I'm totally with you regarding d through f are too shrill for comfort. This can be easily overcome while playing amplified and especially using a pedalboard with your favorite pedals. I have a low F and love it. I'll now get low c, d, & e to begin my next journey. The low notes are great for playing rhythm. The "low" sound of Sonny Boy 2 now makes sense after watching this.
Notes on things you said: A) getting out air. (Important for low key harps which use more air for bigger reeds) 3 BLOW - I use single note 3 blow instead of 2 draw to get air out. Same note. I will sometimes breathe out with nose too on blow notes. I practice this. Sometimes while practicing I am doing this consciously, often while jamming I do this subconsciously. Grunting. Yeah. Jason Ricci will "huff" on the break between phrases and I find myself doing it more lately. Sound often comes out "huh" like a James Brown grunt. It works. "Exercising the muscles for bends" Great concept. I am stealing that to use for my students. Yoink. Mine now. Haha.
PS: circular breathing is a misnomer. You > STORE< air in your mouth. Breath in while using cheek muscles to push stored air out of mouth. You can practice and learn it, but you likely want to circulars breathe in, and it doesn't work like that because biology. It is more useful for breathing out instruments, particularly didgeridoo, but woodwinds can learn it and use it.
Little waltets, Paul delay used D Harps with amazing results. Please listen to Carlos del junco's song 'dittle it' for a more than amazing Eb harp playing, especially the last minute.
Lee Oskar is the 1st low I ever saw & tried. My friend's had one...like 40 years ago. I thought it was too crappy to buy one but I was kinda prejudiced & in those days I had only ever tried 1896 & Golden Melody after my 1st a Special 20 that I bought along with Tony Glover's book. I do have a regular 1896 Low D. It's old & I haven't even seen em for sale in years. Sounds great though the 1 draw always rattled a bit regardless of tinkering. I have 4-5 1847 Seydel's. I LOVE them. The larger holes took adjustment BUT they freaking last forever & overblow out of the box. Hohner is still my favorite so maybe I'll try some Rockets...when I get a dollar. I still have not tried a Deluxe even. I never use the low ones with a band... won't cut through. Magic Dick KILLS on a regular F....First ILook at the Purse & PLENTY MORE. We used to play ZZ Topp's Francine.. also cool w/an F. Your video's fine. Chill. And you're spot on about Black Coffee too. Rice is on the Mt. Rushmore for sure. At your age you wouldn't believe it but when I was teenage or early 20's my favorite 2 music stores had FULL lines of harps out of the plastic on display in the front glass case like jewelry & had these little plastic deals that went between your mouth & the harp...kind of a thick hard plastic mouth condom for trying one out. That's middle late 70's in Decatur, AL & Spartanburg, SC in wayyy different times...
I’m not a great harp player but I agree. I love the sound and tone of the low harmonicas. I’ve got a few of the keys and want to get as many as possible. I like the Sydel’s I’ve bought.
Great question my friend! You definitely can go too low. I guess the question is, what are you using the hwrmonica for? If its sonny boy style blues, id stick to the regulars Low F or Low D. If you want to use the harp as a bass instrument, maybe go for the other ones, or even a LOW low which is 2 octaves down. To get started, I highly recommend the low F and low D, those are the easiest to play and because they're common leys you can use them for anything
@@formansbasement2311 I've listened to Low Low F out of curiosity, it's crazy low. Sounds almost like a jew's harp rather than harmonica. I'll go for Low D. Thanks from Paris, France.
Cool video-thanks. I bought a seydel low d few months ago and was real disappointed with how not airtight it was-also a few notes to tune ( I’m learning) I’m in yer boat financially and am waiting soon to get the low D rocket. Is it yer go to low d harp? I am with you on regular f and d harps-they are so high I’m afraid of them. Keep the videos up-you are sincere and to the point and an old soul as well with that great Peggy Lee stuff which rings this old motherfuckers bell. Let me know if you had only one low harp which would you choose? Thanks-no pressure
@walterensor2947 hey brother I had the exact same problem with my seydel low D. That was the first low harmonica I got. I think my go to is either a low F or low D. Thank you for watching
Interesting! I’ve bought 3 and none have been to my liking. I guess it could be luck of the draw, much like marine bands. The last Lee Oskar I got was a Bb and I was pretty disappointed in comparison to a marine band
