1

Let's talk about the standard modern chromatic, tuned to the key of C.

On that instrument,the same C note appears twice at two adjacent holes, both blow notes. The first C hole ends an octave, the second one begins a new octave.

That being the case, when navigating through a piece of music and C has to be played, the player always has to choose which C hole to use. (Unless you're playing the lowest or very highest/last hole - C.)
What are the criteria for choosing which C to play?

I am not a very serious player on the chromatic, but I do fool around with it sometimes. My general rule is that if I get to the end of an octave and intend to continue playing into the next octave, I jump to the second C hole to start the new octave. But if I intend to stay in the same octave and move back down (or just stop playing) I play the first C hole.

Can anyone add to this? Is there something wrong with my method - for example, some inefficiency or error it can lead to?

Stinkfoot
  • 6,743
  • 23
  • 49
  • 1
    Just dug out some of my chromonicas - 4 octave Hohners, a couple of them - and they all have one blow hole for C. Can't understand why they'd need two True, it means the lowest hole is C blow, D draw, and the next octave hole is B draw, C blow, making the next one up D draw, E blow. They're at least 50 yrs old, still playing well, so maybe the design has changed, but these are/were simple enough to play. Thought about finding an older model?!! – Tim Oct 30 '17 at 08:06
  • @Tim - see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromatic_harmonica . There are variations. Most common layouts have the double C but check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromatic_harmonica#Alternative_tunings - Classical tuning - sounds like that's what you have. _an't understand why they'd need two_ - we talked around this a couple of months ago in my question about just that - why A->B is two draws, unlike the rest of the scale. – Stinkfoot Oct 30 '17 at 09:08
  • 1
    @Tim My harmonica has two holes for each C, like Stinkfoot describes. The reason why this exists is because there are more draw notes (D, F, A, B) than blow notes (C, E, G). By having two holes per C, the positions of blow and draw notes are neatly aligned across the entire harmonica. However, I'm a pretty sloppy harmonica player, and when I play a C note I indiscriminately blow into both holes at the same time. This is probably not proper technique. :-) – Lee White Oct 30 '17 at 09:11
  • @LeeWhite - see https://music.stackexchange.com/questions/62042/b-c-on-a-chromatic-harmonica - I asked it not long ago. _This is probably not proper technique_ - probably not... LOL – Stinkfoot Oct 30 '17 at 09:13
  • @LeeWhite - On second thought, if it's easy for you and you play it cleanly (I've never tried - the thought never occurred to me...) , **why not** play both? Keep your options open! Maybe Post it as an answer...? – Stinkfoot Oct 30 '17 at 09:46
  • @Tim - I have a 4 octave 16 hole Hohner "Professional Chromonica" (great sound) that's about 20 years old. It has the double C. I also have a 12 hole 3 octave Hohner "Super Chromonica" that is fairly new - it also has the double C. But if I'm not mistaken, that model is actually a reissue of their original Chromonica model - from 1928. Are you sure yours are stock? This is interesting - "for those who find interest in such things" : _Chromonica Trivia!_ – Stinkfoot Oct 30 '17 at 09:52
  • 1
    the plot thickens! Just found four chromonicas - all C, and all work the same as I said, except one, which plays C# *until* the button is pressed in!! Another couple only have single C holes as well. The C# is somewhat intriguing though... Chromoni**K**a III. I remember talking about it, but still think mine do the job well enough. Each octave becomes the same blow/draw... – Tim Oct 30 '17 at 10:30
  • 1
    Blowing through *two* C holes will use twice the air, I'd have thought. – Tim Oct 30 '17 at 10:34
  • 1
    My personal issue with blowing through both C holes is that it creates a slight of tremolo (even if barely audible), and probably makes the note a bit louder than all others. That's probably not something you should do unless you really intend to get that effect. :) – Lee White Oct 30 '17 at 10:37
  • 1
    @LeeWhite - could be that the two Cs aren't exactly in tune, thus creating *beats*. – Tim Oct 30 '17 at 10:41
  • @Tim _which plays C# until the button is pressed in_ - I'm not sure I understand the layout you're describing. Check out the link I posted up above on alternate tunings. Are you talking what they're calling _bebop tuning_ there? (This needs to become a separate question about the variations of the chrom's tunings) – Stinkfoot Oct 30 '17 at 11:16
  • No, there's one chromonika III -spelled as such - that plays in C# with the button released, and drops to C when it's depressed (so do I !!), unlike any others I've seen which work in the 'normal' way - C , and C# button in. It's stamped C, not C#, and although it's German, I don't think notes B and H get into the equation! Will check link asap. – Tim Oct 30 '17 at 11:22
  • @Tim - OK - I understand. I assume it works that way for all the notes? If so it's called **_Irish Tuning_** there - the slide flattens by a semi-tone instead of raising by semi-tone. – Stinkfoot Oct 30 '17 at 11:27
  • @stinkfoot I caution you against wikipedia for harmonica. It's misinformation and omission in equal measure with actual information in my experience. – Some_Guy Oct 30 '17 at 13:22
  • @Some_Guy - I caution myself against wikipedia for **anything.** I'm not betting anything on what I found there. – Stinkfoot Oct 30 '17 at 13:33

1 Answers1

1

I'm not actually really a chromatic player, I'm much more a diatonic player. Having said that, here's the answer: there is no hard and fast rule, it's simply whichever one is more convenient for a given passage. Practically, for the 2 blow notes, it makes very little difference. Obviously, if you're about to play an A or a G then it's easier to play the first C, and if you're about to play an E or an F then it's easier to use the last one, to not have to skip over a hole.

The much more pressing question is whether to use the C on the blow with the slide out, or the C on the draw with the slide in: using the latter can make certain passages much easier, not having to reverse breath direction coming from a quick A for example.

If it seems strange and illogical that most notes on the chromatic harmonica have no enharmonic equivalent, but that C has 3 enharmonics, and 2 of them are right next to each other, that's because it is strange and illogical, but see this question for why that came about B -> C on a chromatic harmonica :

Some_Guy
  • 5,001
  • 13
  • 33
  • _The much more pressing question is whether to use the C on the blow with the slide out, or the C on the draw with the slide in_ **Yes.** Same question also applies to E->F. Draw or slide. – Stinkfoot Oct 30 '17 at 13:38
  • _but see this question for why that came about_ - Oh! That's my question - I didn't realize you finally posted an answer. I must have missed the notice. I will check it out. – Stinkfoot Oct 30 '17 at 13:42
  • We do have E#/F on the modern chrom. – Stinkfoot Oct 30 '17 at 14:25