About tremolo

Tremolo harmonicas (often called double-reed harmonicas) differ from blues harps (10-hole diatonic harmonicas) in several ways. First, although tremolos have top and bottom reed plates, unlike those in blues harps, they are nearly identical. The only difference between them is that the top reeds are designed to vibrate at slightly higher frequencies (are a bit sharper) than their "sister" reeds on the bottom plate. For example, a middle C reed on the top plate may vibrate at 446 cycles per second, or hertz (Hz), whereas that on the bottom plate may vibrate at 443 Hz. The differential vibration of any two such "sister" reeds causes a tremolo sound. (Accordions produce their tremolo sound because of the same principle.) The double reed combination and the tremolo effect give tremolos a brilliant and powerful sound (a nuisance to 7th and 8th floor apartment dwellers if someone is practicing on the 6th floor).

The greater the difference in the vibrating frequency between any two reeds, the greater the tremolo effect produced. The double reeds of Western tremolos are tuned relatively far apart, creating a very audible "wet"  tremolo; in contrast, the double reeds of Asian tremolos are tuned relatively close together, creating a relatively inaudible "dry" tremolo.

Second, a tremolo "hole" is defined differently than a blues harp hole. At first count, the face of a Hohner 55/80 Echo Harp (see diagram below) has 40 holes, two rows of 20, one on top of the other. However, tremolo manufacturers and players would say there are actually 20 holes, each comprised of two smaller holes, one on top of the other. The small top hole channels air over only the top reed, and the small bottom hole channels air over only a bottom reed tuned to a lower pitch.

Third, whereas a blues harp sounds a note whether you blow or draw into it, a tremolo harp hole sounds a note only either on a blow or a draw: if blowing into a hole sounds a note, drawing from that same hole does not; likewise, if drawing through a hole sounds a note, blowing into that same hole does not. Block out some holes with either your fingers or tape and prove this to yourself. 

Fourth, standard C and D blues harps are relatively high-pitched, and G blues harps are relatively low-pitched. In contrast, C and D tremolos are relatively lower-pitched (they have an extra low octave reed set on the left-hand side), and G tremolos are relatively high pitched (they have an extra high octave reed set on the right-hand side). Thus, C tremolos have relatively more depth, whereas G tremolos have relatively more brilliance than do blues harps.

Fifth, double-reed harmonicas require more wind to play because they have four holes for every one on a blues harp: whereas a blow C/draw D combination on a double-reed harmonica consists of four holes, it consists of only one hole on a blues harp.

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Are the notes on all tremolo harmonicas laid out the same way ?

No. Their note layouts differ not only from those of blues harps, but among tremolos themselves. Tremolo note layouts are either of a Richter scheme (all Hohner and some Huang tremolos) or of a solo scheme (Tombo, Suzuki, and Weltmeister tremolos).

Richter scheme layouts

Richter-scheme harmonicas are designed to play chords on the left and melodies on the right, most songs played on them, even simple ones with no sharps and flats, must be played in the higher octaves, tending to make them sound shrill. The note layouts of most 10-hole diatonic blues harps are of a Richter scheme. The diagram of a blues harp in the key of C at right illustrates this. Notice that you can't play a complete C scale in the lower octave because the F and A notes are missing. You can only play a complete C scale in one octave if you start on hole 4 (blow) and end up on hole 7 (blow). You can produce the missing F and A notes, but only by special techniques such as "bending," "overblowing," and "overdrawing" (I rarely use these techniques, but you can learn them in many basic harmonica instruction books). These techniques are difficult to master (especially at the tempo of much of the music I play) and produce effects that are often udesirable. Furthermore, as I discuss below, these techniques are rarely applicable to tremolo harmonicas.

All Hohner tremolos have a Richter scheme note layout. Below, I show that of the C face of the double-faced Hohner 55/80 Echo Harp (As with other such diagrams that follow, "B" means blow, "D" means draw, and the bottom notes, tuned to a lower pitch, are marked with a prime (') symbol).

As different from a blues harp note layout as this one is, it is still a Richter scheme. Try playing a C scale on the low octave of a 55/80. You run into the same problem that exists on a blues harp: notes F and A are missing. You can only play a complete C scale on the second octave, starting at hole number 7 and ending at hole number 13. The "missing" notes of Richter tremolos can be produced by  re-tuning one or more of the reeds (see my link on re-tuning reeds). For example, the number 4 (G) reeds can be re-tuned to A. This eliminates the G notes at hole number 4, but G notes can still be produced in hole number 5. By so doing, you can increase the number of songs in your repertoire. Still, I advise avoiding all tremolo harmonicas with Richter scheme note layouts.

Solo scheme note layouts

The solo note layout scheme allows you to play complete scales in both the lower and upper octaves without having to use special techniques. Whereas Richter note layouts are better for chording, solo note layouts are better for playing melodies. Tombo, Suzuki, and Weltmeister tremolos, and all chromatic harmonicas have solo scheme note layouts. The solo note layout scheme of the Tombo 1521 Deluxe tremolos I play are shown below:

I've been playing tremolos for 40 years, and I've never seen another scheme like this one. Thinking of how it was constructed gives me a headache. I hope you already know how to play!!!!

Although tremolos with solo note layout schemes are better than those with Richter schemes for playing melodies, songs with sharps and flats can only be played by either bending notes (not advisable) or, as is done in Richter harmonicas, by re-tuning some of the reeds.

Can you bend notes on a tremolo ?

Whether Richter or solo tuned, diatonic harmonicas have missing notes: the sharps and flats (equivalent to the black keys on a piano). The discovery that notes on a harmonica could be "bent" to produce missing ones was probably an accident, and a very fortuitous one for blues and rock players, not only allowing them to produce missing notes but giving a great deal of emotional intensity to their music.

Bending notes involves changing the "embouchure," the configuration of the mouth and tongue, while blowing or drawing into a hole. Changing the embouchure not only changes the shape and size of the mouth chamber (which plays a very important part in producing good tone), but it changes the angle of the air stream flowing through the harmonica. The concept of "bending" a note is a strange one, for, really, how can you bend a musical note? It was only recently discovered that what really happens, at least in blues harps, is that changing the embouchure while either drawing or blowing in a hole effects an unexpected interaction between the top and bottom reeds of that hole, changing the normal frequency at which one vibrates to produce a "missing" note. Thus, a G note can be "bent" to an A, a D to a C sharp, etc.

The reed interactions and the "bendability" of various notes depend on how far apart on the diatonic scale the top and bottom reed notes are: the further apart they are, for example G above the B for hole 3 in a C harp, the more bendable either note is; the closer together they are, for example E above F for hole 5, the less bendable either note is. Any alteration in the normal Richter scheme layout affects the ability to bend notes. That's why the ability to bend certain notes changes when the Richter scheme layout is modified to produce country, natural minor, and other "special tunings."

The ability to bend notes varies within a particular harmonica, among different keys of the same harmonica brand, and among harmonica brands. For examples: the hole 5 draw note can be bent very little ; bending notes in hole three draw is usually more difficult than bending them in hole 4 draw; bending notes of lower-pitched diatonics, in the keys of A and G is noticeably harder than bending them on higher-pitched diatonics in the keys D and F. In his book, "The Harp Handbook," blues harmonicist Steve Baker explains in detail the physical principles underlying note bending in blues harps.

The same principles that allow notes to be bent on a blues harp apply in bending them on tremolos. However, keep two things in mind. First, because every reed of a double reed harmonica receives air from its own chamber (whereas the top and bottom reeds in a blues harp hole receive air from a common chamber), interactions between reeds are different than those in blues harps. Second, the various and unique note layouts among double reed harmonicas (some Richter, some solo) means that bendable notes on one harmonica are not bendable on another. Nevertheless, with a little experimenting and practice, bending notes on a double reed harmonica is possible - but neither common nor advisable for several reasons.

Most importantly, the reeds of a tremolo are smaller, softer, and therefore more delicate than those of a blues harp. Playing the harmonica, contrary to what many instructors and manuals say, can be very expensive. Any blues harmonica player (if you play the blues, you already know this) will tell you that harmonicas wear out after a month or two, sometimes much sooner. The reeds simply fatigue after repeatedly being "bent." You then have several options: buy a new harmonica, retune the fatigued reeds (eventually, you can't even do that because the reeds fatigue beyond repair), replace the reeds, or send the harmonica to a repair shop (harmonica manufacturers make replaceable reed plates for some blues harps, but not for tremolos). Sadly, most players throw harmonicas with fatigued reeds away and buy new ones. The point is, tremolo harmonicas are expensive, and they cannot take nearly as much "bending abuse" as blues harps. Therefore, unless you have lots of money to throw away (or you work for Hohner), don't bend notes on a tremolo, or bend them very carefully and very infrequently.

Bending notes on tremolos is neither common nor advisable for other reasons. Several players report that bent notes on a tremolo sound a bit nasal, are not as loud as unbent notes, and that they can only be produced by blocking

Last news from Ray Lambert (25/08/02)

   " To bend notes on my 56/86, I must switch from tongue blocking to lip blocking, the same techniques I use with blues harps. It seems that I can sometimes bend both the top and the bottom notes of a doublet at the same time; other times, I can just bend either the top or the bottom (I can't tell which, and I don't know why). I can bend quite a few of the notes with very little trouble - seemingly with less trouble than with ablues harp. However, I do lose some volume, and I can't hold the bend for very long - it seems to fade away. At any rate, it doesn't seem worth fooling around with because I don't want to ruin my tremolo in the process".

So, what do you do in the face of so much injustice, especially if you're an atheist? Become a believer.

1. Bend notes only when necessary.
2. Only play songs whose notes are already on the harmonica. Many people like me who play traditional French, Quebecois, and Irish music play some of the thousands of songs of this type. Quebec and Louisiana melodeon players have the same handicap (I think it's a great opportunity) as do diatonic harmonica players. Their instruments have 10 buttons (20 notes), and a blower replaces the lungs, yet no one would suggest that their repertoire is limited, or that their music is not music.
3. Have several harmonicas at your disposal so you can easily go from one to the next.
4.   Play any song at all, and just skip over the notes that aren't on your harmonica. If two out of three notes of a song are not on your harmonica, just reduce the price of admission to one of your concerts by two thirds. Or, just tell a good joke after every couple of songs, thereby making your concerts last just as long.
5.   Do something worse than cheating on your wife: play a chromatic harmonica, ideal for Irish music, though much less so for Quebecois music (It's a matter of taste - mine).

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Do you prefer playing tremolo or chromatic harmonicas ?

Depending on the music, I play either diatonic (blues harps and tremolos) or chromatics. I almost always use tremolos to play Quebecois music because: 1) I feel more comfortable with them than with other harmonicas, and 2) the brilliant tremolo effect most closely approaches that of the melodeon. I can play in octaves and produce virtually all the sounds a melodeon can, sounds that are impossible to play on a chromatic. The same music played on a chromatic often sounds weak.

However, if a song has many sharps and flats and is a superb piece of music, such as "La Galope de Lionel Simard," which I sadly re-baptized as "Galope Soucy," I play it with a chromatic. I usually play Quebecois music in D, not because I prefer this key, but because both Quebec (and Irish) violin and melodeon players usually play in  D.

When I play Irish music, I often use a chromatic. Even though it's not the instrument I feel most comfortable with, it is very dynamic, and the slide is particularly handy for certain ornamentations, like grace notes and rolls, which are integral to Irish music. Also, it sounds a little like a concertina, a very Irish instrument.

Galope de Lionel Simard

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Are the chromatics you play normal chromatics ?

My chromatics are not normal (neither am I) The slide of a C chromatic normally redirects the air flow from the top C reed plate to a bottom C# plate. My chromatics are patterned after Eddie Clarke's chromatics, whose slides redirect the air on a C chromatic from the top C reed plate to a bottom B plate. You can simulate this scheme by reversing the slide on your C chromatic so that it normally directs air to the bottom plate and redirects it to the top plate. Instead of a C/C# harmonica, you now have a C#/C harmonica, of little use when playing with other people but great for experiment with.

To have chromatics like the ones I play, you either have to retune the reeds (a delicate and arduous task) on regular commercially sold chromatics, buy custom-made models (not always easy to find), or buy several chromatics, each in a different key, take the plates off, and put them back on the combs in more appropriate arrangements, such as C/B, G/F#, D/C#, and A/G#. These harmonicas will allow you to play the most common keys in which Irish music is played.

What is the advantage to playing such chromatics?

To me, the note arrangement of these reconstructed chromatics are more logically suited to  traditional Irish music. I can play much more fluidly (without having to alternately blow and draw), which is essential for Irish music. Finally, Irish accordions are tuned to either C/B or D/C#, keys that seem to best express the spirit of Irish music.

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You always play with tongue blocking. Why ? What is it ?

                There are basically two ways of playing harmonicas: tongue blocking and lip blocking (the whistle method). I use a tongue-blocking style, which I adapt when I play octaves. It is a style that was imprinted on me early in my childhood as I listened to my father and grandfather play. Although I picked up the style rather effortlessly, I suspect it won't come easy to you if you've never tried it. Yet, I think it's essential for playing the kind of music I play. Here's how I do it

 As you can see from the diagram at left (top), when I blow into the harmonica to play a note, my lips surround several holes, but my tongue obstructs all but the right-most one, in this case hole number 17. It doesn't matter if hole 16 is not completely blocked because it is a draw note hole and is silent when I blow into it. As I indicate at left (bottom), by shifting my tongue to  expose both holes 11 and 17 (keeping holes 12 to 16 blocked) I can play an octave . By lifting my tongue slightly to uncover all the holes surrounded by my lips, I can play several notes at a time (a chord). My tongue is not symmetrically placed over the holes it covers; rather, it points slightly to the left. Thus, the right side, not the tip of my tongue, actually blocks the holes. As much as possible, my tongue is touching the harmonica. This lubricates the cover plates with saliva, enabling my lips to glide easily from left to  right and back as needed. 

I find that tongue blocking has several advantages:

With slight moves of your tongue, you can play accompaniment and melody at the same time. The sound of my father  playing waltzes like this soothed me and "rocked" me to sleep when I was young. It's pretty easy. On a 3/4 time waltz, I quickly remove and replace my tongue on both the second and third beats, producing an "oom pah pah," or a "boom tah dah" rhythm. However, the technique can get wearisome (even downright annoying), and it may be dissonant with guitarists and pianists trying to accompany you with relatively more refined chords.

With practice, you can accommodate this accompaniment pattern to music in 2/4 and 4/4 time (reels, for example), thereby introducing some variety and spice to the music.

You can vary the volume of your playing with relatively little risk of accidentally bending notes, which tends to happen relatively often if you play by the whistle method.

  Finally, it seems to me that playing triplets (such as those in "Polka des écureuils") and arpeggios (such as those in "Reel du Cultivateur"), is impossible by using the lip blocking method. It's certainly impossible to play octaves by using the whistle method. 

« Polka des écureuils »)

 Reel du Cultivateur.

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The harmonicas I use

C'est pas pire

	Hommage à Dupont (B. Kowalczyk) : chromatique Hohner Super Chromonica 12 trous G / Reel de Lucie (B.Kowalczyk) : Tombo De Luxe Modèle 1521 Trémolo D / Reel à Olivier (O. Chérès) : Tombo Em Naturel 10 trous  / Reel des chômeurs (B. Kowalczyk) : chromatique Hohner Super Chromonica 12 trous G
	Set carré Pitou Boudreault (P. Boudreault) : chromatique Hohner CX 12 C
	Valse des voyages (J. C. Bellanger) : Hohner 10 trous spécial 20 en G dont j’ai limé les do naturels pour en faire des do dièses
	Reel Timé (Trad. Québec) : Tombo De Luxe Modèle 1521 Trémolo D / Reel Elena (Trad. Québec) : Tombo De Luxe Modèle 1521 Trémolo D / Reel en G (Trad. Québec) : Tombo De Luxe Modèle 1521 Trémolo G / Gigue de Terrebonne (Trad. Québec) : Tombo De Luxe Modèle 1521 Trémolo D / Reel Eugène (Trad. Québec) : Tombo De Luxe Modèle 1521 Trémolo D et Tombo Bm 10 trous réaccordé par moi-même à partir d’un 10 trous majeur (j'ai baissé toutes les tierces en mettant un peu de super glue sur les lames ; voir la rubrique "Réparations")
	Joe Pépet (B. Kowalczyk) : Tombo De Luxe Modèle 1521 Trémolo A
	Spring times in the rocky (R. Sawer): Tombo De Luxe Modèle 1521 Trémolo D
	Ste Béatrix (B. Kowalczyk) : Tombo Am Naturel 10 trous dont j’ai bricolé qques notes / Reel Béatrice (Trad. Québec) : Tombo Em Naturel 10 trous dont j’ai bricolé qques notes sur les 2 1éres parties puis Tombo De Luxe Modèle 1521 Trémolo C pour la 3ème partie
	Hommage à Luc Lavallée (D. Poirier) : Tombo De Luxe Modèle 1521 Trémolo A / Reel du village (Trad. Québec) : Tombo De Luxe Modèle 1521 Trémolo D
	Hommage à Edmond Pariseau (M. Messervier) : Tombo De Luxe Modèle 1521 Trémolo D sur les 2 1éres parties; : Tombo De Luxe Modèle 1521 Trémolo A sur la 3ème partie
	Train Mid (B. Kowalczyk) : Tombo 10 trous C
	Reel de Port-Joli : (Trad. Québec) Tombo De Luxe Modèle 1521 Trémolo D / Breakdown de la victoire (Trad. Québec) : Tombo De Luxe Modèle 1521 Trémolo D / Reel en G (Trad. Québec) : Tombo De Luxe Modèle 1521 Trémolo G / Reel à Bugeot (Trad. Québec) : Tombo De Luxe Modèle 1521 Trémolo D / Set Américain (Trad. Québec) : Tombo De Luxe Modèle 1521 Trémolo D
	Volga (Trad. Ukraine) / Reel des ouvriers (Trad. Québec) / Reel Mim (Trad.Québec) : Tombo De Luxe Modèle 1521 Trémolo G pour les trois morceaux
	Grande gigue simple (Trad. Québec) : Tombo De Luxe Modèle 1521 Trémolo D
	A.C. (B. Kowalczyk) : Tombo De Luxe Modèle 1521 Trémolo D ; super vamper en G pour faire les pompes sur la 2 ème partie
	Valse d’Orsa (Trad. Suède) : 10 trous "Spécial 20" Db, chromatique Hohner CX 12 C, Blues Harp Hohner en Bb dont j’ai limé les tierces pour avoir un harmo mineur...bref, pour la totale y’a 3 harmos très différents. Pour jouer seul, un seul des trois suffit...

Ca Pas d'Allure

Where can I find Tombo Band 1521 De Luxe ?

 www.harmonicas-direct.com

http://www.myharmonicaworld.com

http://www.harmonicaonlineshop.com/Tombo-1521-Band-De-LUxe-Tremolo

http://www.mondharmonicawinkel.nl/Tombo-1521-Band-Deluxe-Tremolo

http://www.idealo.fr/prechcat.html?q=harmonica+tremolo+tombo

http://www.musicscotland.com/cd/tombo-harmonica-band-deluxe-21-f-1521F.html

http://www.amazon.com/TOMBO-No-1521G-m-No-1521-DELUXE/dp/B0027MAWIY

http://global.rakuten.com/en/store/guitarplanet/item/tombo_1521_tremolo_major/

http://www.cherchons.com/dossier/harmonica-tremolo.html

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