breath] from being wasted, Although very simple in design, they are most efficient. When you BLOW a note, the valvein that particular chamber flattens tightly against the DRAW slot, effectively sealing it. Then the air can only go to the nate it’s supposed to. The outside windsaver lifts up, allowing the air stream that activates the note to escape. All very simple, very ingenious, and very effective. When you DRAW, exactly the opposite occurs. (You can actually watch this happen by playing in front of a mirror.) Cross-Section Of A Typical Windsaver Valve Laminated here Stiffener Windsaver valve a an — is what happens when you BLOW into the Chromatic The outside windsaver lifts up to allow air to escape from the vibrating reed. BLOW reed vibrates and produces a tone Airstream activates. — -— BLOW reed These are the reed (and tone) chambers, each contains a Cover screw BLOW and DRAW reed. Cover plateBut look at what happens to the inside Windsaver during the same action. mewn —— The DRAW reed does not (an, become activated and air pressure forces the... .. inside Windsaver flat ‘against the reed plate, effectively sealing the DRAW reed slot. Ail air is then directed fo the BLOW reed. I you were to DRAW instead of BLOW, (as in the previous sketch) exactly the opposite would happen. (The outside windsaver would flatten, and the DRAW reed would vibrate.) Sometimes these valves may give you trouble. They may stick, cause rattles, or just plain fail to work. If you ‘examine one carefully, you'll see that it's really two pieces of plastic laminated at ane end. The top piece, which acts .as.a stiffener or spring, is usually transparent. Valves are glued to the reed plate, generally up to, but not including the last three reeds. This is true for the 16 hole harmonica as well. The last 3 reeds are so much smaller, that little aircan ‘escape, $0 valves are not necessary, although some professionals prefer to add them. Windsavers have been known to fall off, or sometimes they bend so much, that they don’t function at all. It's easy to tell when that happens, because the note played will sound very weak. However, it has been my experience that most often valves will just pop, buzz or rattle. (Sounds like a song title!) Aside: from being annoying, buzzing valves can screw up anybody's solo. So what to do??? The best cure | knou: of s to replace the sick windsaver with anew ne. Since new ones are not always available, the next best thingis to try to make the old valve serviceable again. [do this by sliding a very flat screwdriver [or similar tool] under the valve very carefully so not to distort it. I remove the valve from the reed plate. I will then try to straighten it, or bend it back into shape, sometimes even to the point of giving it a negative bend. Some players experiment with bending the stiffeners. Either way, ifit works for you, fine! At best however, it’s a temporary repair, and eventually, the windsaver will have to be replaced. The HOHNER harmonica ‘company recognizes this, and have made available a windsaver replacement kit. It contains vaives in all sizes and the cost is nominal. Incidentally, should you have to remove an inside windsaver, I find a narrow pair of tweezers invaluable, Just reach in with them, grasp the walve, lit away from the plate, and remove it. All very easy! Replacing that valve is, unfortunately, very tricky. You have to dab the end of the windsaver with a tiny bit of gue. [I use Duco cement, but contact works well also, Then using the tweezers, very carefully, position the valve in the reed charnber, making certain that no glue gets on a reed, or in the reed slot. Now, with the windsaver in the proper position, remove the tweezers, and with a small screwdriver, or other suitable tool, pat the valve down so that the glue makes good contact. If you've been lucky [and careful} all will go well, but if you've “goofed”, you'll have to remove the reed plate to effect the repair—a major operation. We'll tackle that a little further on. These are the problems you'll encounter most frequently, and once you learn to handle them, you can goon to more ambitious repairs. These would include adjusting response, touching up an occasional burr, tuning reeds that have dropped in pitch; and if you're really adventurous, transplanting of reeds! 61Tohandle these repairs, you'll need some special tools, as well as some special “know-how!” Most necessary isa set of jeweler’s files. [They come in many shapes: flat, round, knifelike etc. Any good hardware store should stock them.]Tohelp you see what you're doing, ajeweler’s “loop” or any magnifier which leaves both hands ree is a must! Inaddition a small screwdriver with a shank thin enough to fit into the holes of the harmonica will be necessary. It will be used asa backup to keep the reeds from bending when being :uned from the outside. Finally, you willalso needa double edged razor blade, a penknife and a pair of slipjoint pers. With these tools, and a little ingenuity, you should be able to fix any harmonica! Sharpen Flat piece of spring, this end Home made tuning tool steel strap or similar material ww‘You may want to improvise your own tools, but in my many years at making my own repairs, I've found that can complete almost any repair with the tools 1 suggest. One other thing you should know, before going on ta some of the other situations you may encounter. Look at the diagram of the slide assembly. You'll notice that each hole in the mouthpiece services two reed chambers. These also serve as sound chambers. Each chamber has two reeds, aBLOW and a DRAW, so each hale actually takes care of four notes! Since we'll now be discussing the more involved repairs, like the tuning of reeds, it's important that we identify the particular reed we'll be working on. If this is not done, chances are that you'll find yourself working ona perfectly good reed. What I dois make a tiny scratch with the point of afile on the reed plate. This effectivelyisolates the notein question and I can proceed without any doubt about whether I have the correct reed or not. SYMPTOM: The reed rattles or buzzes and replacing the valve has not cured it. SOLUTION: BLOW or DRAW the affected reed with the cover off. Has the rattle or buzz disappeared? If the answer is yes, then it had to be caused by bent or warped covers. On the chromatic harmonicas, this does not happen very often because of the “standoff” lugs, but if they're broken off, and you hold the harmonica tightly, the covers will bend. There's nothing much you can do then, except try to bend the covers back in line. Generally this doesn’t work very well, because the top bends as well, causing leaks. New plates are called for — a factory job. If the buzz is still there, it is usually the result of a slight burr on the reed, or the reed is making just enough contact with a swollen comb to cause this. [Of course on harmonicas with plastic combs this cannot happen because they do not swell.] Here is where your magnifier comes in handy. If the rattling reed is a DRAW, you can observe it directly. Gently push the reed so that it’s parallel to the reed plate. Is there equal space all around? Is any part of the reed touching? As you move it in andout doesit contact the slot? Ifthe answer is yes, then the burr will have to be filed off. For this Ifind a lsnife-type file ideal. With arazor blade under the reed, [see sketch] very carefully remove the burr. r Burrs most often ,° occur in these —_ two areas... . ...and occasionally here. When removing burrs, file very lightly with a “knife file” against the edges of the reed as shown above. 63Ifthenote is a BLOW, the procedure is exactly the same, except that the reed plate has to be removed. [advise against that, since, as I explained earlier it’s a very tricky procedure, even for a “pro.” However, if you want to try, here's the way it's done. First, use the wide blade of your pocket knife, and start at the bottom of the harmonica, [Very important! If you start at the top, you'll probably break the partitions. ] Then gently pry the plate off, beingvery careful not to groove the wooden comb as you pry. (See the diagram.) Reed Plate Removal og] a Nats Standoff (These keep 7 cover plates from deforming or collapsing) This procedure is identical for all chromatics with wooden combs regardless of size. It is not recommended for harmonicas with plastic combs, because of the difficulty in re-assembly, the only exception being the CBH-2016. Mtuses screws, and the reed plates are replaceable. J See later text. ‘Sometimes loosen the plate at each end, which also loosens the nails and standoffs. I then remove the nails from the outside. ‘Once the reed plate is off, you'll notice that the inside of the reed plate, where the BLOW notes are, looks exactly like the outside, except for the position of the rivets. All repair details then become identical. Check for burrs with your magnifier, and proceed as before. Incidentally, if you remove the reed plates for any reason try to reposition them on the comb exactly as they were originally. If you don't, you will probably jam the reeds or mess up the valves, as well as cause all sorts of compression leaks. Also, when putting the plates back on, put the nails in the original holes, and gently press them home with a pair of slip joint pliers. SYMPTOM: The note is out of tune [gone flat]. SOLUTION AND EXPLANATION: There are two ways that a note goes out of tune. The first is when suddenly, while you're playing, the reed drops several tones, and as you check it, it continues to slide down. That reed has had it! Not a thingyou can do! It’s dead! Kaput! Finished! Forget it! It has succumbed to metal fatigue, which is always fatal. Either junk the instrument, use it for spare parts, or send it to the factory for repairs. Another way that a reed can go flat is more subtle. Generally it will go unnoticed for a while because it happens very gradually. It may be a note that you bend more often than the others, ar maybe you tend to stress it a little bit harder. Unlike the first reed, this one will respond to therapy, which, fortunately, is quite simple, Tune the note back to health.If the note is a DRAW reed, the repair is comparatively easy. First, identify the reed as explained eartier, then slide a double-edged razor blade under the reed. Be careful not to force the razor too far toward the rivet, since you don't want to deform the reed in any way, nor do you want to destroy or distort the windsavers. Using great care, file the end of the reed at a slight angle towerd the rivet, which helps to minimize burrs, [If in doubt, check the sketch.) Tuning A Draw Reed Whenever filing a reed, it is preferable to use a double edged razor blade, so the file can work unobstructed. When tuning up to pitch, file diagonally [from either side] or straight up toward the rivet, being careful not to bend or deform the reed. Don’t make more than one or two light passes, then check the note for correct pitch. If you remove too much material, you'll wind up with a note that’s sharp, which is just as bad as one that’s flat, so proceed slowly! Ifyou should accidentally overdo, ais not lost. Refer again to the sketch on page 59 which illustrates the method of loweringpitch, then carefully remove just enough material from the upper portion of the reed to bring it into correct tune, [fr all operations where filing is necessary, try to avoid leaving burrs on the reed.] Sometimes, when I want to lower the pitch, Ijust scratch the upper portion of the reed [near the rivet] with the point of a fil. It works perfectly and there will be no burrs. If the flat note happens to bea BLOW reed, there are two steps you can take. You can remove the reed plateand proceed exactly as you would for a DRAW note, which is the hard way. Or, with the aid of the home made tool (shown in the tool sketch) you can tune with the reed without removing the reed plate from the comb. [When tuning from outside, a razor blade does not work well because the rivets are in theway. The special tool, on the other hand, fits between the rivets and works just fine.]This is the way it’s done. First, identify the specific BLOW reed. It will always be on the inside. Then remove the corresponding windsaver covering that slot which is on the outside. With a safety pin or similar tool, gently reach inside the tone chamber and push the reed out so that the end barely clears the slot. At this point, take the special tool and slide it under the reed just far enough to support it. If you're in doubt, refer to the following diagram. Under no condition should you force the reed. We don't want it deformed. Tuning A Blow Reed Up To Pitch Without Removing The Reed Plate When tuning this way, file straight up toward the rivet. Home made tuning tool should be narrow _,\ enough to fit between * the rivets. Note that the reed being tuned is an inside reed. Now with extreme care, and using a narrow file, file straight up until the desired pitch is reached. It's fast, it works, and it saves the trouble of taking the reed plates off. IMPORTANT: The very small reeds do not lend themselves to this technique very well. They bend at too extreme an angle which can be dangerous for the reed. What I do when a tiny note is involved is back it up with the flat end of a screwdriver [from inside, of course, and scratch the end. It works just as well! You canalso lower the pitch ofa reed this way, regardless of size, just by scratchingnear the rivet. (Refer to page 59.) Incidentally, all of the foregoing tuning techniques can be used with any harmonica, no matter what type or size. what type or size. PROBLEM: You playa single note and you hear two notes which soundlike they're ahalf-tone apart. You check the slide, but it's not loose, What's causing it? What should you do? SOLUTION AND EXPLANATION: This can only be caused by a split comb, which you can readily see if you remove the slide. The comb splits because of internal stresses which are the result of drying out. But allis not lost. The repairs relatively simple. All you needs toothpick and some good wood glue. [Contact cement is not suitable, nor are any of the instant “magic” glues. Elmers white wood glueis what I recommend. Now dip about aninch of the toothpick in the glue, and rollit against the crack in the comb so that the glue fills the void. Do this on the other side of the split as well, just to make sure. That’ all there isto it. Let it dry, and the harmonica should be good as new. Of course, when doing any of this, be careful not toinvolve the reeds, or valves, don't play the harmonica untilall the glue hhas dried. (There may be fumes from the solvents used in some glues.) Of course, you already know that the only comb that can split is one made of wood. Plastics do not dry out. SYMPTOM: The note does not respondat all under sudden attack, or when blown hard. It does, however, work. just fine when played softly. SOLUTION AND EXPLANATION: This is a classic symptom which occurs quite often, especially in new instruments. It is caused by insufficient offset of the reed, Luckily, it can be remedied quite easily. | |67 Look Along Edge of Reed Plate (All diagrams exaggerated for clarity.) Reed | Rivet Degree of offset ———, e Almost no offset ——. This reed probably wouldn't respond at all, or if it did, only if played very, very softly. Too much offset * en This reed would respond, but only if played very hard. It would not respond to soft playing. The happy compromise. Offset is correctly Set es This reed will respond to both soft and hard playing. If you prefer to play very hard, you can add even more offset. Incidentally, if a reed has no offset, it won't respond at all! Too little offset, and the note will only sound when played very softly. By the same token, if the reed has too much, it will only play when attacked very hard, and won't sound at all when blown softly. (This of course applies to DRAW notes as well.)‘The ideal solution is to find the happy medium where the reed will respond to both hard and soft playing equally well. How do you find this correct setting?? Actually, i’s not as difficult as it may sound. Start by comparing the offending reed with any other reed of about the same size. There will be an obvious differencein the degree of offset. It then remains for you to adjust the note that’s causing the trouble, so that it resembles the similarly sized reed that works. Since we're talking about tiny fractions of an inch, your “loop” or magnifier will come in handy for this. Ifthe note is a DRAW, simply lift the end of the reed slightly, but be very careful not to BEND it!! This may sound ke a contradiction, but it really isn’t, because if the note is lifted too far, it will visibly bend out of shape, and that can be fatal! So use your common sense. You need just enoush lft to correct the ollset. When you do lft, just flex the reed far enough so that you can stil feel the springiness and resistance of the reed; then check again. At first this will be purely a trial and error operation, but after a few tries, it becomes quitesimple. This s one of the most useful repairs I know. Should the troublesome reed happen to be a BLOW reed, everything works the same, but sort ofin reverse. The offset is increased by pushing the reed in toward the tone chamber. Of course, you have to remove the windsaver first, so you can see what you're doing. In any event, removal of the reed plateis not necessary. Offset inspection for BLOW rotesis equally simple. Just squint down the reed slot with your magnifier, looking toward the endof the reed. Offset spacing becomes readily visible. Very, very rarely will you encounter too much offset, but if you should, just reverse the procedure. (Instead of lifting out, you push in.] If in doubt, just refer again to the diagram. Before explaining how to transplant a reed, a word of caution about removing reed plates from plastic combs. Idon’t recommend it because of the difficulty in re-assembly. These reed plates are fastened to the comb in a unique way. The nails go completely through the comb, and into :he opposite plate, halding both plates tightly soasto prevent any air leaks. The new generation of “64” chromatics are put together this way. (The old ones were made of wood and except for range, were exactly like the “Super.”) Some of the Methods Used to Fasten Reed Plates to a Plastic Comb In some models, nail ends are flattened almost like rivets. Nails pass completely —_/——\ through comb, gripping (| at both ends. y [ [fora more secure | oS J The CBH 2016 uses special screws which engage opposite anicetly, i reed plate. When tightened, Tec nical, itis “ they make a leak-proof seal. possible to refasten [The reed plate has threaded reed plates to a plastic holes, so no nuts are needed.] 3 comb using 0-80 nuts and \ bolts, but because of the impracticality involved, [re-drilling, etc.] it is definitely not recommended. for the average player. NYIfyou continue having a reed problem with a plastic instrument that requires reed plate removal, you're much better off sendingit to the factory, for awhole new assembly. If you try it yourself without a special jig, you'll probably screw it up! [There is.one exception ta the above admonition. Itis the CBH 2016 Harmonica. Although the comb is of plastic, its reed plate is held on by screws, and is deliberately designed to be replaceable. Spare reed plates are available from the factory.) How to Transplant a reed What exactly is meant by transplanting? It simply means replacing a “sick” or malfufctioning reed witha similar reed taken from an old, or otherwise nonserviceable harmonica. Is this difficult? Yes it ist It isa very tricky procedure, and one which I generally avoid, unless I'm trying to savea really fantastic instrument that I can't bear to part with. In that case, if only one reedis bad, I will perform a transplant. Although not easy, it can be learned, especially if one has patience. However, if you happen to bea “klutz” and can't even hammer a nail right, forget it! Send your harmonica to the factory, and let the “pros” fix it. If you're going to try a transplant in spite of the difficulty, be sure to practice on an old beat-up harmonicabefore attempting it on the instrument you want to repair. First, identify the reed that’s bad and after removing the reed plate, carefully file the back end ofits rivet flat. [We want to be able to remove that reed easily.) Filing A Rivet is the back end of the rivet. Reed plate [it is always on the opposite side of the reed] File itdown, = — Reed So it looks like this NOTE: Rivet filing should only be done on the reed being replaced. See text. Place it on an okd “comb”, so that the reed will have room to drop as you tapit out. Ifyou don’t haveanold comb, ‘you can improvise using anything that will support the reed plate, and still allow enough room for the reed tofall freely. Thave, on occasion, used the half open jaws of a pair of pliers, and they worked just fine. At this point, place a sharp aw| in the center of the filed down rivet, and gently tap out the reed. Remember, this does not require a sledge hammer. Be gentle! Just a couple of taps should do it. Generally, the rivet and reed willfallas one unit.Tapping Out A Reed Old, non-serviceabie 7 harmonica comb. Tapped out reed will look like this. Note rivet. [exaggerated] After the reed has been compared for size, discard it. ‘Now for the replacement. Pick a reed of exactly the same size as the reed you've just removed. It need not be the same note, or pitch and it can be tuned later if necessary. Now follow exactly the same procedure with this reed.as you did with the first reed you removed, with the exception: don’t file the back of this rivet! If you do, you won't have enough material left on the rivet to spread. (We need to spread it later, in order for the reed to be held tightly to the reed plate.) To complete the transplant, insert the rivet and its reed into the hole from which you removed the bad reed. If the fit seems a bit tight, just take the tip of the awl and gently ream thehole. Then, using pair of slipjoint pliers, press the rivet home. At this point, the reed should be in the center ofits slot. Ifit isn’t, positionit correctly, and with the tip of a pair of Vise Grips, genily flatten the rivet slightly. Use just enough pressure to tighten it. We do not want it mashed. ‘Sometimes the reed will mave out of position when the rivet is tightened. If so, just maneuver it back into place. Although the rivet has been tightened, the reed will generally move if light pressure is applied. If you've been successful so far, all that remains is to check the pitch and if necessary, tune the reed. It should work good as new. ‘What I've described is one approach ta changing a reed. Some of the players 1 know use variations of this technique. They have even glued reeds in place [using the new “magic” glues). Others substitute nuts and bolts for rivets. As some unknown philosopher once said: “Different strokes for different folks!” ‘Once again, I must stress care, caution, andi attention to details. They'll pay off in satisfactory results. Perhaps one day, you'll discover shortcuts and new methods that may simplify these procedures even more. Until then, I trust this chapter on repairs will prove helpfulin clearing up some of the myths and in solving some of the problems that 50 often plague harmonica players.Electronics, Amplification, Microphones and Accessories ‘The science of electronics has come so far in recent years, to cover it adequately would take several books, let alone one chapter. However, as it relates to the harmonica, we can eliminate the unnecessary technical details and just stick to the “nitty gritty.” AMPLIFICATION I know of no instrument that can benefit more from amplification than the harmonica, chromatic or otherwise. With the proper amplifier a harmonica can be heard above a symphony orchestra. Amplifiers come in all shapes and sizes, and at prices ranging from about $50.00 to as much as you want to pay. You can add mixers, equalizers and various other electronic goodies that can runinto thousands of dollars. Some of the popular rock groups have been known to carry as much as $150,000.00 worth of amplification and sound equipment! Today, the more expensive amplifiers are made using solid stare (no tubes) components, and have all sorts of builtin features ike reverberation, echo effects, and electronic tremolo. Some even have a built-in “fuz2” unit, which is a type of distortion sometimes used by guitarists to create a raucous, raunchy sound. It happens to sound terrible when used by a harmonicist! Better amplifiers also have two or more channels, each with its own instruments can plug into the same amp and still maintai ividual controls, so that one or more dividual control over the sound of their instruments. The type of amp that you buy should be dictated by how you intend to use’t. If you want to fila large auditorium with sound, you'll require 2 fairly powerful unit, but don't buy more power than you need. Thanks to miniaturization, even the smallest of amplifiers helps put out an amazing amount of sound. One of the built-in features of an amp that I find most effective for the harmonica is the “reverb” or echo unit. It tends to smooth out the sound of the mouth organ, making it much “rounder” and more mellow. It really enhances the overall effect tremendously. Also available are add-on echo units that again come in all types and sizes. Which one you choose becomes a matter of taste. One type uses a continuous loop of tape, and the resulting echo can be delayed or repeated tocreate all sorts of unusual sounds and effects, Some amplifiers are equipped with electronic tremolo. Personally I've never found much use for it when used with the mouth organ. Incidentally, most of the equipment described can usually be tried out in the store before you buy it. Since there is such a variety to choose from, you should have no trouble corning up with a winner! IT DoeswT MAKE. RUA ENS TO nMICROPHONES ‘There are literally hundreds of microphones to choose from: crystals, throat mikes, chest mikes, dynamic, condenser, cardioid, ribbon, tavalier, even FM wireless microphones, and probably some types I haven't yet run across! Trying to pick the right mike can be confusing, but it need not be if you have a few facts. The first rule: Don’t buy more microphone than you need. The most expensive is not necessarily the best sounding where your harmonica is concerned. For instance, some of the more costly mikes can reproduce tones as low as 20 cycles per second [Hz] and as high as 16,000 Hz (and higher, even, than that.) Most of us can’t hear past 13,000 Hz. The top note on the highest sounding harmonica is the F# (F# Marine Band). It vibrates at only 3153.96 Hz, and the High C on the Super Chromatic only goes as high as 2093 Hz! [How's that for being precise?] Now when you consider that the lowest noteon the 16 hole “64” [C] vibrates at 130.81 Hz, and the lowest note on the Super, just twice that at 261.63 Hz, it does seem silly to pay for all the extra unnecessary range that you can’t possibly use. Even the cheapest mikes will cover the harmonica register adequately, although the quality of the sound may suffer. Itthen becomes a matter of picking the one that sounds best to you. Be sure to test several different types of mikes, preferably with the amp you'll be using. Adjust the Bass and Treble controls until you find the right sound for you. Guided by cost, and intended use, you should have no trouble making a choice. ‘CRYSTAL MIKES ‘The simple crystal mikes are very cheap, and usually come with some sort of fitting for attaching to the harmonica. These work surprisingly well considering their nominal cost, but all contact mikes pick up extraneous sounds like lipsmacking, handsliding,and buttonclicking. HOHNER sells onethat’sadjustable (Model HH9911) and most of the electronic specialty stores advertise crystal mikes at ridiculously low prices. This type of microphone tends to emphasize the “highs.” I once used a simple crystal cartridge, which | taped tothe bottom of the harmonica with masking tape. Itworked surprisingly well! Contact devices will imit your cupping, tremolo and other techniques, since once they’re attached, that's it! THROAT MIKES “The good ones are expensive, and not many stores stock them. They fi against the throat andhavea somewhat unique sound, which is not for everybody. DYNAMIC, CARDIOID, RIBBON, AND CONDENSER MIKES Although technically each of these mikes works on a different principle, for our purpose they fall inte the same category, since they are either held in the hand while playing, of attached toa mike stand. All of these work very well, but do have individual characteristics. Generally, ribbon and cardioids tend to make the harmonica sound fuller, rounder and more mellow, while condenser mikes appear to stress the highs. If I were playing with a sax section accompaniment, and wanted to “cut thru” I'd probably opt for the condenser mike. DIRECTIONAL AND OMNI-DIRECTIONAL MIKES Anomri-directional unit will pick up sound from many directions, while the directional has avery narrow pick-up pattern. For the soloist, the directional would be a better choice, since it would screen out, or minimize unwanted sound. On the other hand, if you have several players using one microphone, you'd naturally benefit from the characteristics of the omni. TECHNIQUE Many chromatic (and Blues Harp) players prefer to play with the mike cupped in the hand, so that it can be manipulated as desired. Other professionals use the microphone on a stand since they feel they have mare control that way. When it's on a stand, it doesn’t get in the way when you want to use a hand tremolo, or if you want to back off and then close in for contrast. It also allows much better control of the cupping technique. Again, “different strokes for different folks.” As long as you know what the options are, you can pick what’s best for you. ‘The electronic “octave splitters” which are so popular with flute and woodwind players do not seem to work with the harmonica. If you really want to get into far-out sounds, you should experiment with the electronic synthesizers, but that’s a whole different bag. Probably, by the time you read this, there will be many new and better electronic gadgets applicable to the harmonica. But for the moment, we've tried to explore and explain as space will alow. We'vealsotried to pick those ‘that we think might have the most interest for you. There are other accessories available for the mouth organ, as well as many other kinds of harmonicas. For instance, there are chord harmonicas, bass harmonicas, specially tuned mouth organs, even Melodicas. [A keyboard instrument which has harmonica type reeds, and depending on the model, can sound like a bass harmonica, a regular harmonica, even an accordion. It can also handle chords, trills, and other effects not possible on an everyday chromatic.] Obviously, one book can’t begin to explore all of these in depth, so it's suggested that you write to M HOHNER INC., LAKE RIDGE INDUSTRIAL PARK, P.O. BOX 15035, RICHMOND, VA. 23227. Ask for their catalog which lists all their harmonicas, melodicas, and many accessories. There is a minimal charge. In closing, [ leave you with these three words of advice: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!FAZER NUSTIKKE 0 PA aaa conan! Pe gt 6 . na