Jaybird
241 posts
Jun 27, 2011
3:20 AM
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My post is related to Brendan Power's announcement of his new "PowerBender" harmonica. The concept of being able to bend all the draw notes all the way from hole 1 to 10 is very seductive. Brendan's awesome demonstration of the harp's abilities only adds to the excitement.
I'd like to get one of these. But I am apprehensive. The PowerBender uses an alternate tuning scheme that changes the note layout from hole 5 thru 10.
I had a hard enough time learning the standard diatonic harp note layout. It took alot of effort for me to become comfortable with the changes from hole 7 and up. This is probably why many beginner and intermediate harp players never play above hole 6.
If I were to get a PowerBender, I'd have to re-learn all the songs I know. I doubt if I could be proficient at both note layouts and switch back and forth between diatonic and PowerBender harps. It's got to be either diatonic or PowerBender.
Unlike many of you guys, I am not a "gear head". I don't collect all kinds of harmonicas. I only play the Suzuki Bluesmaster, and I only have one amp and one mic. I simply just want to play the harp well enough to impress friends and strangers. I am playing harp a little less than 6 years and I think I am pretty good.
I guess what I am saying here is that as impressed as I am with the PowerBender, it's just not worth the effort for me to re-learn how to play the harmonica.
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Last Edited by on Jun 27, 2011 4:11 AM
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jim
876 posts
Jun 27, 2011
3:26 AM
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I guess since those are cheap... why not trying? Powerbender is a good bridge tuning. I have had several people who tried it and liked some part of the concept, and they used the experience to alter the tuning further to fit their needs, or go to other altered logics (spiral, diminished).
Considering the price - just do it.
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arzajac
548 posts
Jun 27, 2011
4:55 AM
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You assume that learning an alternative layout will wipe out your ability to play the original layout.
As well, the technical abilities required to play overbends on those holes are usually prohibitive to most players. The powerbender would give you a whole lot more at your disposal.
But it all comes down to what you want. If you are happy with a regular diatonic and don't feel limited by it, then the Powerbender has little to offer you.
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MrVerylongusername
1709 posts
Jun 27, 2011
5:21 AM
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I like Jim's use of the word 'logic'. It's the difference between rote learning licks and hearing the note in your head (or reading from a score) and knowing where that note is. Once you've learned the logic of the layout you know where to go. I made my own Powerbender; it is a very logical tuning. Richter less so. Like others have said it depends on what kind of player you are and what you want to achieve. Bottom line is you won't lose the ability to play standard tunings so what's to lose in experimenting?
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Baker
129 posts
Jun 27, 2011
5:36 AM
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You could look at it like this. You have been playing six years, I would guess that you have leant to play in more then one position, which requires learning different note layouts. Has learning to play in 3rd position affected your ability to play in 2nd position?
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jim
877 posts
Jun 27, 2011
6:05 AM
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I don't know what to say about other tunings affecting each other...
I started off with Richter (duh..)
Then I tried an SBS-sort of richter in the top octave (stretched 5 holes)
Then I made TrueChromatic and completely switched to it, selling my Richter set.
Apart from that, I use Arabic and Spial Harmonic Minor - they have absolutely the same spiral logic. Say, the fifth in the lower octave of the Arabic tuning is 3draw. 3 draw of spiral harmonic minor is also the fifth of the lower octave. Etc.
I play TC half-valved and overbending. Arabic and Sp.Harm.Min are full-valved. They have absolutely different sound due to that. And full-valved harps need a different approach technique-wise. If you played the chromatic, you should know.
The point of this story: can I still play richter? Yes, and I would even sound the same way I did before I went altered. Tongue-blocked and stuff, 2nd pos. (even though I never do that now on TC!) Because my thinking has changed - but it has changed only for the new tunings. The richter logic remained the same.
And because of the difference in sound/technique, I simply cannot play them the same way.
By the way: if you like holes 5-8 on powerbenders, you will absolutely LOVE any spiral tunings.
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Last Edited by on Jun 27, 2011 6:07 AM
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groyster1
1158 posts
Jun 27, 2011
6:06 AM
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Im confused about the powerbender capabilities in that there are no extra notes available on 7draw to 10 draw and 5 draw only allows a half step bend
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harpdude61
876 posts
Jun 27, 2011
6:35 AM
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I agree with Baker. Just think of it as learning a new position.
Actually, not much different than learning the same lick in three different octaves on a Richter diatonic. Each octave requires different patterns to play the same lick.
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nacoran
4253 posts
Jun 27, 2011
10:23 AM
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I've played solo tuned tremolos (actually I started on them) and a minor tuned harp and made adjustments really quickly (my chromatic, not so much, but that really is a different beast). There is a little learning curve, but it's not nearly as steep as learning a harp in the first place.
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boris_plotnikov
574 posts
Jun 27, 2011
11:49 AM
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I'm waiting for 12 hole Seydels with stainless steel for trying layout of my dream. I'm nervous about that. I see that Richter (and especially solo tuning) are not perfect layouts for my demands, but 10 years of playing richter and solo tunings make me used to patterns. But I definitely will try different layouts. For chromatic diminished is perfect I sure. For diatonic I'm not 100% shure what is better, but I really love 4-6 holes of Powerbender while I dislike top octave.
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Last Edited by on Jun 27, 2011 11:49 AM
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Brendan Power
142 posts
Jun 28, 2011
3:24 AM
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@Jaybird: Everyone's different, but personally I like using several tunings - they give me lots of nice flavours and possibilities that are impossible on one tuning alone. As Jim says, you can keep the layouts for more than one tuning in your head and switch between them. The human brain is a very flexible instrument!
However, I also respect people who choose only one tuning and try to do everything on that (Howard Levy is the prime example on diatonic). The only quibble I'd have is that if you're going to go with just one tuning, why not experiment with a few first before just plumping for the stock Richter scale?
It's worth remembering that Richter began as simply one arbitrary tuning among many designed in the 19th century, before Blues, Jazz and everything else we play now had even been heard. But because it was incorporated in the most successful harp of all time (the 1896 Hohner Marine band), it became locked into place to the point where some consider that playing an altered tuning is almost a crime (Sugar Blue has that strange opinion...)
Remember, Richter was made to play German oom-pah music in first position, and by pure luck turned out to be quite good for Blues and lots of other later music, mostly played in the "wrong" keys. However, the top octave especially is not very friendly to the way 90% of players play now (2nd Position mostly). The altered breathing pattern and blow bends that are out of the home key for Cross Harp means that a lot of harp players rarely venture above hole 6.
So why not take the good bits and alter the bad bits to make the little harp we love suit contemporary music and playing styles better? The PowerBender is just one alternative, and there are lots of other good ones. I'd never claim it is the 'perfect' tuning - there isn't one!
But it is easier to play because of the consistent blow/draw pattern, retains the bluesy flavour of the traditional harp, and really opens up the top octave to anyone who can draw bend. Plus you can get a lot of jazzy notes on an average cheap harp - notes that are not available on a Richter unless you are a good overblower and have a customised harp.
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