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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! > Harmonica Octave Range vs. Other Instruments
Harmonica Octave Range vs. Other Instruments
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Mirco
249 posts
Mar 21, 2015
8:34 AM
When I use a tuner, I see that a standard C harmonica plays from C3 on the 1st hole to C6 on the 10th hole. Low tuned harmonicas would, I assume play an octave lower (from a C2 to a C5). Am I right so far?

How does this compare to other instruments? Within what range does the bass operate (both in regular practice and in potential)? How about the guitar? It would be useful for me to know, because I can chose whether to inhabit the same sonic space or not.
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Marc Graci
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Pistolcat
763 posts
Mar 21, 2015
8:46 AM
Not answering your post, but: At the latest jam I find myself on the same stage as a trombone. I got a bit nervous and had "brass envy". Though when we played (stormy Monday) we blew the same note, draw one on a low F. Me playing through the singin mic and him without amplification. Let me tell you I sounded twice his size...

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Last Edited by Pistolcat on Mar 21, 2015 8:47 AM
Mirco
251 posts
Mar 21, 2015
8:50 AM
I bet! That's why I want to know, so I can decide whether to match note for note. Sometimes, I play basslines and it would cool to actually know where the other player would be.
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Marc Graci
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timeistight
1731 posts
Mar 21, 2015
9:56 AM
The classic Fender bass goes from E1 (open first string) to Eb4 (19th fret on the fourth string). A 24-fret bass extends the top note t o G4; a five-string bass usually goes down to B0.

Ninety per cent of bass playing is probably between E1 and G3. Seventy- five per cent is probably between E1 and G2, unless you have a "lead bass" player.

You can find charts showing the range of other instruments on the web.
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STME58
1252 posts
Mar 21, 2015
9:26 PM
I found this chart that lays things out pretty well. Can you believe they left harmonica off!

Keyboard, harmonica and string players are pretty much limited by their instrument. This means that we all have the same range as the best harmonica players! However, when I play trombone I can hit the range shown on the chart, but the world class players have about another octave on both ends I can't hit (yet). I learned from this chart that there are extended range pianos with 97 keys! Anyone ever seen one of those?

@pistolcat, brass instruments are impressive for the volume they can create with just human power, but they are no match for an amplifier. I got chance to play though the PA with a mic clipped to my bell at a blues jam. That changed the whole character of the situation. I wished I could play better to take advantage of that power.
nacoran
8351 posts
Mar 21, 2015
10:02 PM
I know I kept running into trouble with my friend and his guitalele. I ended up switching to my LLF.

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Nate
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First Post- May 8, 2009
Harmlessonica
95 posts
Mar 21, 2015
10:48 PM
Fascinating chart STME58.

I see the 'harp' compares favourably to the other instruments...

;)
Kaining
84 posts
Mar 22, 2015
4:41 AM
The ambitus of the harmonica isn't shabby at all

3 octaves and a step (that 10°° isn't that hard to pull of on a good harp) is quite good.

And it can be extended easily by switching harps too.
mlefree
271 posts
Mar 22, 2015
9:02 AM
I'll just say that Lady Day (Billie Holiday) had but a one-octave range. It's what she did with it!

Michelle

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STME58
1255 posts
Mar 22, 2015
9:00 PM
@mlefree, I just watched the Ken Burns documentary on jazz and learned that about Billie Holiday, amazing! It just shows you how important it is to focus on what you can do, not on what you can't do.

Last Edited by STME58 on Mar 22, 2015 9:01 PM
Komuso
496 posts
Mar 22, 2015
9:21 PM
Don't forget those charts only show the fundamental tones, not the harmonics.

Depending on the effects you use the harmonic overtones can extend up to 6Khz+ (especially with electric guitar) which is something you need to be aware of when mixing and/or shaping tone.

This cart shows extended ranges:
All the EQ Information You’ll Ever Need in One Handy Chart

A spectrum analyser will come in handy!

I just had to cut out an annoying high frequency whine in my guitar with an aggressive notch filter at 4.2K, but took me a while to find the right filter that could do it properly (Ozone 5 fwiw)

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Paul Cohen aka Komuso Tokugawa
HarpNinja - Learn Harmonica Faster
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Last Edited by Komuso on Mar 23, 2015 12:15 AM
boris_plotnikov
1044 posts
Mar 23, 2015
12:33 AM
Regular C harmonica is from C4 (not C3) up to C7 (10 overdraw is halftone higher, Db7 here). Low C harmonica is from C3 to C6, LowF is from F3 to F6, from G3 to G6, G is from G3, regular F is from F4 to F7.
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FMWoodeye
837 posts
Mar 24, 2015
8:49 AM
Just a side note on amplification as it relates to brass instruments. I play trumpet and trombone as well as harp (but mainly harp) in my present band. I find the bone works best with a little amplifcation, i.e., maybe 15 or 20 inches behind my vocal mic. The trumpet cuts through the mix quite well with no amplification at all.
nacoran
8361 posts
Mar 24, 2015
12:55 PM
Jim made a LLD harmonica, that would be D2. I listened to some recordings of it. It was amazing.

Tombo has a chart that shows the range of some of their ensemble harps. They seem to be using a different naming protocol though. It looks like one of their bass harps goes down to what would be C1? Am I reading that right? The note break is at C, so is that a harp an octave and a note below Jim's?

http://www.tombo-m.co.jp/eng/

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Nate
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First Post- May 8, 2009


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