The Word “Harp”.

[Scotty]

I say harp all the time.
Harpoon is odd,  innit?

I never say harp, but do agree that 'harpoon' is odd. I always wondered why Kristofferson came up with that particular description...unless
he felt it just fit the song - maybe needing a longer word than 'harp' to fit that particular phrase '____from my dirty red bandana'. Poetic license?


scotty

[Gnarly He Man]

John Sebastian has a tune called Harpoon . . .

But he didn't coin the term.

[smojoe]

DEFinitely poetic license.

I trust that he needed THREE syllables to match the notes. SO..I pulled my 'har-poon-out' fits the flow.
He could have written..I pulled my 'blues-harp-out' to match the notes BUT he mentions blues rather
closely in the next line. And such close proximity of the word blues would have been over exposure of
that word.
Another problem would have been to use..I pulled my 'Harp - out'. But that would have left a hole in the
center of the three notes. Naah, too empty.

smo-joe

[cisco]

Pat Missin’s site specifically uses the word “chrom” in his chromatic discussion.

[SlideMeister]

I also use "harumka" for my Chromatic, cuz it types easier than capitalizing the C (which is another personal law I made for myself)

[cisco]

AND, “harumka” qualifies as being phonetlically acceptable.

[SlideMeister]

Hey, "harumka" has worked great for me since I wuzza kid!

[cisco]

phonetically acceptable = good 🙂

As in “sounds like”.

[SlideMeister]

Yep; AND it's even easier to pronounce (fits me well since I always was a bit on the lazy side  )

[Scotty]

DEFinitely poetic license.

I trust that he needed THREE syllables to match the notes. SO..I pulled my 'har-poon-out' fits the flow.
He could have written..I pulled my 'blues-harp-out' to match the notes BUT he mentions blues rather
closely in the next line. And such close proximity of the word blues would have been over exposure of
that word.
Another problem would have been to use..I pulled my 'Harp - out'. But that would have left a hole in the
center of the three notes. Naah, too empty.

smo-joe

almost exactly my same thought process.

scotty

[Scotty]

Pat Missin’s site specifically uses the word “chrom” in his chromatic discussion.

I've personally never visited his site, but for me it just makes sense to abbreviate chromatic to 'chrom'. Logical, especially when mentioning our instrument several times in one sitting.

scotty

[smojoe]

I tend to use Chro. or Diat. exCEPT here. Where I 'make it my own' with chromo. Using goofy words doesn't upset me at all. I simply don't spend any time thinking about it.
smo-j

[John Broecker]

Barracuda = slide chromatic

shark harp = diatonic

tremblor = tremolo

octane = octave

nitroglyph = glissando

Acorn = a chord

boss = bass


jb

[smojoe]

Where's this comong from 'John the Mon'?

[John Broecker]

I know that my post # 42  may be far out in
Omega Land.

The post was a suggestion of nicknames for  the
7 major harmonica types.

The word, "harp" was originally used to describe
a musical instrument that plays mostly arpeggios:
the harp string instrument.

It was applied to the harmonica, for it's "harp-like"
easy play of arpeggios.

The nickname "harp" has been used with harmonicas
since the very beginning of the Aeolian harmonica,
also known as a "wind harp" (circa 1821 or earlier).

John Broecker

Best Regards, Stay Healthy.

[Gnarly He Man]

https://www.patmissin.com/ffaq/q3.html

I just exchanged emails with Pat today, so he seems to be doing well.
And Doug is still posting elsewhere, so he too seems to be surviving the plague.
John may need a new hobby.
I am thinking of learning to play the diatonic piano.
https://youtu.be/tB8ITQGp-is

[dwhite60]

Yet another type of "harp". Auto-Harp.

This is my wife competing at the Mountain Laurel Autoharp Gathering.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qilGQN-U3U0

[John Broecker]

If you are referring to this John
as possibly needing another hobby,
I'm interested in a great many hobbies.

But, I don't have time for any new
hobbies, and seldom participate in
my older hobbies.

Best Regards, Stay Healthy

John Broecker
The Fred Gwynne of Harmonicas

[SlideMeister]

Auto-harp; (SlideMeister definition)
A secondary Chromatic harmonica that's usually
kept in the glove box and played while driving 

[ejacob4]

My first instrument was a Hohner Blues Harp. Thoughts:

It was definitely not a harp.
I should not like to hear blues played on a harp.
Harps seem to have a reputation for being played in . . . Higher venues.
Blues artists arrange their training elsewhere, Robert Johnson et al.

Chromatic, or chrom, in my experience, are terms best avoided with those unfamiliar with the instrument. I did not enjoy explaining the device, or the playing of it to one who did not know much at all about it.

On the other hand, Saying “this,” plucking it out of one’s breast pocket and ripping out a riff, with a trill and a nice trailing throat vibrato, then saying, “like that,” usually handles the what and how questions.

Best regards,
Ed

[John Broecker]

SlideMeister Definition: Auto-Valve Harp:

An octave harp with a heart condition.

jb

[brorat]

https://www.patmissin.com/ffaq/q3.html

I am thinking of learning to play the diatonic piano.
https://youtu.be/tB8ITQGp-is

I sent the link of this young lady playing to my 12 year old grandson ...who LOVES music. I explained that the piano has only the 52 white keys, so can only be played in C major.

He quickly replied, “Really cool, Pop. BTW, she can also play in A minor”.

Smarty pants!!

[SlideMeister]

SlideMeister Definition: Auto-Valve Harp:

An octave harp with a heart condition.

jb

That'll work too

[SlideMeister]

Brorat
I dunno bro. Seems to me like a waste to put all that money into a fine, albeit "limited" instrument.

[brorat]

Brorat
I dunno bro. Seems to me like a waste to put all that money into a fine, albeit "limited" instrument.

I agree!  It’s like paying full price for half an instrument!!

[vid wes]

Hard to understand why someone would do that.  All the time and expense of building a piano that no one will want.

Seems a waste.

[Gnarly He Man]

It’s a novelty.
They build pianos.
She plays it well.
I changed my mind, I’m not buying one.

[harp_unstrung]

I imagine Howard Levy could figure out a way to play it chromatically ...

[John Broecker]

Harmonicist? Chromaticist?

A doctor would tell you that a "cyst" is
something to be removed.

I use whatever harmonica name seems
to be most popular and most understood,
or shorter to print on the page.

I'm not ashamed of any of the titles for
harmonicas, I just use the one that's most
convenient at the moment.

Mass-produced harmonicas were called
harps as far back as the 1850s, in USA musical
instrument catalogs.

One of the first known harmonicas with it's
name as Harp on it's covers, was the Hohner
Auto Valve Harp, an octave harp introduced in
1903. It was produced to circa 2017-'18 (?).

Another Hohner harp is still made today:  the
Blues Harp, introduced circa the early 1960s.
It's a Richter 10-hole diatonic harmonica.

Best Regards, Stay Healthy.

joHN broeckER

[SlideMeister]

Once someone asked my brother: "Your little brother plays the harp, right?" and Jimmy said: I dunno; he could prolly fit one in his mouth, but I don't think he could play it.

I've never referred to one of these hand held, air operated, slide directed, bi-directional lunguaphoniums as a harp. "Suck-harp," on the other hand, is a term ~I~ coined back in the last millennium, referring to diabolic harumkas. (yep! I can not tell a lie; I'm the guy what done it) 

Seriously, if I can't fit it in my big mouth, it ain't a harp, and I don't play no steenkin' harp. At least not yet.