Harmonica--diatonic versus chromatic
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- čas přidán 22. 08. 2024
- A brief explanation of why you should buy a chromatic harmonica, especially if you already play diatonic.
Also pointing people to the online forum for the chromatic harmonica, www.slidemeiste...
Best Video on the differences between Diatonic & Chromatic on CZcams 🔥🔥🔥 Sincerely Thanks Gary! My latest diatonic harp is a Low E… (for…isn’t she lovely) I feel I’ve graduated some how😅😉😇! I do believe this will ADD to… diversify… & give me some new playing OPTIONS… regarding my humble skill level ❤.
Blessings… You have a BIG HARP & HEART😇… for sharing
It is called The Red River Valley--an American folk song.
Nice to hear that the melody is popular elsewhere.
Thanks for your information!
Hi Gary, It's Aaron from Apple Valley. Thanks for all the help you've given.
It is my pleasure, and I hope this (and other) videos can help you navigate the chromatic!
Thank you, thanks for your interest!
Harmonicas are a great portable source of music, of course so are iPods, but this one is much more personally satisfying!
Short harp is fun and great to start with, but chrom is the adult version!
So many years i broke my brain...buy or let it be...you have good arguments and now I will buy a chromatic.
I haven't mastered any instrument, but I do well enough on guitar (and vocal) to keep people from asking me to stop,
Diatonics and chromatics have different applications, it just seems silly to me for diatonic players not to get a chromatic and learn it.
I am still learning and appreciate your comments.
Check some of my other videos if you think I just can't play the harmonica at all--
Perhaps I am careless to post videos where I am not playing flawlessly--price is right tho--
Gary
I used to play the chromatic harp for quite a while. Then I switched over to the diatonic. I don't know why, but I feel much more comfortable playing the guitar and the diatonic at the same time than with the chromatic. Also, I LOVE the metallic, aliased sound of cheaper diatonic harps. But for some stuff, the chromatic harp is just the way to go.
You can find one at just about any music store. I have a Marine Band and it has the best tone of any harmonica I know of. I highly recommend one.
You are mostly right . . . diatonics can be played in a handful of keys, but most easily in two or three. Certainly most play them in second position (G on a C), or first position (C on a C).
So diatonics come in different keys, that will have sharps or flats and are used to play in those keys.
And the "bright, loud" thing I demostrate at the two minute mark is probably the power thing . . .
@Crazytjeuh Yes, try that. However, chromatics have valves that isolate each reed, so the bends are different than on diatonics, where the bending note is the opposing reed. To give you a specific example, if you take the cover plates off a diatonic harmonica, and put your thumb over a draw reed, let's say either hole 4 or 6, then touch the reed while drawing the note, it will stop--but bend the note first, and it won't! If you touch the draw reed, your blow bend will be like a valved bend, too!
@Japcat21
The diatonic is a Turboharp in C (Hohner Special 20), the chromatic is a Hohner 260 I retuned to C7 (bebop) starting on G.
Thank you Gary for this information although I don't understand why you would need to bend notes on chromatic, I've also been informed that by bending notes on a chromatic it can damage the wind savers.
Bending notes on a chromatic will not damage the wind savers, and as long as you don't bend past the range of the reed, it won't damage that either! Vocal resonance creates bends, and if you listen to the great chromatic players, they all "shade" the pitch with bends.
@tomhalling
Chromatic harmonica uses two reedplates, one in C (usually) and the other a half step higher.
So the button switches between them.
Chrom is tuned like holes 4-7 of the diatonic.
And yes, if you know the instrument, any key is possible--in practice, 8 or 9 are pretty achievable. I have trouble with D, A, and E on mine.
I like the K&M rack for diatonic--it has knurled knobs instead of wing nuts. I just did a search and found them at Harp Depot.
Enjoy!
@TuboEspectador
Thanks for your comments--I hope to improve on chromatic so that I can be more like the excellent players you mention!
Hi everyone!
I am still trying to get better on harmonicas, diatonic and chromatic. My new day gig is working for Suzuki Harmonicas here in San Diego--I get to repair all the Suzuki harps in the US, warranty and otherwise.
The SCX line is the best value in chromatic harmonicas on the market--check them out!
@colemontelongo
I DO recommend plastic, with screws holding the plates to the comb.
Upkeep is tougher that diatonic, mainly because of the slide package and the windsavers, plasic pieces that go over the reed slots to make the harp more airtight.
They aren't great for chords, but you can tune them differently to change that--check some of my other videos.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I'm deciding whether to buy diatonic or chromatic. 😍👍🏼
Diatonics are cheaper--but if you already play another instrument, especially guitar or keyboard, you will find that chromatic gives you more of what you are used to. Diatonic is tough to play in more than a few keys (like a C can be played in G or D, but they are not pure major keys).
That is a Super 64X--I sold it to Joe Spiers!
I recommend either a 14 hole or 16 hole--although I usually play a 12 hole, it starts on G--but there are a lot of good chromatics available at reasonable prices.
I work for Suzuki USA and recommend the SCX line--12 hole is good, 14 hole is better, and a 16 hole will provide you with 4 octaves of free reed music/magic you can carry around in your pocket!
If you can afford it, the CX-12 is a good bargain.
There are lots of choices--the Hohner 270 is a favorite of many--I think the Suzuki SCX series is a good bet.
Seydel makes the Saxony, it has stainless steel reeds--I want one!
I am a beginner and have bought a chromatic one with scale changer. Is it ok to begin with or shall I replace with a diatonic harmonica ?
@@prith1985 It depends on what kind of music you want to play. Diatonic is great for certain things, blues for example, but playing melodies that contain several keys (American Songbook stuff, like Tea For Two or I Got Rhythm) are easier with a chromatic.
@@garylehmann800 Okay I am starting it with Chromatic Harmonica then will move to diatonic one. Basically my motto is to learn playing playing blues, jazz, folk and country music on Harmonica because I am blues guitarist myself
Great talk, thanks, I suspect that diatonics only play in one key, but have more power for the limited notes they do have. Also means no sharps or flats.
Great talk. I agree with you.
I speak from experience--as I demonstrate in this hastily prepared video, overbends are not unavailable to me. It's just that I think we should have options--and the chromatic gives us that!
So I welcome the opinions of others--it's not like I'm an expert!
Good choice!
You can never have too many harmonicas/
G
Hello Gary,
I am a member on slidemeister too... BTW, the tune that you played for the demonstration, what is it called? It resembles a very popular Indian song!
I like the Hohner 260--it's ten holes, and sounds good.
But they aren't cheap--
The CX-12 is much more money, but the best to start with, it's easiest to maintain.
Also, the Educator is cheap, and easy to maintain, but not as enjoyable a harp to play.
If you can find a used chromatic for less than $50, buy it--the investment in infrastructure alone makes it worth it, and perhaps it will play well enough for you to get started--that's the hard part, continuing is much easier at that point.
@ajfedor
High praise coming from the Slidemeister hisself!
Hello Gary, I would like to ask you a couple of inane questions. I have been learning to play the diatonic harmonica for 8 months however, I cannot draw bend or blow bend. As you know it's a technique and for some reason I just can't do it so, I'm thinking about swapping over to a chromatic harmonica. My first question is this, do you use the slide button on the chromatic to draw and blow bend? And my second question is this, is the chromatic harmonica easier to learn than the diatonic harmonica? I would really appreciate your advice about this.
+Laurence Mann Although every note on the chromatic can be bent, that's not what the button is for. Bending is done on the chromatic more for expression, not to produce missing notes.
If you want to play all the notes, chromatic is easier. It can be confusing, but not as frustrating as trying to play chromatically on a diatonic!
The long answer is, it's all good--try the chromatic and see if you like it!
You should be able to draw bend at the very least on 4 hole draw as long as you can inhale whistle without an instrument and change your pitch while inhaling. Please try a similar motion on your harp.
Hi Gary,I'm new to Harmonica playing ,but have started to learn a few Neil young songs, can you tell me which one Neil uses for mr Soul..is It a Chromatic Harmonica?
All the notes are available without extended techniques.
your video do explain in details, thanks a lot
I tried other Chromatics, and they are good, but they just don't grab me. I have Hohner Chromonica 10s and 12s, but my main axe is Chrometta 12. Nice fat holes for my big mouth and I just feel comfortable playing it. I play blues in a band with them. Funny thing is, can't get past 'Mary had a little lamb'(kid version) with a diatonic.
I am presently playing my diatonic and am thinking of upgrading to a chromatic. Can you recommend a good but not too expensive chromatic? What are your views on the Chinese chromatics such as Swan and Golden Cup? Thank you.
This Music is The Red River By Dimitri Tiomkin??
Hi Gary, I'm interested in the Suzuki SCT-128. You seem to like the SCX line as well. Im not an expert at all but I do want a Chromatic and am TORN between the 2. I love the way the SCT looks a lot. So can you make my decision for me please?. Thank you.
+ggolds5 The SCT is a great harmonica, but there's no comparison to the SCX--price, features, volume. If you can afford an SCT, you can afford to also buy the SCX. I am the Suzuki repair guy, so if you buy them in the US thru a domestic dealer, you get a one year warranty that includes reed failure. Buy both!
Gary
thanks man. really appreciate this vid.
@max Don't get me wrong, everyone should have a "regular tuned diatonic harmonica" as they are inexpensive, expressive and portable.
You need not be a hobo.
Once you find that you have fallen in love with a diatonic, take the plunge and buy a chromatic--if you don't like it, someone will buy it on eBay!
Never played before which one should I get
Thanks a lot , What is a good Chromatic? I've never owned one. Can suggest a good one? I have several Lee Oskar Diatonics
I like the Special 20 for diatonic, that's a Hohner . . .
@dmitrysbor
Thanks, but chromatic is more interesting to me.
I don't really think I am going to "master" either one, but hope to have fun!
Chromatics can be had for less than $100 but the better ones are between $100 and $200--and you should pay that twice that to get a good one (I want the Seydel Saxony).
Diatonics can run you $30-100!
Gary,
can I play E or F scale song with C scale Chromatic 16 hole harmonica?
1:19 What song is this part from?
It IS Red River Valley . . .
is that Super Chromonica by Hohner? what would you suggest, a 12 hole or 16 hole? super thanks anyway! :)
The chromatic harp sounds too sterile for my purposes. It sounds like something that Zamphir would play.
How do you make your own harmonica?
Straight and to the point: I like it!
ajfedor
Both have their place in music. I actually have two Chromatics which are valveless, and yet they don't leak air. Not for professionals, but great for music theory.
For music theory? What are talking about? Get a piano.
playing red river valley?
Yup
I can smell it
I'd go from diatonic harmonica to accordian personally lol
You should master diatonic.
get a suzuki scx the reeds last foreverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.. almost.. 10 years plus hard playing
So can you still bend notes on a chromatic?
oh nevermind
Only if you are really good.
Same for diatonic, really . . .
Just get comfortable--and make good music!
Along with all the spit, cooties, and pablum that comes with a used harmonica.
Why diatonic VERSUS chromatic? Each one has its value, Gary. There´s space for both.
That's kinda my point.
hallo gary, wenn du weniger quatschen und erstmal richtig spielen lernen würdest, wäre uns allen wohler!
Oh Boy Gnarly, now you've done it...you might just run afoul of those who think you've no 'right' to suggest harp-ellers come on over to the 'dark side'..LOL. Or maybe not. Perhaps they reserve their superciliousness just for women like me, haha...we shall see, won't we? I'm dying here...rotflmNYao...
Scotty ;)
Used harmonicas can be cleaned--I do the warranty repairs for Suzuki Harmonicas here in the US, they are not always clean!
You're welcome--harmonicas are great, portable and inexpensive, but get grounded first--and find a guitar playing friend!