So do harmonicas go here or with the squeezeboxes?

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TheSpoonMan
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So do harmonicas go here or with the squeezeboxes?

Post by TheSpoonMan »

'Cause I know they're free reeds and all, but I tried to squeeze my harmonica once and that didn't go so well.
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Post by Chiffed »

My toddler got into a cupboard and absconded with my new c chromatic... It squeezes a bit more now (but with a funny clunking sound). :-?

How do you clean drool out of a Hohner Chrometta? :sniffle:
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Post by Nanohedron »

For my money, harmonicas go with the other free reeds. By that measure, so would the sheng, though, so I don't really know. Maybe here, after all...even though its subtitle indicates free reeds as if it were a generalisation, that forum's name does indeed say "Squeezeboxes". So, yeah, post here if you like. I think I shan't have a hernia over it. :wink:
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Post by Dale »

Free reeds, I would think.
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Post by Chiffed »

Nanohedron wrote:For my money, harmonicas go with the other free reeds. By that measure, so would the sheng, though, so I don't really know. Maybe here, after all...even though its subtitle indicates free reeds as if it were a generalisation, that forum's name does indeed say "Squeezeboxes". So, yeah, post here if you like. I think I shan't have a hernia over it. :wink:
I always find it hilarious that a mutant-water-bong-crossed-with-a-teapot (sheng) is so directly related to accordions.

The local Irish accordion guru has my sheng right now - he wants to rip it apart and put italian reeds in it. What would one call a Chinese-Italian-Irish sheng?

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Post by Nanohedron »

Chiffed wrote:The local Irish accordion guru has my sheng right now - he wants to rip it apart and put italian reeds in it.
Do they ever stop? :twisted:
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Post by ceadach »

>>The local Irish accordion guru has my sheng right now - he wants to rip it apart and put italian reeds in it. What would one call a Chinese-Italian-Irish sheng? <<
:o
:-?
Being "Sheng hai-ed"??? What's so wrong with the reeds that are in there now? A friend of mine destroyed a nice Indian harmonium but trying to pull "better" steel reeds in it. Never worked the same way again!

Those box players... :wink:
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Post by Chiffed »

ceadach wrote:>>The local Irish accordion guru has my sheng right now - he wants to rip it apart and put italian reeds in it. What would one call a Chinese-Italian-Irish sheng? <<
:o
:-?
Being "Sheng hai-ed"??? What's so wrong with the reeds that are in there now? A friend of mine destroyed a nice Indian harmonium but trying to pull "better" steel reeds in it. Never worked the same way again!

Those box players... :wink:
CM
He just wants to play around. Maybe I'll trade the sheng for work on my Titano 12-bass. Can't afford a real box yet.
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Post by Nanohedron »

I think that unless the sheng is poor or unplayable, he should probably leave it be. Also, keep in mind that sheng reeds are typically brass or bronze. After a couple or so thousand years, there are probably good reasons for that.

But I suppose there's really nothing wrong with getting into the guts of things to see what makes 'em tick so long as you can put it all snugly back together.
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Post by Chiffed »

Just traded the Sheng (mostly unplayable) and the busted Titano for a sweet little Silvetta 12-bass dry-tuned. I love the sound, and the tuning is dead on.

So, back to folk winds.
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Post by CountryKitty »

Hmmmm.... (thinkin' out loud...dangerous pasttime...)

Re and irish music afficianado trying to redo an asian instrument--

The reason may be a matter of translation. Doesn't asian music contain a lot of flat notes while Irish tends to have more sharps? To someone familiar with Irish music, an asian instrument might sound out of tune and in need of work...

Might think he's doin' you a favor.
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Post by TheSpoonMan »

CountryKitty wrote:Hmmmm.... (thinkin' out loud...dangerous pasttime...)

Re and irish music afficianado trying to redo an asian instrument--

The reason may be a matter of translation. Doesn't asian music contain a lot of flat notes while Irish tends to have more sharps? To someone familiar with Irish music, an asian instrument might sound out of tune and in need of work...

Might think he's doin' you a favor.
I think Asian music is on its own tuning/naming system. But I dunno how it's written. And I think sheng are chromatic. But again I could be wrong.
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Post by StevieJ »

There may be a bigger problem than the tuning system. I seem to remember reading that the reeds in shengs and similar instruments sound when air flows through them in either direction, whereas accordion (and concertina) reeds only work with the air going one way.
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Post by Chiffed »

StevieJ wrote:There may be a bigger problem than the tuning system. I seem to remember reading that the reeds in shengs and similar instruments sound when air flows through them in either direction, whereas accordion (and concertina) reeds only work with the air going one way.
That's how they work. It's both a horse-of-a-different-colour and a push-me-pull-me.

Still lovin' the Silvetta, and not missing the sheng.
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