@Luke Noticed your comment Thrilled that more and more chromatic players are joining the forum here! to @Chasinmendo’s introduction. I’d be interested to know why? Is it just coincidence? Is it because more usable chromatic are coming to market at reasonable prices? Is it because some diatonic players want to experiment with chromatic? Or could it be that the forum’s chromatic players are encouraging others to try them? Really be interested in opinions. Jay1
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I started playing Chromatic mainly out of curiosity and for variety and I also added Octave and Tremolo harmonicas. As with diatonic I play mainly for fun and stick to simple tunes. I really like the sound of the Tremolo and Octave. A simple post and opinion but there it is!
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Well I’m a Little Walter, George Harmonica Smith, William Clarke, Rod Piazza, Paul Delay Fan, I’ve always been a fan of it but hadn’t the first clue. Now I’m making up riffs and Being my own horn section can’t wait to try it out live with a band but I’ve got a hell of a way to go first.
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There was a great chromatic forum, Slidemiester. It was quirky because it was run by a fellow named AJ who was also a bit restritive. But he’s essentially shut it down and only people who have been members for years are allowed to post there now. So there are people who like the forum format, but are looking for a home.
Also, there are more people now who very seriously pursue both instruments. There’s a number of pros that are doing this now, whereas previously they were considered two different worlds. At SPAH, you can see they are trying to break down this barrier by featuring acts that have both diatonic and chromatic players together. There’s still some cultural baggage about it, but it is lessening over time.
Personally I learned chromatic harmonica to improve my diatonic playing. It does so very well. But it has captured my interest now, and I’m learning chromatic more seriously and taking lessons in classical harmonica technique.
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I was also curious and enjoy playing Christmas songs and some hymns. David Barrett also has a chromatic course on blues that is very challenging.
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Hi @Hogie.Harmonica, I would like to hear your take on how chromatic makes you a better diatonic player. I too have noticed a bit of difference since I started playing Chrominica. My tongue blocking for example has come on in leaps
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@jeffw @Andy2 @Hogie.Harmonica @bubby.graves Just managed to get back before the weekend but with a lot of paperwork, Thanks for your comments/input. as previously mentioned Slidemiester was/is the chromatic forum but is now effectively dead to anything new although some good stuff is still available https://www.slidemeister.com/. I suspect there are quite a few more chrom players on this forum who will hopefully comment. Jay1
For me the main difference is that I’m learning phrases that I’d never consider on a diatonic. But after you’ve really mastered them on chromatic, you think “well shucks, why don’t I give it a good go on the diatonic?”
Half the time it’s really not that hard. You just had to have it firmly in your ear, practice the note transitions, and believe in yourself.
Sounds hokey but its is true.
Also, I’ve been learning how to corner switch. I don’t mean wagging the tongue back and forth for special effect, I mean intentionally playing out of the left side of a tongue block, in order to facilitate leaps and lines with octave displacement. It really opens up a lot of territory on the chromatic. But I’m trying it out on diatonic and there’s some potential there.