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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Suzuki Compact Chord Demo Live at NAMM
Suzuki Compact Chord Demo Live at NAMM
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Gnarly
896 posts
Feb 06, 2014
12:26 PM
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Hi gang--
Here is a short demo of me at NAMM showing what the new chord harp can do!
I play through a chorus of San Francisco Bay Blues, then solo over it on chrom (courtesy of Brandon Bailey's RC-30).
Then I show the 12 major chords, ascending chromatically.
Last Edited by Gnarly on Feb 06, 2014 12:30 PM
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Pistolcat
578 posts
Feb 07, 2014
10:45 AM
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That is crazy cool! Makes my head hurt, though. One diatonic scale per harp is enough for my simple mind :)
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Pistolkatt - Pistolkatts youtube
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smwoerner
237 posts
Feb 07, 2014
11:45 AM
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Wow, thanks for showing us this cool set up. I want one of theses for just what you did, laying down a nice chord loop. You don't have to switch harps and the chromatic style has just enough different sound so that the melody played over the top will really pop.
This could also be fun comp with on some bluegrass and country tunes.
Yep, I think I'll have to get one.
Edit: At $699 retail, I may have to wait a bit and sell amp...
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Purveyor of Optimized New and Refurbished Harmonicas.
scott@scottwoerner.com
Last Edited by smwoerner on Feb 07, 2014 11:54 AM
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Gnarly
897 posts
Feb 07, 2014
5:25 PM
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Brandon showed great patience (you can see him in the video) and generosity in sharing his gear (and stage). He neglected, however, to teach me how to beat box thru a harp into a mike--with great tone and groove.
Thanks, Brandon!
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AW
158 posts
Feb 08, 2014
7:11 AM
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Here's my more affordable alternative chord playing option:
I ordered two custom seydel solist for a total for under $150 with the following layouts.
Bb F Ab Bb D F A C Eb Gb
C G Bb C E G B D F Ab
F C Eb F A C E G Bb Db
G D F G B D Gb A C Eb
My goal was to find a way to play the most common chord progressions while cupping a harmonica to a mic. I first tried it with seydel big 6, but because the one hole on that model is actually the size of a standard 3 hole slot, the lower limit was higher than I wanted. My original layout is the above with the holes 1-3 and 10 removed. I think the additions of the above notes add a lot.
There are many different possible patterns of notes that give you a long list of chords on paper (Kniri 221, true chromatic, etc) but because commonly used chords don't fall close to each other in these patterns I found one or more chords an octave or more off from the others in a song. This was too jarring for my taste.
I've thought about ordering this layout or something similar in a seydel chromatic model so it would be self contained. However, there is some value in keeping them separate as you have more flexibility to add in a different harmonica, either another chord combination or a standard diatonic.
I'm working on magnetic wedges to hold the two harmonicas together similar to hinged bass harmonicas, but small enough to cup around.
If you look at the layout, you see a low end power chord 1 5 7b layout in Bb, C, F, and G. This leads into the major chord with the major 7 following. So in very congruent octaves you get the major chord, the major dominant 7(inverted7b,1,3,5) and the major 7 for Bb,C,F,and G. With the 1,5, and sometimes 7b you can play any of the minor chords and fit in despite not having the flat 3rd.
Moving up you next get Dm, Em, Am, Bm which can be played as 4 note chords to give you Dm7, etc. Again, all these minor chords are in congruent octaves that allow for smoother transition between chords.
Next is F, G, C, D with a 4 note option of F7, etc. While there are three duplicate chords, it is an octave higher than the previously mentioned ones. You trade Bb for D. The minor chords between the major chords give you proximity to either octave without huge jumps.
The last 3-4 notes give you diminished chords A, B, E, Gb which then become diminished 7ths with the 4th note.
You can, of course, play these harmonicas a single note at a time and every blow note is a whole step from the draw note, giving you a single half-step draw bend.
I thought about naming this combination the Chug-or-not. But that might be too silly. Anyway, it's been fun thinking about this an now playing around with it. There's still more experimenting to be done, I'd be interested in MBH thoughts on this.
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GMaj7
350 posts
Feb 08, 2014
8:08 AM
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AW.. If you want to do some experimenting with options for this, I'm willing to work with you on it.
I really like this type of innovation and offer pretty liberal return/modification options for customers who like to step out and try something different and cool!
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Greg Jones
16:23 Custom Harmonicas
greg@1623customharmonicas.com
1623customharmonicas.com
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Gnarly
898 posts
Feb 08, 2014
10:00 PM
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More video . . .
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isaacullah
2624 posts
Feb 10, 2014
9:14 AM
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First of all, I commend Suzuki for their continued innovation when it comes to this kind of thing. I've actually dreamed up something like this "in my head" (i.e., using a slide harp as a base to build a chording instrument), so I really like that Suzuki has made that a reality. And thanks to Gary for a great demo of the possibilities with this instrument. The instrument looks really great, and the tuning seems very well thought out and useable. Sadly, at about $700 retail, it's just out of the realm of possibility for me, and probably a lot of other players too. That saddens me because I don't want to see such a great instrument relegated to fringe use by a small group of players who can afford it (same could be said about other chord harmonicas). I do recognize the significant extra costs involved with making a harmonica like this, but would have hoped that building it on an existing chromatic hamonica base would have brought the price down some (into the $100-200 would have been great!). Until the time that I hit the lottery, I'm thinking a solution like that AW posted is more plausible for the average player. I'll keep my eye on what AW achieves, and I may eventually go that route myself, although I'm too darn broke right now to go ANY way! :)
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YouTube! Soundcloud!
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Gnarly
900 posts
Feb 10, 2014
2:33 PM
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Thanks Isaac!
I am really concentrating on learning this tuning, hoping to get enough interest in it that more of them are bought (and played), that might bring the price down--
Right now it is $600 street, more than a 10 hole fer shure . . .
The question I would like to know the answer to is, what kind of music really requires this sound? Obviously harmonica trios, but is there a contemporary style that begs for this accordion like timbre?
It's sure cool, I tell you that!
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STME58
642 posts
Feb 10, 2014
5:22 PM
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Gnarly,
I was noodleing around the other day and found that the climatic passage from Stravinski's "Rite of Spring" lays out well on a diatonic but it really needed the chords to back it up can give it it's power. I was wondering if one could do both the melody and chords on the Suzuki chord harp.
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Gnarly
901 posts
Feb 10, 2014
7:29 PM
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No, not usually--it's not an easy horn to play melody on.
There are some nice voice leading things tho . . .
Are you playing anywhere?
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robbert
275 posts
Feb 10, 2014
9:29 PM
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Thanks for explaining how this instrument is played. Not sure I'll ever have the budget or time to put in learning, but it's pretty darn interesting, and perhaps one day I'll pursue it.
Even if I didn't rapidly gain much competency to play in public, it would be a way to really delve into the study of harmony...something I'm a little behind on...thanks again!
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