Simple harmonica diatonic

The diatonic harmonica is the Harmonica original and traditional.

Diatonic name to him was meant by the fact that such an instrument comprises only the notes of the diatonic range. Thus on a harmonica diatonic 10 holes in C for example can one find basic only the 7 notes C , D , semi , F , ground , the and if distributed on 3 octaves (but not inevitably with chacunes of these octaves). That explains why there exist at least 12 different tunings (one per degree of a chromatic range in the Western musical system). This limitation found solutions in the creation of the chromatic harmonica (thus comprising all the notes), but also in the discovery many technical of handling of the breath to obtain the missing notes.

Tuning

The Richter tuning

The system Richter (of the name of the originator of the tuning) is the most widespread tuning for the harmonicas diatonic, those comprising 10 holes, it in general on what the explanation is based which will follow.

On each one of these holes, it is possible to blow, or to aspire, allowing 2 notes by holes. Thus a harmonica diatonic 10 holes can play 20 basic different notes (19 actually as we will see it).

Like, there exists as much of Richter tuning than there exist notes in occident (12), our example will be defined in term of degree. Thus the tonality of the harmonica will be noted I in our example.

Concretely, let us take the example of a harmonica in Tonalité of C (granted in major C), the distribution of the notes is then the following one:

For the other tonalities, it is enough to transpose the tuning, i.e. to change the notes into keeping a constant relative interval.

Physical characteristics

On the first 6 holes, the puffed up note is lower than the aspired note; on the contrary on the last 4 holes, the puffed up note is acuter than the aspired note.
aspired hole 2 produces the same note - and with the same height - which hole 3 puffed up: the Fifth of the tonic, for example a ground on a harmonica in C.

Harmonic characteristics

That thus makes it possible to obtain the harmonic characteristics following:

the puffed up holes of the harmonica are the notes of the major agreement of the tonic: the tonic itself, its third and its fifth.

On our harmonica in C for example, there is thus a succession of " C-semi-sol". Thus, where that the player blows on his harmonica, if it at least three holes in mouth, it takes will play the major agreement (with Renversement or not).

the first 5 aspired holes of the harmonica are the notes of the major agreement seventh of the fifth.

We thus find on our harmonica in C the ground (which is then it tonic of the agreement that we want to consider), if who is his third, and D which is its fifth. Let us note besides that we have access to D more serious than our ground and acuter D, thus allowing us to have access to a second inversion. Finally on the fifth aspired hole a " is; fa" , which is the seventh minor one of our agreement of ground. With him added to the remainder of the notes, we obtain from now on the agreement seventh, in addition to the perfect one. This agreement explains why it had been necessary to double the presence of the fifth on the 2^nd hole aspired in addition to the puffed up 3^ème.

On holes 4,5 and 6, like 8,9 and 10 is laid out the notes of the minor agreement of the second.

For our harmonica C , it will be the D (which are our tonic of agreement here), the F (its minor third) and the the (its fifth), which gives an agreement of minor D .

By adding the 3^ème or 7^ème aspired hole, is the if , with our agreement of minor D on the harmonica C , we add the note if , which gives us an agreement of Dm6 ( minor D 6 ), or Bm75 ( if minor 7, flat 5 ), agreement identical except for an inversion.

We thus have access to 2 major agreements and a minor agreement (without counting the alternatives) easily on a harmonica diatonic, simply into blowing or aspiring several holes at the same time. Other agreements all (according to the control of the instrument) are playable in arpeggios. These some agreements allow however already a good help for the rhythmic play or of accompaniment.

Country tuning

This tuning made the choice replace the notes aspired of the 5^ème and 9^ème holes by a quad increased to the place of the quad of the Richter tuning. On a harmonica in C, that thus amounts replacing the F by the F .

Harmonic characteristics

the most notable consequence is that one loses the minor tuning of our second, but the major tuning there is gained. Thus our minor D for example on the harmonica in C Richter becomes a major D on our harmonica in C Country.
One second consequence is that it is not necessary any more to play a overblow on the 5^ème hole to obtain F and F becomes from now on accessible by deterioration from the hole; on the other hand it is necessary from now on to make a overdraw on the 8^ème hole to obtain acute F whereas it is not necessary any more to deteriorate the 9^ème hole to obtain F.

There are thus always profits for losses. However, the majority of the harmonicists play more in the low registers or mediums that in the acute ones. However deteriorations being controlled by the majority of the harmonicists, it is not the case of the overblow and thus - for certain musicians - the profit on the 5th hole is worth well the loss on the 9th hole, less often played.

Certain harmonicists play almost primarily with this tuning. It is the case for example of the French harmonicist of jazz Sebastien Charlier, which exploits a Lydien tuning (or tritonal): only the 5 is elevated of 1/2 your, the 9 is unchanged.

Exotic tunings

Other tunings of harmonicas diatonic are possible, but they is more rarely in the big business.

Granted harmonicas of such kind are in general called " customs " according to the English term what means " personnalisé". They are in general granted by the harmonicists themselves, even by certain professional harmonicists who made a share of their community activity of it.

The goal can be multiple:

To obtain easily certain notes very with difficulty obtenables (see the section of the technical ) when the possibilities of agreements of the Richter tuning interest us less than the melody facility.
To obtain specific agreements on the same harmonica.
To obtain easily certain notes rather than others to play in certain particular ranges.

That is particularly used for certain musical styles which ask for speed of play. One prefers to have with simply slipping on the harmonica without being posed too many questions about deteriorations when one wants to play very quickly. One will then use a tuning adapted to the range used.

Play Multitonal

The true basic problem of the harmonica diatonic is the absence of notes. For stage with that, there exist advanced technical further described making it possible to obtain the missing notes more or less easily. Personalized and exotic tunings can also help to obtain all the notes without knowing perfectly the whole of the techniques of play.

This technical difficulty for simple obtaining notes (and not only for special effects, as that can be the case for other instruments) has pushed the majority of the harmonicists for 2 centuries to use several harmonicas and to think in term of " position" on the harmonica.

Positions

For a harmonicist, this term defines simply the fact of playing a tonality with an interval given compared to the tonality of the instrument. Thus to play into 2 position means to play fifth (thus to play in ground on a harmonica in C ). It is one of the positions most widespread of the play of the harmonica blues because it gives access easily the range blues with a minimum of overnotes, agreements I and IV of the piece and comprises a provision interesting of the notes for the effects blues . The other positions historically very much used are the 3^ème position, which plays in second compared to the instrument ( D on a harmonica C ), as well as the first position (the tonality of the harmonica itself), in particular for traditional pieces exploiting itself the diatonic range much.

Harmonically the positions function simply of Quinte in fifth. One can then easily base oneself on the Cycle of the fifths, while starting with the tonality of the harmonica, then while moving towards the line to obtain the classification of the positions. It is thus about a logic of mode.

Chromatic play

In spite of the difficulty of the techniques mentioned, certain professional musicians are able to obtain all the notes on the instrument. The arrival of the overblow in particular chamboulé the world of the harmonica. This phenomenon created a new wave of harmonicists to the work methods completely opposed to the historical phenomenon.

The goal of this new school of harmonicist is to prove that one can all play with only one harmonica diatonic. A harmonica in C for example makes it possible to adapt to any tonality and any musical style. It is technically possible but that requires much work. These musicians reject any concept of position , concept which in any case forever really brought large thing harmonically.

It should be noted however that many high level harmonicists, among which some control the overnotes very well besides, continue to exploit a large variety of harmonica of different tonalities. That can be explained by the search for facility, even if the overnotes are controlled, but also by a search for its . Indeed one can seek to produce certain sounds on certain notes in particular, but that is not possible that if these notes are on certain sites. It can be a question of wanting to have a sound crunch and unstable on notes thanks to deterioration, to be able to have a continuous sound between 2 notes (by deterioration still), to have contiguous notes (for trilles for example), to be able to start a note " by in lower part " (by deteriorating it slightly to arrive above), etc

In all the cases, the need for playing chromatic was essential of itself to leave the instrument its yoke of incomplete instrument. Hitherto it was relegated for the styles changing few agreements and using limited ranges of many notes. Nevertheless the possibility of reaching all the notes opened to him the doors of the Jazz or the traditional , where the changes and evolutions of agreements are frequent, where one can also attend transformations of tonalities of the piece and where the ranges used can comprise much notes.

Basic techniques of play

These techniques are not inevitably to take with the first degree. They are more practices taken by the players of the whole world and transmitted from generation to generation. However famous counterexamples exist.

Behavior of the harmonica

In this field in particular, nobody can claim to have the only method. Indeed many are the harmonicists (even famous) having been accustomed to completely differently holding their harmonica from what is often taught, without incidence on the quality of the play. The reason is very often that many harmonicists are autodidacts and that few written methods of training exist.

Nevertheless standards exist: one often teaches us to hold the harmonica horizontally, with the most serious notes on the left. When the holes are numbered, that corresponds to put logically the hole number 1 on the left.

The most current catch is then to place the left index along the higher cap and the left inch along the lower cap. Once the harmonica firmly sandwiched between these 2 fingers, the remainder of the left fingers as well as the totality of the right hand will be used as case of resonance with the back of the harmonica for all kinds of effects.

Melody play

The first stage of training consists in knowing to play a single note without blowing or aspiring in a nondesired adjacent hole. Several methods exist.

Play in hen bottom

Called " pucker " by the english-speaking, it is a question of forming a “O” with its lips as if you want to whistle. It is about the technique most employed to teach the harmonica with the beginners at present, that it is by the majority of the recent methods or even by many professional harmonicists (when play to them-even besides little in this manner often).

This technique with the advantage of being precise and potentially more powerful since the breath is better channeled directly in the good hole. Less loss of thus induced breath a more powerful sound. Moreover another advantage is that it seems easier to deteriorate thus, in the same way for the overblows. That is in particular of with the fact that this type of play leaves the free language move freely in the mouth.

The true problem in this manner of play is that it gives bad habits to certain players who risks " then; to play petit". Indeed a small mouth of mouth gives a rather pointed sound whereas to open its cavity bucale allows a fuller sound. Thus it should not be forgotten that to play in hen bottom does not prevent you from trying to take the harmonica more deeply stops some and that it is not good for the quality of the sound to play of the end of the lips.

Tongue Blocking

The other major technique, the tongue blocking (no French translation is really used) one of is used by the professional harmonicists. It is also a historical technique because it is often in this manner that the harmonicists learned before. It consists in taking the harmonica with full mouth, so that you would normally play several notes into blowing or candidate, but by blocking all the not-desired notes with the language to avoid that.

Thus concretely the desired note will be on the left or on the right of the mouth, the language blocking very left on other side.

Of course this technique is rather complex, in particular to move on the instrument while following with the language. It allows this says a sound much fuller and more rich person and thus is often preferred.

Moreover that leaves the place to techniques of effect permitted by this provision of the mouth, like the rhythmic play, the octaves, or others.

U-block

Without translation in France either, this is due this time to the scarcity of use of this technique. Just as for the Tongue Blocking, one can cover several cells of his mouth. However instead of stopping the undesirable holes, the language will direct on the contrary the breath towards the hole wished while being rolled up so as to form with directing tunnel.

This technique little known and is little used because rather complex to realize.

Rhythmic play

It is possible to play at the same time rythmiquement and mélodiquement. Nevertheless what is heard by rhythmic play here is especially the use of the agreements, whose we saw the possibilities in the part on the tunings of the harmonica.

The principle is thus very simple: it is enough to take several holes in the mouth at the adequate zones. Few agreements are available, one can however exploit the position of the mouth on the harmonica to take notes more or less, to remove certain notes of the agreement, of to double some, make inversions of agreement, to return the agreement seventh or perfect, to add notes apart from the triad, etc These proposals are not always possible because they will depend primarily on what the tuning of your harmonica will allow. You will not be able to thus do everything, nevertheless while remaining simple, that is already a good start to create pleasant sonorities with the ear, all the more if they are fixed on a rate/rhythm with a good Groove.

Note finally that you can also play with the language to remove not-desired notes (it is one of the first techniques derived from the tongue-blocking) in the middle of the remainder of the agreement or rythmiquement to create a rhythmic feeling different compared to the simple stop from the breath.

Articulation

An important point of the play to the harmonica is the articulation of the notes. Indeed you can " to emit sons" different while playing harmonica, which will feel in its product. You can thus play the same note with a sonority however slightly different according to whether you pronounce " pa" , " o" , " ku" , " to" , or any consonance which passes to you by the head. Moreover that allows you to more control your play while explicitly choosing if you want to separate the notes well, to let them slip by or any nuance.

Advanced techniques of play

Deteriorations

In addition to the 19 notes available on the harmonica diatonic 10 holes, the players can play of other notes by adjusting their mouth and by forcing the comb to resound with a different note. One can arrive there while slackening and coordinating the muscles of the throat, the mouth and the lips. This technique is called " altérations" (" bending" in English). By deteriorations, one can reach all the notes of the major range. Deterioration creates also the effect of Glissando characteristic of many harmonicists of blues and country. On a guitar, a bend is done upwards. On a harmonica, that is done downwards. Deteriorations are essential in practice play of harmonica blues and rock'n'roll because of the sounds melancholic persons which the instrument can produce. The famous " gémissement" on the harmonica blues requires deteriorations typically.

The physics of deteriorations is rather complex, but can be summarized with this: a player can deteriorate the note of the acute comb towards the note of the serious comb in any hole. In other words, in holes 1 to 6 the aspired notes can be faded, and in holes 7 to 10 the puffed up notes can be faded. Hole 3 allows more the wide variation: deterioration extends on a tone and half; on a harmonica in C for example, it is thus possible continuement to descend the note aspired from a if until a ground .

Here the notes which one can obtain on a harmonica diatonic granted in C with the bendings:

Overblow

With deteriorations, the harmonica already managed to be a priori chromatic. Indeed, it is noted that a harmonica can from now on play the 12 notes of the Western chromatic range. Nevertheless an attentive reader will notice the fault of this reasoning: these 12 notes are distributed on 3 octaves. Thus if you play on a harmonica not semi-valve in C , you can play a semi only in the acute ones, on the other hand you cannot play D in the acute ones on the contrary, etc

That thus constitutes a diatonic limitation of the harmonica since one does not have access to any complete octave yet, only several incomplete octaves all making it possible together to obtain all the notes. That did not prevent generations of virtuosos from leaving the melodies of diatonic anthology to the harmonica, but that remains an embarrassment for the musicians eager to obtain certain missing notes.

It is in this context that Howard Levy, in the years 1970, developed a novel method: technique of the Overbending which -- combined with deteriorations -- allows to exploit the whole chromatic range each octave.

Characteristics

One calls overnotes the notes obtained by the technique of the overbending. The overnotes are of two kinds: overblows, obtained into blowing in the first 6 holes, and the overdraws, obtained while aspiring in the last 4 holes. The technique of obtaining is quasi-similar with that of simple deterioration. It consists in causing the vibration of the plate opposed by smothering of the plate which should theoretically vibrate. Thus, a overblow makes vibrate the aspired plate and a overdraw the puffed up plate. With the overblowing, the player isolates acutest from the two combs and can thus play of the acuter notes.

use

As the overbending allows the hamonicists " diatoniques" to exploit the chromatic range the three octaves of the harmonica, it authorizes to them to explore all the musical fields, in particular the music jazz, contemporary and traditional where the polytonality is current.

The overblowing is regarded as one of the techniques most difficult to control harmonica in practice diatonic. To facilitate the overblowing, of many players use especially modified harmonicas, said also customized. One can recall that it is also possible to obtain the whole chromatic range by another technique: deteriorations (bends) valvées (requires to equip its harmonica with small plastic valves).

a new school of harmonicists

Today, more and more of harmonicists formerly confined with a panel of musical genres restricted, try to direct itself towards this technique. One can quote for example harmonicists as Sebastien Charlier who by his virtuosity succeeds in exploiting the language bebop. He currently plays with large jazzmen.

The overblowists belong to this new school of harmonicists, eager to further go and to express melodies sophisticated on the harmonica, it thus removing from the stereotypes country, blues and folk to which it is often comparable. In particular the overbends make it possible certain harmonicists to play any piece on a single harmonica, as for the majority of the other instruments.

Valvées deteriorations

There exists one second method to obtain the missing notes with deteriorations by equipping the harmonica with small plastic valves, allowing the production of deteriorations (English bends or bendings) valves. Of course, that does not disturb the traditional bends evoked before! These small valves insulate the plates (which carry the plates), one of the other, and allow obtaining all the notes of the chromatic range. One sticks of them 6 on the lower plate (hole n°1 with n°6) and 4 on the higher plate (hole n°7 with n°10) to obtain a harmonica diatonic semi-valve. The harmonica diatonic semi-valve becomes a chromatic instrument then! One can then extend the repertory of the harmonica without no problem! (Jazz, traditional, etc) Here the notes which one can specifically obtain with the bends valves, on a harmonica diatonic semi-valve granted in C:

The meeting of the two preceding tables gives the whole of all the playable notes on a harmonica diatonic semi-valve, in C. Another technique to obtain these notes is the overblowing (see low). The partisans of the bends valves compared to the overblowing justify their preference for this technique by:

best quality (according to them!) sound of the deteriorations valvées compared to the overblowings.
the logic of deterioration is maintained with the traditional bends.

Vibrato

Also called tremor, this technique consists in making " vibrer" the note, while exploiting its intensity, its height, sometimes both at the same time. Under this same name exist thus actually several techniques described below and not getting the same one not made sound.

It should be noted that these techniques can often be even used simultaneously to obtain a its private individual and that they ask much drive to obtain dexterity, speed and a pleasant sound.

Vibrato of hand

The basic vibrato consisting in more or less quickly moving a hand with the back of the instrument, thus exploiting the intensity of exit of the sound. Indeed, by completely closing again the hands around the small instrument, the sound will be choked whereas it is on the contrary quite clear if no obstacle comes to be put between the back of the instrument -- letting leave the sound -- and the ear of the public.

Vibrato of language

By stopping and quickly emerging to it (S) hole (S) played (S) with the language, one hatches the sound. If the language is sufficiently fast, this tremor is however not chopped too much, benefitting from the light inertia of vibration of the plates. That remains however a vibrato more Net and more difficult to control than with the hand, though more powerful.

Vibrato of throat

Very much used, it consists in sealing the air flow on the level of the throat, easily produisible by producing gutturaux sounds. There still, a good control is necessary to avoid chopping the sound too clearly.

Vibrato of belly

This technique asks for a very good control of its own breath. It indeed implies to manage to control the intensity of its respiratory flow. It is necessary for that to use a ventral Respiration and not for its thorax, which in any case much more than is advised for the play of any wind instrument, but even for the life very short and to avoid losing its breath too quickly.

If controlled, this technique makes it possible to have a very precise and subtle vibrato.

Others vibratos

Other techniques can be called vibrato. The harmonica being indeed a particularly expressive instrument, since based on the breath, one comes from there very quickly to try out particular forms of vibration (since it is well there after all the direction of a " vibrato") who are not inevitably referred under a given name.

Finally one can reasonably think that it is possible to make a vibrato with any body of the human body which takes part in the respiratory flow of air and which one will have learned how to control, that they are the lungs, the throat, the language, the mouth, the hand, or a mixture of all.

One can also qualify vibrato besides a fast modification height of note. Thus a light deterioration and very rapid in to and from (not inevitably even until a Western note of the system, i.e. until a half one in lower part of the faded note) are a kind of vibrato. Just as a very fast alternation between puffed up and aspired flows is definable as a vibrato (the harmonicists will recognize this phenomenon under the name " of effect of the mouche").

Wah-Wah

The wah-wah is a technique close to the vibrato of hand, but in much slower. The principle is not any more to quickly modify the intensity of the sound, but rather to make well feel " the ouverture" sound.

One thus makes a movement relatively slow and accentuated of a position where the hands completely lock up the harmonica and its sound with another where the hands are completely open. That gets a typical sound resembling geignement of baby who would make " wah" or " ouin" , from where the name of this technique.

This sound can be accentuated by simultaneous deteriorations or sounds spoken by the mouth through the harmonica, as for much of other techniques.

Trille

The trille is a very widespread effect and largely used in practice harmonica. That consists of a play alternated very quickly of 2 adjacent notes, on the same breath.

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