Hamopedia is an encyclopedic page that covers a variety of topics, from basic knowledge and techniques about ten-holes harmonica to harmonica-related goods and short stories. Please see each page from the table of contents below.
<Table of Contents>
▶ ︎Harmonica Terms Harmonica / musical terms
BLUES on the Harmonica Blues lessons
BLOW BLOW BLOW! Let's play the harmonica!
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85 content recording (2020.10.19)
The video of the material is a reorganization centered on the content broadcast on the WEB program "HAMONICAFE".
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Among the harmonica, many models of Ten Holes are on sale. Harpists are blessed with the opportunity to try various models because they are low unit prices for musical instruments and are consumables that can be repurchased if they break. In this video, we will introduce 12 models in total, 4 companies x 3 models, including Japanese dragonfly musical instruments, Suzuki musical instruments, German Hohner and Sidel.
There are many keys (scale tones) in Ten Holes Harmonica. Unlike a piano or guitar, which plays various Key songs with a single instrument, you change the key by changing the instrument itself. It's similar to changing the key with the remote control when the voices don't match in karaoke. The Ten Holes Harmonica is one instrument with twelve. The video explains in an easy-to-understand manner the differences between keys, how to use them properly, and what kind of key to buy next.
As the name implies, it is a technique of applying vibrato by hand. When you have an instrument, cover it over your other hand so that it wraps around you, and then flutter your hand while making a sound. It is a technique that is nice for harpists, as it is easy for beginners to take on challenges and can express nostalgic and warm expressions that are typical of harmonica.
The term "abdominal breathing", in the breathing technique for a deep breath with the movement of the "diaphragm" which lies between the chest and stomach, is indispensable to the performance of the instrument. We will happily tell you the tips for playing harmonica with "abdominal breathing", which is full of benefits such as not getting tired even if you blow for a long time and making a stable and loud sound.
● Tongue blocking playing method
It is a playing method that controls the position of the blowing hole by blocking the harmonica hole with the tongue. Playing with a single note has the effect of thickening and stabilizing the sound, and by separating single notes and chords (closing and removing holes), it has the effect of playing a solo and accompaniment duo alone. It is a unique technology that can be made.
An applied technique of tongue blocking playing. It is a technique that simultaneously produces sounds that are one octave apart by simultaneously holding one octave of holes (four), closing the middle two holes with the tongue, and breathing into only the holes at both ends at the same time. When sucking sound, it is necessary to add 5 holes, and there are places where it is impossible due to the arrangement of the sound. The trick is to be aware of the face like "Okinawa Shisa" to close the center of the mouth and open both ends.
Bend is a technique that drops the sound in the range of a semitone to one and a half tones from the normal sound by sucking or blowing strongly. (The range that can be bent differs depending on the hole.) This is a fun and easy-to-understand explanation of how to learn this technique, which is the most attractive for Ten Holes harmonica but is the easiest for beginners to trip.
● Chord-like bend / bend application
It is a technique that creates the astringent sound peculiar to Ten Holes harmonica by randomly mixing different degrees of bend sounds by holding several holes together and sucking strongly. You can use it to create an impactful screaming expression such as a whistle or cry, or use it at the end of a melody to leave a nostalgic finish, or aim for various effects. (Since there is no official technique name, I tentatively called it a "chord-like bend")
In contrast to hand vibrato, where the sound is shaken by hand, throat vibrato is used to shake the sound with the throat. There is a depth in the way the sound sways, and the expression is added with the throat, making the expression more like a song. Ten Holes Harmonica has a wide range of bend sound, so you can create a roaring force. We will tell you from the shortcut to learning throat vibrato to the timing to use it effectively.
● Position playing method ① < First position and second position>
Position playing is playing with a harmonica of a different key than the key of the song. This is a technique unique to Ten Holes Harmonica, where the instruments are separated by key. I will explain the story of a position that is difficult to understand when and how to use it properly, comparing it to a character and giving a performance example.
(First = Folk Ichiro, Second = Bruce Jiro)
Harmonica / musical term
Harmonica Terms
● Position playing method ② <Third position, force position>
It is to play with a harmonica of a key different from the key of the song. In the second part, Position Playing Method (2), we will explain how to play a minor key with a major harmonica. Including parallel keys and making sounds with bends to make notes in minor scales, we will ask the characters to appear here as well, and explain while showing actual examples of performances.
(Third = Rock Saburo, Force = Enka Shiro)
A bump is a performance that repeats a rhythm pattern without having a specific melody. At Ten Holes Harmonica, the "train bump playing method" that bumps like a train is a standard. I explained this technique, which raises the tension for both harpists and spectators, in steps so that even beginners can easily work on it. Please try it.
This is a special arrangement harmonica tuned so that all scales can be played without using bends or overblows to make it easier to play the melody in the second position. I will explain how country tuning that brings a refreshing major feeling is different from the usual arrangement, and how to use it properly, using an actual song as an example.
The members who were there are playing improvised blues. There is no musical score, and it usually starts with a meeting between the performance key and the tempo. Blues is also popular in sessions because of its simple structure. We will guide you through the world of blues sessions using videos that allow you to experience simulated sessions recorded in Tetsuya Hirose's book "The Blues Session Drill".
● Jazz Session (Jazz Blues Edition)
The members who were there are playing improvised jazz. In many cases, a musical score is required, and the order of solos is determined to some extent depending on the type of instrument, and the range of performance is also divided exactly, so this session has rules different from the blues session. Here, we will guide you through a session at "Jazz Blues", which is easy for harpists to work on even in jazz.
● 4 berths (forverse / solo interaction)
This is a performance technique peculiar to a jazz session, in which the drums and solo instruments other than the drums alternate to play solos in units of 4 bars. (If it is performed in units of 8 bars, it is called 8 verses.) In blues, solos are often emotionally overlapped, whereas in jazz, instruments are completely replaced in units of bars to play solos. We will also explain the rules specific to such jazz sessions.
Amplified is the performance of an acoustic instrument by electrical amplification, adding volume and sound effects. Specifically, we use audio equipment such as microphones, amplifiers, and effectors. Since the timbre of harmonica changes greatly depending on these audio devices, how to use it becomes important. The video will demonstrate the basic use of equipment and the adjustment of sound effects.