I have continued to explore the powerbender without looking at the instruction book. 1st position blues is basically the same for the lower octave but so far feels clunky in the top two octaves. 1st position major is good. 1st minor is not really happening. 2nd is good for all three. 3rd is good for blues but I miss the flat five in the middle register. Fine for major, good for minor. 4th is good for blues and natural minor, not good for major. I reserve the right to change my mind as I improve.
Now for honesty that could get me in trouble. My biggest complaint is the rubbery tone of the high note draw bends. Whenever I have heard Brendan, whose playing I like and admire in many ways, I always disliked the tone of his high note bends. I feel the same way whenever PT Gazell, whose playing I like and admire in many ways, plays any valved bends. I assumed when Brendan made the sound I disliked it was because he was playing on a valved note. Since there are no valves in the powerbender, clearly something else is going on. I do not believe it is because of the brand of powerbender I have but maybe that is the issue. I also do not believe the tuning is the issue, but maybe. If it has something to do with the notes being high, it must also have something to do with being draw notes, because I love the sound of high note blow bends on a richter. I am not trying to be critical. I am hoping some harp tech genius, and it could be Brendan himself, will hear what I mean and go about creating a Powerbender that sounds like a regular richter when playing high note draw bends. If that can be accomplished, I am very interested in this tuning. I still am interested anyway, I think it is very innovative.
Brendan has brought to the forefront this excellent PowerBender tuning! And many of us are having a great time learning it.
Don't stop here!
See Pat Missin's (huge!) resource page for hundreds of tunings he's collected. You may find another you want to try. (tap, tap... solder, solder = Pling!)
http://www.patmissin.com/tunings/tunings.html See "Click to get a copy of it completely free"
I bet Brendan is deciding right now what tuning he will market next! Go Brendan!!
---------- Stay Well Play Well
Robert Hale Learn Harmonica via Webcam Low Rates, High Results http://www.youtube.com/DUKEofWAIL Gilbert AZ (Phoenix) http://www.dukeofwail.com
The heart of the Powerbender tuning is the IV6/V6 tuning-- This occurs on a Melody Maker from holes 3-6. I find it to be very useful for chromatic playing. However, as you might see from the Roman numerals, no tonic chord. What Brendan has done is to marry this tuning to Richter. Nice!
Last Edited by on Jul 19, 2011 10:54 PM
I can ship to Indonesia (or other countries) for re-sale, no problem. I only have A at the moment, other keys available next year. Email me: bren@brendan-power.com
Last Edited by on Jul 20, 2011 4:59 AM
@ Michael Rubin: I suggest you check out the instruction book/CD, most people find it really helpful. There are lots of cool positions you don't mention that the book can open up for you.
For example, try 5th Position Minor - it's really sweet and intuitive, my favourite minor position on the PowerBender. 6th position minor is nice too.
And 4th position IS good for major, either over a 7th chord or pentatonic - check out the examples in the book.
As far as the high draw bends are concerned, it's just a matter of getting used to them. On a Richter harp you can't draw bend above hole 6; on the PB you're draw bending all the way to hole 10. That requires a brain reset and some refinement of your draw bending technique, but the control, dexterity and expression you can get on those high draw bends will reward you. Here's a video that features quite a bit of high-end playing:
Brendan, I fully intend to check out the instruction book after I have spent around 10 minutes in each position checking out major, various minor scales blues. I enjoy exploring for myself.
Yesterday I tried 5th position and I definitely liked blues and minor.
I believe you about refining the upper draw bend technique, but even when hearing you play, who I can only assume is one of the best powerbender players in the world, the tone of the draw bends doesn't sit right with me.
What I may have to do is think of this as a third type of harmonica. Diatonic, chromatic and powerbender, instead of thinking of the powerbender as an alternate tuning type of diatonic. That way I will not compare the tone to the diatonic, I will think of it as its own instrument with its own tone.
