Dennis Gruenling
Dennis Gruenling Apr 27, 2018
Get Ready For The Chromatic!
 
This is Dennis Gruenling, and coming soon on Sonic Junction I will begin my new study piece which will feature the Chromatic harmonica. Whether you have experimented with the chromatic harmonica before and have some experience, or you have never tried one out and are curious, you will be able to work on this song and it will be a great introduction and study piece for this type of harmonica. 
 
You just need any standard chromatic harmonica in the key of C, which is the most common key for them. Almost any size will do (they vary in sizes from 8 holes to 16 holes) but the standard size would be a 12-hole chromatic, such as a Hohner model 270. Please keep in mind, this type of harmonica is made to be played differently and NOT made to be bent, so do not play a chromatic with as much breath pressure as you would a diatonic (please play softer) and do not try to bend notes. Another option would be to use a “solo tuned” diatonic harmonica. A solo tuned diatonic harmonica has the same note layout as a chromatic harmonica, but does not have a slide, does has some notes that you can bend, and is the same basic size of a standard diatonic harmonica but they are not very common.
 
The chromatic harmonica is a different instrument really than the standard, smaller 10-hole “diatonic” harmonica, but it was still used effectively in Blues music. Two giants of blues harp world who used the chromatic harmonica to good effect and had an influence on almost everyone else after them are Little Walter, and George “Harmonica” Smith.
 
 
We will be using some basic harmonica techniques that we have already used and covered on the diatonic for this piece, so there is not much new for you, aside to get used to playing a bigger instrument that sounds a little different. 
 
Get ready to moan the blues soon on a Chromatic harmonica!
 
 
 
Bob
Bob May 01, 2018

I’m interested. I feel like a dummy asking this but can you Or someone explain the cost structure to me? Ive tried to wrap my feeble brain around how sonic junction works but it’s just not straight forward for me. Thanks 

Boyd R
Boyd R May 01, 2018

For a Chromatic you could buy  12 diatonic harmonica's and never buy used

Mike Caren
Mike Caren May 01, 2018

Hi Bob - we offer full access / unlimited subscriptions - so a subscription allows you to watch all lesson by all Artists as many times as you want.  It's similar to Netflix.  You can learn from our huge catalogue OR you can take the new lessons being released.   We have many customers that learn both ways.  I hope that helps.

Boyd R
Boyd R Apr 27, 2018

Are you going to play chromatic harmonica lesson's from here on out? I guess I'm out

Dennis Gruenling
Dennis Gruenling Apr 27, 2018

No, of course not, just for this next upcoming study song. Many people have shown interest, and you can even get a "solo-tuned" diatonic harmonica to play this song as well, if you don't want to play chromatic but may want to work on this one. 

swampthang45@hotmail.com

Looking forward to this 

Robert Fox
Robert Fox Apr 30, 2018

Cool! I've been waiting for this.

mauricio taufic
mauricio taufic Apr 30, 2018

It will be fantastic! Waiting for the study. 

Lucky
Lucky May 01, 2018

Great, Dennis!

I love the sound of a tongueblocked Chromatic, so I'm overriped

Gordi Brown
Gordi Brown May 01, 2018

looking forward to it Dennis

 

Dennis Gruenling
Dennis Gruenling May 03, 2018

Thanks for all of the feedback so far everyone! I'm looking forward to this as well. If you already can tackle some of my other songs here on Sonic Junction, this does not really use any new techniques...we will just be playing a different instrument. The one thing to keep in mind is that you will want to make sure that you are not breathing too hard, and this is the Golden Rule of playing harmonica anyway, so wil be good practice for you if you need it!

Bob
Bob May 03, 2018

I’m in 

ferflair
ferflair Aug 15, 2018

More Chromatic!!! You are The best!!

Dennis Gruenling
Dennis Gruenling Aug 15, 2018

Thank You!! I will do another chromatic song in the future, yes!

 

 
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