I am planning my summer and am looking at East Durham. NY Irish Week. I play 10 hole diatonic harmonicas. What type of harmonica does Don Meade teach?( i.e. chromatic, diatonic, tremolo , etc. ). I play mainly Irish and Scottish tunes with the slow airs my hands down favorites.
I had a class with him last year. He prefers the chromatic because he likes to use the slide. He has a couple of chromtics in different keys. He also plays tremolos and diatonics. During class he would play a tune on a couple of different types of harmonicas to show us how doing ornamentation is affected. We played a lot in the keys of C and D because they were the common keys of the students and instructor's harps. He covered different types of tunes (reels jigs waltzes etc) and played fast and slow. Taping was encouraged and he played the tunes that we requested if he knew them. I learned a handful of tunes from him and the tape of him that I made. I also learned how to use the slide to ornament tunes. Besides that he knows a ton about tunes and musicians, music, tinkering with harps.... I'm an experienced harp player and I learned a lot from his class.
Anyone interested in this class should feel free to email me questions at blarneystar@hotmail.com. Here's the "official" course description I supplied to the Catskills Irish Arts Week:
HARMONICA
The harmonica, better known in Ireland as the “mouth organ,” has been played by Irish traditional musicians for 150 years or more. This class will survey Irish harmonica styles on various types of diatonic and chromatic instruments. Topics will include single-note playing, tongue blocking vs. lip blocking, “crossharp” vs. “first position” styles, note-bending, breath control, ornamentation, the modal scales of Irish music and harmonica maintenance. All teaching will be done “by ear” and students should have a tape recorder with them for the week.
Don Meade is best known for his playing of chromatic harmonicas, but this course will accommodate players of all types of mouth organs. For those interested in “graduating” to the chromatic, Don will have a supply of inexpensive “solo-tuned” diatonic harmonicas, which allow the learner to familiarize him or herself with the tuning pattern used on chromatic instruments. To facilitate group instruction, all students should bring some type of harmonica pitched in the key of C.
Don Meade - East Durham
Don Meade - East Durham
I am planning my summer and am looking at East Durham. NY Irish Week. I play 10 hole diatonic harmonicas. What type of harmonica does Don Meade teach?( i.e. chromatic, diatonic, tremolo , etc. ). I play mainly Irish and Scottish tunes with the slow airs my hands down favorites.
# Posted on March 10th 2005 by babut
Re: Don Meade - East Durham
I had a class with him last year. He prefers the chromatic because he likes to use the slide. He has a couple of chromtics in different keys. He also plays tremolos and diatonics. During class he would play a tune on a couple of different types of harmonicas to show us how doing ornamentation is affected. We played a lot in the keys of C and D because they were the common keys of the students and instructor's harps. He covered different types of tunes (reels jigs waltzes etc) and played fast and slow. Taping was encouraged and he played the tunes that we requested if he knew them. I learned a handful of tunes from him and the tape of him that I made. I also learned how to use the slide to ornament tunes. Besides that he knows a ton about tunes and musicians, music, tinkering with harps.... I'm an experienced harp player and I learned a lot from his class.
# Posted on March 13th 2005 by Madharp
Re: Don Meade - East Durham
Anyone interested in this class should feel free to email me questions at blarneystar@hotmail.com. Here's the "official" course description I supplied to the Catskills Irish Arts Week:
HARMONICA
The harmonica, better known in Ireland as the “mouth organ,” has been played by Irish traditional musicians for 150 years or more. This class will survey Irish harmonica styles on various types of diatonic and chromatic instruments. Topics will include single-note playing, tongue blocking vs. lip blocking, “crossharp” vs. “first position” styles, note-bending, breath control, ornamentation, the modal scales of Irish music and harmonica maintenance. All teaching will be done “by ear” and students should have a tape recorder with them for the week.
Don Meade is best known for his playing of chromatic harmonicas, but this course will accommodate players of all types of mouth organs. For those interested in “graduating” to the chromatic, Don will have a supply of inexpensive “solo-tuned” diatonic harmonicas, which allow the learner to familiarize him or herself with the tuning pattern used on chromatic instruments. To facilitate group instruction, all students should bring some type of harmonica pitched in the key of C.
Don Meade
# Posted on March 22nd 2005 by Don Meade