Brendan Power

CUSTOM BRENDAN POWER SLIDE HARMONICAS, MADE TO ORDER

This is the introductory page for a new range of harmonicas close to my heart. They're ones whose tunings and setup I have invented, custom-made for my personal use, and played extensively on my albums and live performances over the years. In answer to many requests, I'm happy to announce that in association with my good friend and harmonica tech partner André Coelho, they will now be available for anyone to buy.

The three models we're launching with are the PowerChromatic, the Slide-Diatonic, and the AsiaBend. Here's a brief back story for them:

I started making my own custom chromatic harmonicas way back in 1980! My first innovation was Half-valving: removing the outside valves so the draw reeds could be bent with the satisfying, controllable interactive-reed bending I was used to from playing diatonic harp.

I immediately saw that the standard Solo Tuning used on all commercial chromatics didn't maximise the benefits of half-valving - because it only allowed half the draw reeds to bend. So I created my first alternate-tuning for chromatic: one which would allow ALL the draw reeds to bend, but still enable the instrument to be played fully chromatically with the slider button.

That was PowerChromatic Tuning. Half-valved PowerChromatic harmonicas feature on most of my many albums, and I still use them regularly to this day. It's a great chromatic harmonica choice for playing jazzy pieces with bluesy expression, as many of the notes can be duplicated by using draw bends instead. I call these optional notes ‘Bend-Enharmonics'. Besides their pleasing tonal quality, draw bends can also be used as replacements for regular slide notes to enable easier, faster, smoother playing of tricky phrases. Here's an example of PowerChromatic in action on my original tune - Exhalaration.

Most people will know one of my musical passions is playing Irish jigs and reels! Although born in Kenya and raised in New Zealand, my heritage on my father's side is Irish (hence my name). I was exposed to Irish traditional music from listening to my Dad's Irish records as a child, and always loved the sound. Once I started studying jigs and reels to play on harmonica, I realised that they didn't easily fit the tunings and setup of standard diatonic or chromatic harmonicas. So on the diatonic I invented Paddy-Richter Tuning (which has now become widely used for folk and Pop). But to get the characteristic decorations of this intricate music, the chromatic's slide button is a big help. However the semitone-up slide interval of standard chromatics isn't appropriate for the modal based scales of Irish tunes, and no traditional instruments in the genre use it. So I created the Slide-Diatonic: a slide harmonica where every slide push raises the note to the next note of the home scale. This gives you authentic sounding decorations that stay within the mode of the tune, whether major or minor. I first used the Slide-Diatonic on my 1994 album 'New Irish Harmonica': here's a clip: The Sailor's Bonnet/The Banshee

Later on I became very attracted to the beautiful pitch bending sounds which are ubiquitous throughout Asian, Indian and Middle Eastern music styles.

No standard harmonicas (and none of my previous creations) could authentically bend notes to the amounts that are commonly used in Chinese or Indian music, which involve pitch bends of 2-3 semitones on most notes of the scale. After a lot of trial and error I found the solution: a radical all-draw slide harmonica I called the AsiaBend. It has no blow notes at all, so is probably the first instrument of any type to be played entirely on the in-breath! (There are ‘blow' reeds inside, but these are tuned especially to allow the active draw reeds to bend to the correct degrees via interactive-reed bending, and then given zero gap – so they make no sound when you blow). It's a pretty quirky harmonica that takes a while to get used to, but rewards you with bending expression unmatched by any other harmonica. I first used it on my ‘New Chinese Harmonia' album – here's an example: The Moon Reflected in the Pool.

THE HARMONICAS, AND HOW THEY'RE MADE

I made all my own custom versions of these three types of unique slide-harmonica (and others besides), which I play myself. However, because they're not the types of harp that would have wide appeal, it wasn't feasible to get them made in large quantities by a harmonica manufacturer. Therefore, to make them available now for those interested, I'm teaming up with my good friend and harmonica tech partner André Coelho to offer them on a made-to-order basis. The advantage of this is that they can be made in a wide range of keys, and with variations chosen by the customer.

André is a highly respected harmonica customiser, with whom I've worked already on several custom harp projects. He will do the retuning and other tech work involved in making the the PowerChromatic, Slide-Diatonic, and AsiaBend to my specifications. We decided to use the Hohner CX-12 as the base model to modify, because it's a great design and comes in all keys. It's also the chromatic I've used to make my own original custom models of these three types, and which I use today – so I know it well.

All the info, tunings, demo video clips etc are on my website via the links above. Once you've decided on your choice of model and key, plus any extras, make payment and your details will be sent to André. He will then order the appropriate CX-12 for your specifications and get to work turning it into the custom Brendan Power slide harmonica of your choice. When done he will post out to you with a tracking number. You can also contact him with any queries about the instrument after receiving it.

These three unique slide harmonicas are quite different and will appeal to different people, but I'm confident they will open up new worlds of expression for those who decide to give them a go – as they have for me in my own music. Enjoy!