Creating an optimal chromatic harmonica for Irish Traditional Music (ITM) ornamentation involves not just tuning considerations but also understanding and incorporating historical and stylistic nuances from prominent players in the field. Influences from musicians like Sean Walsh, who taught the late Eddie Clarke, have significantly shaped the Irish style of chromatic harmonica playing. This style, although niche, has influenced players as myself and Mick Kinsella and few others, involves unique techniques such as the reversed slide and holding the button in while releasing it for ornamentation. Let’s delve into a detailed response, integrating these elements effectively.
Optimising the Chromatic Harmonica for Irish Traditional Music (ITM) Ornamentation
Creating an optimal chromatic harmonica for Irish Traditional Music (ITM) involves more than just tuning considerations. It requires a deep understanding of the historical and stylistic nuances introduced by prominent players in the field. Influences from musicians like Sean Walsh, who taught the late Eddie Clarke, have been pivotal in shaping the Irish style of chromatic harmonica playing. This style incorporates unique techniques such as the reversed slide and the art of holding the button while releasing it for ornamentation. Let’s explore how to integrate these elements effectively.
Tuning and Note Layout
For ITM, ornamentation techniques like cuts, taps, rolls, and crans are essential. Sean Walsh, a leading figure in Irish style chromatic harmonica playing, imparted his methods to Eddie Clarke. This style employs either a reversed slide in straight tuned mouth piece harmonicas as apposed to cross tuned or a technique of holding the button in and releasing the button or to simply tune the sharps down a tone to play flats to play and create intricate rolls that mimic fiddle, accordion, flute and piping techniques, which are otherwise challenging on a standard harmonica.
Reverse Slide Technique: To achieve the reverse slide effect, consider using a Hohner 270 in F# and reversing the slide to play in G. Similarly, a Db harmonica can be reversed to play in D and a D chromatic slide can be revered ie taken out and turned upside down to play in Eb. Having chromatics in keys like Eb, Ab and C, in addition to D and G, is beneficial for ITM sessions, where these keys are commonly used. The reasons for these keys are many. For example concertina players like to play old quality concertinas such as Wheatstone concertinas dating from the turn of the century in their original state as do pipers and accordion player or they simply prefer to play in alternative keys among other reasons. For harmonicas in these configurations, you can reach out to me at Harmonica Ireland – www.harmonicasireland.com.
Button Holding Technique: Holding the button while playing and releasing it for ornamentation allows for rapid, intricate note sequences in ITM. This technique is essentially the same as reversed slide and enhances the expressiveness of your playing and is crucial for achieving the nuances of traditional ornamentations.
Tuning: Another approach involves tuning sharp notes down a whole tone, enabling notes to descend a semitone rather than ascend. This unique layout is particularly suited for ITM, though it may require adjustments to harmonica models other than the Hohner 270 such as crossed tuned harmonicas as the CX12.
Practical Considerations and Combining Reed Plates
Customised Reed Plates: To achieve the desired tuning, you can combine reed plates from different harmonicas of straight tuned harmonicas. For instance, you might use a Hohner 270 in D and a C tenor, replacing the D# reed plate with a C# plate. This customisation can create a chromatic harmonica well-suited for ITM.
Ensuring that reeds are properly tuned and maintained to produce the correct pitch with both engaged and disengaged slides is crucial. These customised harmonicas are also available through Harmonica Ireland.
Key Considerations for ITM
Many ITM musicians, including pipers, concertina players and violin players, commonly use keys like Eb, C, F, D and G. Therefore, having chromatic harmonicas in these keys that descend a semitone rather than ascend is ideal for authentic ITM performance.
Recommendations
Model Choice: Start with a high-quality chromatic harmonica such as the Hohner 270, known for its ease of customisation and due to its straight slide tuning. The Seydel De Luxe Steel Chromatic is another excellent choice although steel is hard to customise the mouth piece is straight. The CX-12 is more complex due to its cross tuning but offers its own advantages.
Professional Customisation: If extensive modifications are beyond your comfort level, consulting a professional harmonica technician specialising in custom tunings can be highly beneficial. I offer these services and have extensive experience in creating custom harmonicas tailored to various players’ needs.
Conclusion
In conclusion, creating an optimal chromatic harmonica for ITM ornamentation involves using Irish-style tuning systems to enhance traditional Irish ornamentations. This approach combines the traditional diatonic layout in solo tuning with the versatility of chromatic notes that descend a semitone. Regular maintenance and precise tuning are essential for keeping the instrument responsive and in tune.
Incorporating techniques from Sean Walsh and Eddie Clarke, such as the reverse slide and button holding, will enable you to perform ITM-specific ornamentation and rolls, enriching your chromatic harmonica playing with the authentic nuances of Irish music. Additionally, listening to key players like Mick Kinsella, the Murphy brothers, Noel Battle, Pauline Callinan, Arlene O’Sullivan, Mary Brogan (RIP) and William Holmes can provide valuable insights. The expertise of Rick Epping, a diatonic player and XB40 inventor, is also worth noting.
To further immerse yourself in Irish music, consider attending festivals such as the Willie Clancy Summer School in County Clare and the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. These events offer invaluable opportunities to connect with accomplished musicians, enhancing your understanding and execution of authentic Irish music.
