Short Introduction to Tremolo harmonica

Using a Suzuki Humming Tremolo in C.
I said in the video that the top and bottom holes are a semi tone apart giving the Tremolo effect. Thinking about it, it's more like one reed is sharper and the other flatter that gives the Tremolo effect.

[@allenhawker3911]

Interesting! Thanks. I took up learning diatonic harmonica just a year ago. I was wondering what the tremolo one was all about. You were right in that you don’t see many videos about it. It has a nice sound. Can notes be bent on it like draw 1-4 on a diatonic? Thanks for the video!

[@boystone]

@@allenhawker3911 Thanks for watching, ordinarily you wouldn't want to bend notes as you play two holes at once to give the tremolo effect. However you can play single holes so bending is technically possible.

[@allenhawker3911]

@@boystone Interesting! Thanks much!

[@rodrodriguez460]

I wonder if "tremolo" and "vibrato" are not applicable to this type of harmonica. Would it be more accurate to say it is more of a "chorus" effect? Chorus effect is the result of multiple pitch frequencies interacting in intonation.

[@boystone]

Hi Rod, tremolo is definitely an applicable term to be applied to a tremolo harmonica...

[@rodrodriguez460]

@@boystone Well, that's probably because traditionally everyone has called it that. I think the same has happened with the Fender Stratocaster Electric Guitar and its "whammy bar" or "tremolo system", which in reality is a "vibrato" device- the pitch bends down quickly as opposed to being articulated rapidly. The "tremolo harmonica" doesn't articulate the pitch rapidly; it plays pitches slightly off tune from each other simultaneously to produce that "beating" effect. This effect happens in vocal choirs- chorus effect-but it's not called "tremolo". Play vibrato, tremolo or chorus on a lute, for example. The techniques would be different. Do the same on the harmonica, especially on one that doesn't have polytonality like a Golden Melody (two Golden Melody harmonicas, one slightly out of tune for the chorus effect). In reality, I don't care what folks call the effect. They can call it "fiddy-fiddy", as long as everyone knows what effect they are after. We could even change the names of electric guitar pedals to: "wavy-wavy", "fiddy-fiddy" and "shimmer-shimmer", vibrato, tremolo and chorus, respectively. I had to voice my opinion, thanks. I enjoy your presentations!