[Harp-L] SSCH-56 by Suzuki--new chord harmonica

[Gary Lehmann]

>
> This new chord harp is built on the Sirius56 frame, although the parts are
> not identical, some are interchangeable. Silver mouth piece, phosphor
> bronze reeds, sounds great and fits in your pocket.
> Here is a link to the first spreadsheet I have created--it's not finished!
> But all the majors and minors are properly indicated.
>
>
> https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AvaoJwxmui4udEZYTVFBVlpta3VLUWFqUzY4bG5WbGc&usp=sharing
>
> Holes 1-4, 5-8 and 9-12 are four note chords--the lowest note is Bb3.
> Holes 13 and 14 continue the pattern, so they are a two note E chord.
> Here is the spreadsheet of the layout.
>
> Just the one key for now--but you can play in all 12 keys on this little
> thing no problem. It is like no other harp--the model most people come up
> with to compare it to is the Chordomonica--but that unit was not chromatic
> in any way, this one totally is. Even the Chordomonica II, with two slides,
> only had 6 chords. This one has over 48--I haven't counted yet, but there's
> all 12 major and seventh chords, minor and minor seventh, augmented triads
> and diminished sevenths, and a real nice 7#11 by virtue of the fact that
> you can play two chords a major second apart at the same time.
>
> Winslow Yerxa stopped by and played it a little, and he was doing some
> tongue splits that got you very exotic voicings.
> Reaction at the SPAH convention was very good. We should have them late
> October here in the US.
>
> Thanks for your interest!
> Gary Lehmann
> gnarl...@gmail.com
>

[Gary Lehmann]

Oops, forgot the link to the note placement.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AvaoJwxmui4udDhBaUp4RENLeVBTY2h6WndLdUN1b0E&usp=sharing

[David Naiditch]

At SPAH, Gary Lehmann pulled out what appeared to be a standard chromatic harmonica and asked me to play a simple bluegrass/old-timey tune--Boil Them Cabbage Down—on my chromatic in all 12 keys, going through a circle of 4ths. To my surprise, Gary was able to quickly find the I-IV-V chords in all the keys—C, F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, B, E, A, D, and G. I can’t believe this tiny harmonica offers so many chords, and we didn’t even get to the minors, augmented, diminished, etc. What I found most amazing, however, was that Gary was able to accomplish this feat after working with this instrument for less than a day! It apparently has a very logical, intuitive layout.

--David Naiditch, www.davidnaiditch.com

[gnarl...@gmail.com]

Thanks 8)
What happened was, I came down to get a drink, ran into David and decided I could corral him into playing some melodies while I practiced some simple jazz things I had charted. He wanted to go to a bluegrass jam, so I had a change of plans. And it worked out pretty well!
I am continuing to chart the layout and chords, available thru the google drive links previously posted. They were inaccurate due to the autocorrect function of the google spreadsheet software. But the note chart is right now (I think) and the chords are getting completed.
Thanks to all for your interest and stay tuned for demos!

Gary

[Eugene Ryan]

That is a very cool layout. Stacking 7th chords a 2nd apart every 4 holes
is very clever!

If I'm not mistaken on the layout, it looks like the ascending pattern is
reset every 4 holes, meaning that standard chromatic reedplates are
probably not usable in this context. I'm basing my statements below on
this assumption, however, it could also only be "reset" once. I had a
similar layout for a chord harmonica with sawn-off chromatic plates but
this Suzuki layout is way better than mine.

I see some other chord possibilities here for chords:
- You can play augmented triads by playing 3 note chords on holes 4, 8 and
12. I understand that this is what Gary meant but isn't finished the sheet
yet.
- You can play m7b5 chord (with the 7th in the bass) on holes 2, 6 ,10.
- As well as the minor triad, you can play a "min maj6" chord by playing 4
notes starting at holes 3, 7, 11 The voicing may be a 5th in the bass and
a minor 2nd in the middle of the chord... this may sound unusual / bad /
great with free reeds.
- You can play 5ths (perfect and diminished) by playing 3 holes and tongue
blocking the middle hole. Again, this may sound as a 4th if the chord note
resets every 4 holes.

I think cell C12 should read 5D instead of 5DB.

I'm open to correction on all the above, just assumptions based on my
reading of what's been posted so far.

Well done on this layout!

--
Eugene

[Eugene Ryan]

One more possibility:
- the major and 7th chords as well as dim and m7b5 can have a maj 9th added
if you don't mind it being just above the root (ok this is is add9 where
it's a triad) This could lead you to playing some other chords/clusters or
even faking certain chords if you can play multiple holes and block one
somewhere in the middle.

--
Eugene