apskarp
331 posts
Sep 14, 2010
12:02 AM
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So yesterday I got the book from Brendan and I had some time to read it. I tried the 1st and 2nd position examples from there and something clicked - I understood experientially the improved elements of this tuning vs. the richter tuning. I'm a believer! :D
Seriously, while I am very accustomed to the 2nd position of the richter tuning, the 1st position on the POWERBENDER kicks richter's ass! And to be honest, the 2nd octave of the 2nd position on PB tuning is also far more expressive and groovy than the richter's. I mean I can utilize the 6OB pretty well nowadays and I can even get the 7OD too, but I can't put so much expression to the playing with that tuning. The 6 drawbend for example brings something that you really can't do with the richter and for my ear that is really nice sound. The micro-tonalities are just superb in this PB layout.
The richter seems to have it's advantages too, I have learned some classical pieces for example that for me just seem to be easier with the richter - then again I haven't put so much effort to find good positions on PB. But when it comes to blues, I have no doubt that PB is far better tuning to learn for that - at least for 1st & 2nd position (haven't had time to explore the third position yet). This is my subjective opinion of course, but I feel that I won't be expanding my richter harp collection anymore but instead I will put my main efforts to the PB tuning.
The only thing that feels somewhat awkward is the leap from 4 draw to 6 blow (which is 4 draw -> 5 draw in richter), but it starts to flow too - and of course you have to possibility to use 5blow->6blow instead. But for me the draw notes are easier to control and more expressive so I prefer 4 draw over the 5 blow. Perhaps I'll try out some partial valving which might make a difference there..
Summa summarum: I just found my new favorite tuning here! :)
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Last Edited by on Sep 14, 2010 12:04 AM
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isaacullah
1162 posts
Sep 14, 2010
12:50 PM
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apskarp: thanks for this review! I've been quite curious to hear what fellow MBH'ers think of this tuning (I'm us ordinary MBH'ers, not those who are Harp Gods already). Having met Brendan, taken a short seminar from him, and being a HUGE fan of his music, I've been VERY interested in this new tuning. I'm short cash at the moment, but hope to convince my wife to buy me one for Christmas! So, I'm glad to hear that you really feel it is a revelation. I'm hoping to try it and to find out if it will be a revelation for me too. I have a feeling that it will be!
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nacoran
2724 posts
Sep 14, 2010
4:03 PM
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I'm actually a harp god. I'm the harp god of futility and frustration.
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Brendan Power
96 posts
Sep 14, 2010
4:36 PM
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@apskarp: Wow!
Thanks, Brendan
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Buddha
2445 posts
Sep 14, 2010
5:18 PM
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@isaac
if you want to come over and rub the bunyons again, I will let you try my powerbender. It's pretty cool and well worth the effort you have to put into my feet.
Let me know.
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"All is bliss"
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isaacullah
1163 posts
Sep 14, 2010
7:01 PM
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Chris: Thanks! I want to take you up on that. I'm teaching a new class at MCC this semester, in addition to my other research job, and writing my dissertation (or at least thinking about it really really hard!), so my "free" time is very low right now. If I can get a handle on making my lectures ahead of time, and if I can get this pile of papers on my desk graded, I think I might be able to get half the day free on tuesday next week. I'll give ya a call!
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oldwailer
1336 posts
Sep 14, 2010
10:25 PM
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Hey Isaac!
I just finished building a new MB Powerbender for myself today--I got the book a couple of days ago, but I've had a house-guest and haven't gotten the time to work on it.
You just gotta try one of these out! It's worth the price of admission to just get the intensive practice on bending--all up and down the harp! Since you're a DIYer, you could easily make yourself a harp--just get the book though--Brendan is great to deal with and the CD and little book are invaluable data. I've only been messing with it for a couple of hours today--and I'm sold--I'll be making some more of these babies.
I've been in kind of a rut with harp for a while now--this breaks me clear out of it--it's fresh and new and I'm loving it!
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Last Edited by on Sep 14, 2010 10:26 PM
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apskarp
332 posts
Sep 15, 2010
4:28 AM
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So yesterday I had a chance to try out the 3rd position as well. It was just grrrrreat! This tuning with 3rd position is enabling me to get so groovy and sweet melodies that it's is really refreshing to my ears..
I started to jam with the 3rd position minor & minor pentatonic scales and then put some blues scales in there - it really opened up some new possibilities and I felt that I really could hear the "soul" of this position. I mean there are clearly audible differences when playing 2nd vs. 3rd position in richter tuning, but for me it feels more as a difference of what licks come naturally and in which octave - with this PB tuning the I feel like both of the positions are grooving (in all the octaves), but just differently.
I don't know if you get what I mean, but I do feel like that for the first time I really got what it means when people say that the position adds it's own flavor to the music - musically the choice to be made is that flavor, not the playability. In richter it feels for me that the position just adds the flavor because some things are so much harder to do in some positions & octaves than in others. In this PB tuning my feeling is that at least 1st, 2nd & 3rd positions are all about as easy to play (and they all are very groovy), but the differences lie in where the most juicy notes are..
Let's see what the other positions are like... :)
(Although I feel like there's enough material for a long time with just these three positions.)
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Brendan Power
97 posts
Sep 15, 2010
5:21 AM
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@apskarp and oldwailer:
I'm glad you're liking the PowerBender so much :) It feels like a vindication: I knew it was special from the moment I created it in 2008, but it's only when others feel buzzed about it too that you know you're onto something that's appealing in a real primal sense.
If you like 1st, 2nd & 3rd, try 5th Position - it really wails (kind of like Richter 3rd Position but more expressive). 3rd Position Major and 6th Position Minor on the PowerBender are sweet too (they're related of course), and 11th Position is really funky.
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