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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! > A HAPPY ACCIDENTAL!
A HAPPY ACCIDENTAL!
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Brendan Power
514 posts
Aug 21, 2016
4:42 AM
I invented the AsiaBend as a super-soulful all-draw-bending diatonic harmonica for playing modal music. But it contained a hidden surprise: the ability to overblow to get all chromatic notes! Listen to this beautiful Japanese folk tune in the Phrygian mode, KURODA BUSHI, which uses two overblows on the AsiaBend. Explanation of how they work follows:



Scale layout and extra info for the Asiabend: http://www.brendan-power.com/AsiaBend.php

Last Edited by Brendan Power on Aug 21, 2016 4:43 AM
ValleyDuke
85 posts
Aug 21, 2016
10:18 AM
Amazing sounds. Do know this song from Studio Ghibli?

Princess Mononoke Theme
Thievin' Heathen
816 posts
Aug 21, 2016
10:52 AM
When you get right down to it, everything about the harmonica is a happy accidental. Especially when I play.
Brendan Power
515 posts
Aug 21, 2016
11:31 AM
@ValleyDuke: Hadn't heard of Studio Ghibli, but thanks for wising me up. No, I learn't Kuroda Bushi from a Skauhachi album.
ValleyDuke
86 posts
Aug 21, 2016
3:43 PM
I saw a koto performance of the Princess Mononoke Theme and it sounded great. Would be great on harp, too.

So, what key were you playing in? What are the popular Japanese folk song keys?
Brendan Power
516 posts
Aug 23, 2016
5:33 AM
The AsiaBend has a C major scale. It can be played most easily in all the main modes of the major scale. For example:

C major - Ionian mode (1st Position)
Am - Aeolian mode (4th Position)
Dm - Dorian mode (3rd Position)
G - Mixolydian mode (2nd Position)
F - Lydian mode (12th Position)

Kuroda Bushi is in the Phrygian mode, which starts on E. So the scale is:

E F G A B C D E

It's in two parts, and near the end of each part the melody has an F# instead of the F. That's the overblow I mention in the video.
ValleyDuke
87 posts
Aug 23, 2016
2:58 PM
Thanks! Very interesting - I am sure Manji Suzuki would approve. This may be the first "chromatic" I've had an interest in. Would love to try those modes.


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