[Harp-L] Double Bass Harp questions

[Deb Wind]

There's a piece of music I like that I think would make a grand harmonica
quartet tune. However, the range of the music starts at C2, or the C two (2)
octaves BELOW middle C (middle C being C4). I have read that the Hohner
265/58 goes down to Contra E and up to E. To clarify, Contra E the same as
E2, correct? (With E4 being the E above middle C).

And if so, is there *any* production bass harp out there that goes all the
way down to C2?

Thanks in advance,

Deb

[Winslow Yerxa]

Without getting into all that C2 C4 stuff, the pitch two octaves below Middle C is the bottom note of the cello and of single-reed Asian bass harmonicas such as the mis-named Tombo Contrabass and the Swan bass. 
The bottom note of the double bass (and the bass harmonica) is the E *below* that note. So you can definitely make the note on bass harmonica.
A general note on bass: Octave substitutions within what is perceived as the bass range may not be noticed by listeners.
Winslow

Winslow Yerxa
Author, Harmonica For Dummies ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5
Harmonica instructor, The Jazzschool for Music Study and Performance
Resident expert, bluesharmonica.com
Columnist, harmonicasessions.com

--- On Mon, 10/25/10, Deb Wind <debseif...@gmail.com> wrote: