I want to get a low key harp but i am bit confused.. please harpfriends some advises about the finest sound and fun playing key.. and please which harp i should buy.. what do you think about the Suzuki harps? thanks a lot
Yon can use low D to play in A second position and low F to play in C. The choice is yours. I have Low F and its good for chugging etc and I'm thinking about getting a Low D next. Suzuki Harps are well made and high quality but personally I prefer the tuning of a Special 20.
I have a Session Steel in Low D and an 1847 in low F. The low F is not that low. When playing C in second position I prefer the Low F to the regular F . On my Low F the 6 draw bend is quite accessable. On harps about A I have a hard time getting a clean 6 draw bend. Low F seems to me to be on tht dividing line betwee regular and low harps.
The Low D is clearly in the low harp character. I can get a sound that is almost percussive when chugging. Low cords sound great but melody lines do not ring clearly and playing fast is tougher as low reeds have a slower attack. I like the way you can hear the reads ringing even after you have taken the harp away from your mouth.
Welcome to the forum. As HarpNinja said, A Low D is a lot of fun but harder to play in the low end. Personally I'm not much for Suzuki harps. I got a Low D Hohner Thunderbird that's awesome.
Here is a video of Rick Estrin on a Low D. It's been posted here before but I think it's a very nice example of what you can do with a low harp (If your one of the world's finest player on a custom harmonica from one of the finest customisers).
I found some Big Rivers in Low D, Low E, Low F, so I bought all three as an introduction to low keys. After they loosened up, they play great and sound nice. I use all three keys, depending upon the song. The Big Rivers were a low-cost way to try out some low keys. One day I will step up to some Thunderbirds in all three keys, and also add a Low C and Low A.
Thank you for your kind words, Yunusuu! I get very happy every time someone say something nice or "like" my videos on youtube. Tell you what I like with my Low D; Third position! The mid harp in Em is really beautiful. I have a very nice backing track for "Autumn Leaves" in Em from jazzbacks.com that is a joy to play to. ---------- Pistolkatt - Pistolkatts youtube
