Can someone explain the concept behind the Big Six to me, as in why do they make it? Why do people buy it? I understand that the six holes it comes with are the ‘meat and potatoes’ of the harp where we spend most of our time but what are we really gaining in having a harp that’s made an inch shorter by losing the top four holes?
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Ditto for your question.
I think people like it because it is a more compact instrument… because we really need a smaller instrument!
Holes 1-6 are capable of playing the Blues completely, which is probably why it is the ‘Big Six’.
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Actually I just bought a Big Six. I bought it because its novel and pretty cool. It’s fun to play but takes a little getting used to. Hope this helps.
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I’ve never played one but my first thought via looking at pics of it is that because you can get the whole thing in your cup, the tone will be a bit deeper on those bass notes. Paul Butterfield rarely ventured above hole six, so Imagine you could play most of his style just on that harp. Also a handy dandy little thing to carry around in your pocket?