Harmonica-guitarist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This term may be applied to a musician playing two instruments, a harmonica, and a guitar, at the same time. The instrumentalist places the harmonica in a "harmonica neck-holder", that is worn around the neck and in which the harmonica is held tight between two metal plates with the pressure of springs on either sides of the holder, and frees the hands to play some other instrument. The musician is required to know the bending of notes on a harmonica, even if he plays a chromatic mouth-organ like this.
There have been a few harmonica-guitarists, though there is some scarcity of a compilation of all the names, able to play these instruments with enough credibility. This is because an extremely less number of people (probably still in single digit) taking it seriously enough to be called professionals. Though such a musical interest is quite difficult since it demands enough command over both the instruments, at first separately, and then at the same time, for a satisfactory performance, but it is mentionable that the main practice towards starting and playing light music requires to "free" the hands from the binding of the harmonica-act from the mouth. Once the hands become free of the actions of what the mind does with the harmonica, it becomes rather easy to perform newer numbers. (It is somewhat difficult to even sing with a guitar-rhythm for a new guitarist.) For example, the mind tends to send a down-stroke signal to the hand playing the rhythm on the guitar whenever a blow note is played on the harmonica, and vice-versa, which needs to be taken care of initially. Playing both the instruments together, initially, is a bit more difficult than piano, since piano would have the same way of producing notes, and here you require to produce notes in different manner due to the difference in playing of the instruments.
Here are a few names who have been, or are, known as harmonica-guitarists, with a brief explanation of their styles with the instruments:
1. Bob Dylan But mainly a well-known singer, plays interludes on harmonica-guitar during vocals. BobDylan.com
2. Neil Young But mainly a well-known singer, plays interludes on harmonica-guitar during vocals. NeilYoung.com
3. Jon Gindick, California, USA. A well known name, especially in the USA as a teacher of the harmonica, improvises on a harmonica-guitar (Jazz/ Blues). Gindick.com
4. Dan Duguay, Calgary, Canada. (Better known as "Dan the One Man Band".) A fully acoustic "one-man band" musician, plays interludes on harmonica-guitar during vocals. DanTheOneManBand.com
5. Bernard M. Snyder, Puglia, Italy. Another fully acoustic "one-man band" musician, plays interludes on harmonica-guitar during vocals. OneManBand.org (Italian URL: OneManBand.it)
6. Mike Straney, USA. Another fully acoustic "one-man band" musician, plays harmonica-guitar as an instrumental performance. Mike Straney videos on YouTube.com
7. Suparn Sharma, Bhopal, India. A new name, who has taken to playing of the harmonica-guitar as a full-time profession, and who has taken to playing of even flute-guitar duets of classical genre on both the instruments (which would require one to learn the Classical Guitar along with the harmonica) setting new standards for this style. MyGigBag.com (Alternate URL: CorporateMusician.com)
