Being new to this list, I'm curious about something:

Why do some players gravitate to diatonic harps and others to chromatic harps?

Is it style of music (blues/country)?
Is it cost?
Is it complexity?

I'm also interested in finding out what age ya'll started playing at.

I started at 14 or so, playing chord, mostly because my dad had a harmonica trio at the time and i liked the sound and movement of the chord. I also really liked making rhythms using my throat, mouth and tongue, imitating drummers and rhythm guitar players and the like.

I grew up with harmonica, as my dad was a total harmonicats fan and met the guys when he was in his middle teens. he picked up chromatic harp and played for a LOT of years, had several trios, and was one of the first that I know of to set up his stereo system to take the lead harp on one channel out, and plug his own mic in to its place. that left don les (bass) and al fiore (chord) to play accompaniment for him. this was all back in the late 50s and throughout the 60s.

I'm hoping to hear what ya'll think on these subjects!

iowaplayer

Hi Iowa player,

I actually play both, I started off playing diatonic as I'm a blues man through & through. I took up the chromatic to play both parts of Muddys All Aboard.

I play a Swann Chromatic, It was only £15, about $25. It's a great instrument & compares very well with the Hohners.

I love the Suzuki harps, the Harpmasters & Folkmasters especially!

Cheers, Gary.

I'm 42 this year and I've only been playing for about 2 months or there abouts.

I built a 3 string cigar box guitar from scrap timber earlier this year and it changed the way I appreciate music, you can pretty much only play slide with it and because of this it isnt governed by normal guitar rules (which are exhaustive and suck the fun out of playing guitar in the first place)

Harmonica was a natural progression from the 3 string into (dirty) blues territory.

I like the diatonic's, only 10 holes with 19 notes to learn and NO RULES.

Theyre a compact size and they don't need a power supply or million page long instruction book to operate them.

Theyre pretty cheap as well compared to a £500 Fender, I can get a full set of pretty good harps.

Chromatics look a bit complex too me, doesnt mean I wont try one, one day though.

I've pretty much abandoned my guitars now, except for the 3 string that is.

Iowa (by the way I "know" Chas City, Waterloo, and Mason City) you bring up a delicious subject. Personally I was directed away from diatonic into Echo harps ( Octave double reeds) so I never bought a chromatic. When I think of chromatic, it's great and terrible. It's one instrument that will play all the keys! Wow, just one! At the same time each key has to be analyzed for the sharp or flat and which hole gets the button.....holy mackeral what a chore! I still haven't thought of buying a chromatic, but if it's like the others I guess once played enough it would just come as a natural movement to know when to suppress and when to just wail. Good luck with your choices and your playing.
Geo.

Hi Willy,

I like the idea of a cigar box guitar .

Yes, a harmonica is as easy or as hard as you care to make it.

What kind of stuff do you listen to, musically?

Cheers, Gary.

wallybubs:

no rules?

as far as i know, excepting the opinions of pretentious snobs and musicologists, the only real rule in music is: some sh*t sounds better than other sh*t.

as far as the pretentious snobs and musicologists, well, imo they deserve themselves.

iowaplayer

I hear that Iowa...

The difference between a pretentious musicologist and a harmonica player?

Mr pretentious thinks his Sh*t don't stink

Mr Harmonica player knows his sh*t stinks and he's proud of the smell...