Modified melodies to resonate in the US
Aug 09, 2005
What do you do when your harmonica cannot produce fiddle tunes? If you're Dr Tony Eyers, you simply re-engineer it. The telecommunications engineer from UOW's Faculty of Informatics has spent the last eight years perfecting Bluegrass harmonies on a series of modified or converted diatonic harmonicas, and he is taking his music to Kansas City in the US next week to play with some of the world's best. Fiddle tunes lie at the heart of western folk music and are played on many instruments. However, these tunes are rarely attempted on the harmonica, as they are generally considered too hard. The solution developed by Dr Eyers has been to re-engineer the harmonica to produce a tuning system and playing style better suited to fiddle tunes. The system involves filing the tips of the metallic reeds of the instrument. Dr Eyers has become well known in the international harmonica community, and his newly developed style of playing allows him to play a variety of difficult fiddle tunes at very swift tempos. “The result is a harmonic sound which has rarely been heard because I'm playing these fiddle sounds very accurately and at high speeds,” he said. “Usually when the original harmonica plays these sounds it ends up in a mess.” Dr Eyers, who started playing the harmonica 30 years ago after being 'captivated' by the sound of the instrument and its versatility, said he was looking forward to demonstrating this new development in the States next week where he will be attending the annual convention of the Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica (SPAH). “It will be an honour to be on stage with so many internationally renowned musicians,” he said. “In addition to showcasing my music I will also be demonstrating custom harmonicas made by Neil Graham. These instruments are recognised by makers as the absolute finest and are rarely seen outside Australia. It is likely that these powerful instruments will generate some serious interest at the convention.” Dr Eyers' CD, Black Mountain Harmonica, was released in 2003. His music can be heard at: Harmonica Tunes -RP
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