Usually I don't share the work in progress but I make an exception for this one, because I'm SO HAPPY with my stage IV Manji....This is the first part of the fast movement, I currently working on the second part of it
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Daughter of Hannibal Lecter, also known as "Christelle Berthon"
Very nice indeed. How would you describe its responsiveness compared to an OOTB Manji? I'm currently using Manjis with MR-350 coverplates because I don't like vented coverplates. I've thought about buying some Spiers Harmonicas, but didn't know that Joe offered Suzuki models.
I look forward to your finished piece.
---------- "You will never get every possible thing out of an instrument, but the instrument will get every possible thing out of you" - Ray Charles.
I was under the impression that, while Joe put Manji coverplates on it for you, it actually has Marine Band reedplates and reeds. Was I wrong about that? Does it actually have Manji reeds? I'm glad you finally got such a great custom harmonica, I hope it lives up to all your expectations (IMHO Joe Spiers is one of the absolute best, if not the best customiser out there).
I noticed that Joe no longer has the Stage IV listed on his website. Joe, are you no longer offering the Stage IV custom harmonicas? I can understand if you've decided to no longer make them available, from how you described them, and the way you build them, I imagine that they must take an incredible amount of work and time to build.
Last Edited by on Jan 30, 2012 4:57 PM
That sounds really nice! Next step is to sculpt the long phrases so they really unfold with the music, and it's gonna be top-notch. You're precision is impressive on this! ----------
Beautiful as always! I really like it when you do the hand whas so that one is reminded that it really is a diatonic harmonica you are playing. ---------- Pistolkatt - Pistolkatts youtube
"Do I recall somewhere your saying that you do not read music or use tabs? How do you memorise such a complex piece of work?"
Yes that's true, I used to read music but for the harmonica I'm NOT using it at all. I'm using my memory, may be trained since I'm 3 years old. I know I should begin to read music, during the 2 months I've been on Howard Levy harmonica school, Howard told me repeatedly that I should began this work in order to prepare myself for the jazz (you can't avoid this for this kind of music).
For this kind of music I'm using a software called Transcribe, it's a very nice slow downer, I'm playing very very slow, concentrating on the precision (25% of the final speed) then when I feel that I'm comfortable playing it at 25% (rule of 10, if I can play it 10 times in a row it means that I didn't miss something) I'm incrementing 5%, 10 times played well, then 5% again, etc etc
So after awhile your brain has recorded the song...I genuinely think that anyone can play difficult technical things as long as you're practicing several hours everyday
@harmonicanick:
"Of course you are classically trained, lovely stuff, but I prefer the blues, yeeeah!"
Being classically trained has NOTHING to do with the diatonic harmonica, it doesn't matter at all....The oboe is blowing instrument only and on many aspect this is an entire different way of playing....AS far as the music goes, I refuse to be racist against a type of music or another (some exception though). I've passed 2 years to rehab from the folk and classical music, most of the classical musician (I'm saying the majority not all of them ) can't improvise because of a certain rigidity that the classical music implies (which is necessary
If I share something with the classical music THIS IS THE HARD WORK, and trying to be as precise as possible
@Lee Edwards:
"Very nice indeed. How would you describe its responsiveness compared to an OOTB Manji? "
Seriously it's a COMPLETE NEW WORLD that has opened with Joe Spiers. Now I know that if I can't play something this is REALLY because of me, not the set up. Plus the incomparable sound and fluidity of the instrument...
I LOVE MY MANJIS, for me they're still the best OOTB harps, but with Joe Spiers, this is NOT AT ALL the same instrument in the sense that no companies can spend more than 8 hours on one single instrument
This is EXACTLY like the cars: You can buy a Mercedes for $200 000, but if you want it customised by AMG it'll cost you 3 times the price, but you'll have a complete different car than the original _________________________________________
Daughter of Hannibal Lecter, also known as "Christelle Berthon"
Last Edited by on Jan 30, 2012 2:47 PM
you're welcome say to him that you're coming on my behalf (just to show Joe who much I love his work) ---------- _________________________________________
Daughter of Hannibal Lecter, also known as "Christelle Berthon"
Last Edited by on Jan 30, 2012 2:58 PM
Christelle - I'll certainly do that. Thanks again. ---------- "You will never get every possible thing out of an instrument, but the instrument will get every possible thing out of you" - Ray Charles.
@Cristal: I've listened to most of your clips and love your work, and sympathize with nearly all of your sentiments in defending your approach to music. I applaud you in your approach to different genres. I'd love to hear this piece when you've got it all down. I know your tone,and ability to interpret, and I can't wait to hear this piece when you're able to apply the full benefit of it on all those darn little notes. Your work ethic is an inspiration.
I estimate 3 or 4 more weeks of work for that piece, playing the notes is one thing, BUT there's 3 other steps besides decipher the notes and playing them correctly:
2) giving the "effortless" feeling, this piece should flow like a waterfall (which is not the case in the sample I've posted, it's too mechanical and not enough expressive) 3) adding nuances 4) internalising the piece to be able to play it completely without being tired _________________________________________
Daughter of Hannibal Lecter, also known as "Christelle Berthon"
Last Edited by on Jan 30, 2012 5:08 PM
"Do I recall somewhere your saying that you do not read music or use tabs? How do you memorise such a complex piece of work?"
Thanks for your explanation. When I penned my first post it was after listening to you playing it non stop for about 20 minutes. What I didn't realise was that the recording was continually repeating itself without any intervals. LOL. I was blown away by thinking it was in itself a marathon piece of work as are many of Bachs concertos. I'm sort of relieved that whilst I think your playing is brilliant your memory is excellent but not quite as savant like as I first thought. ---------- HARPOLDIE’S YOUTUBE
Groyster, I went back and looked at the picture she posted of the harmonica, and it definately has Marine Band reedplates, not Manji. You can tell because in the picture the reedplates are brass (Manji reedplates are a silver color). Also, it uses one of the Spiers/Sleigh corian combs, which are specifically built to fit the MB reedplates (although they recently finished and started offering a GM version). So IMHO, it should definately be referred to as a custom Marine Band, despite the fact that it has Manji coverplates, because the reeds are by far the most important part of the harmonica.
Last Edited by on Jan 30, 2012 7:17 PM
MB plates, with reeds from each model. I stopped taking orders for them since Hohner upped their reed quality and the bottom end feels beefier. I'm very satisfied with the power I can extract from them now, whereas before I was replacing 2-4 weak reeds on new harps because they either squealed or stuck under hard pressure. My Stage 1 harps are better in many ways today than my best harps were a year ago. I don't build manjis as a rule, but when I do they usually end up with some Hohner reeds in the top end. -------- Spiers Harmonicas
Last Edited by on Jan 30, 2012 8:08 PM
That's really cool, I didn't realise that the Manji reeds would fit the slots on MB plates.
So, taking this new information to consideration, it's actually more of a custom "FrankenHarp". I guess it wouldn't be fair to categorise it as either a custom MB, or Manji....I'd probably just to refer to as an awesome "Spiers Custom Harmonica".
Last Edited by on Jan 30, 2012 9:12 PM
Manji reeds are a tight fit, one reason for doing it. And some of them are file-to-fit. It's the other way around in the upper register. ---------- Spiers Harmonicas
Whew! That's quite a mouthful. It's a pretty piece of music. It seems like the ultimate 1/8th note workout: endless strings of them. So you're right: the first step is simply being able to play all of them in sequence; the second step is to memorize them and develop the endurance to do the whole piece. But because the notes are so regular, all the magic comes AFTER those two preparatory stages, when your technique reaches the point where you can very slightly push and ritard the onrushing string of notes to create lyricism, expressivity. I hear some of those moments right now, scattered here and there; I also hear a very few moments where you're straining for a particular overblow--or at least I think I hear that. By sharing at this point, you've helped us hear the sheer effort that goes into fully mastering a piece like this. It's a beautiful piece and when you've got it where you want it, I suspect it will be one of the things you'll play regularly in concert.
In fact this is a old dream to play that piece (for the reference this is the 3rd movement of the oboe concerto in D minor) the genuine genius that plays that piece is Heinz Holliger, the "best" oboe player of the 20th century.... Playing that piece on a oboe, is already kinda complicated, so trying to give the feel on a diatonic is kinda hard
The second part is technically a nightmare, because of the several modulation and the huge arpeggios intervals (bouncing from the top 2nd octave, to the low 1st)
At this stage what is difficult is to resist the temptation of speeding (I'm currently at 65 % of the final speed for the second part) because this piece really gives you the impression to pilot a jet airplane, the slightest movement of the hand, the slightest hesitation and you crash on the ground.
Something that seems important that I've discovered recently is that I'm using way TOO MUCH air and energy, and the work on that piece require control and economy of that energy, without losing the warm tone. I mean what I've heard of most of the fast jazz players or classical music played on a diatonic, is that the tone is vanishing, to end with a sound that comes from the front of the mouth, there's a loss of intensity and expression
The Joe Spiers Stage IV is HELPING A LOT....I know a year ago I've posted a video playing a blues on a $3 toy harmonica with overbends and all, saying that this is the responsibility of the player to make the instrument sound good, BUT with this high precision piece, you NEED a high precision harmonica...I KNOW ALREADY that this harmonica IS/WILL CHANGE for ever my way of playing this instrument....I wish one day I'll win a lottery ticket and buying 3 sets of Joe Spiers
As for playing in concert I'm afraid that's not gonna happen, I'm still struggling with making contact with blues musicians, so for this piece there'll be no way.... I'm condemned to be a sitting room musician
This is the whole piece slow down a 15% without the harmonica:
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Daughter of Hannibal Lecter, also known as "Christelle Berthon"
Last Edited by on Feb 01, 2012 2:56 PM
One of the things I love about harmonica is how it can morph from sounding like one instrument to another. There is a post in another thread where Darrell Mansfield sounds like an electric guitar. Here you sound like a lead violin, especially in the upper register. It's almost shawm-like in the lower register. :)
Sometimes I long for sheet music. I really enjoy learning new melodies, but I hate memorizing arrangements. It was easy to change things on the fly when there were just two of us on stage, but with a second guitar, a bass and drums it's harder to make sure everyone catches the signal that we are going off into improvising (especially crammed onto a coffee house stage right on top of each other). Sometimes I miss having a conductor.
@Christelle: well, studios ARE sometimes sitting rooms..:) I'd bet that you don't know where you're gonna end up Cristal; you're on quite a journey!
Last Edited by on Feb 01, 2012 2:53 PM
