[Harp-L] Harpie on embossing ideal harps

[Snaruhn@xxxxxxx]

Hi all,

just to give some Harpie-made spice to the usual harp-L soup 
(of course, with harp content).

When Harpie saw that I let the cyclists clear away by car drivers for the
benefit of ideal diatonics he was very angry about my example and said:

Orrrps, Dad, I found that your shot wasn´t a bull´s-eye. You haven´t 
considered that some cyclists have also cars and most car drivers have
cycles as well (harp players included). If you take such car drivers at their 

word they all would be potential suicides, you included. 

Haah, Harpie, in case, I would that what would you do at first?

Eeh, Dad, I did several things. At first, I throw all your dam harps into 
your 
tomb, then sell your cycles and cars and finally, would cook my own list 
soup under your harp-L subscription.

Yes, Harpie, I´m sure you were able to enjoy your freedom. But, you have
overlooked that in case I could perhaps pass away one day, your notorious
existence will end too. Have you considered that?

So, I´ll not kill myself in order to keep an eye on you. Anything else you 
have to criticize?

No problema, Dad, your subject for instance. It´s typical for you to misuse 
my name for typing incredible nonsense. It´s a contradiction to emboss an 
ideal harp.

Not at all, Harpie, it only seems to be a contradiction. When Bobbie and 
Doug finally introduced their Renaissance after a long time of trial and 
error 
this ingenious model was celebrated as the non plus ultra. In other words, 
it was considered the ideal chromatic. However, Bobbie & Doug think that 
further improvements could be done.  

This is in line what I often said on the list: There´s no best harp, only 
good
harps. So, a good harp is good enough or:  enough is enough as gorky said :)) 
 

Another point. 
In my post "Embossing is in" I mentioned Howard Levy
and asked the rhetorical question whether HL has ever played an 
embossed GM and quoted Tim´s passage about the dramatic role
of embossing in the world of diatonics.

Tim responded:

< I believe my reference to the "dramatic" effect of embossing had to 
< do with the change in tone, rather than the improvement in 
< responsiveness. >

Hey, Tim, notwithstanding that you mentioned the improvement of
responsiveness as the main purpose of embossing:
< But tightening tolerances makes reeds far more responsive to
< light air pressure and can have a big influence on tone .>,

it´s the term "tone" which interests me linguistically.

Little sidestep: 
When I started to write on the list many years ago I eagerly sifted the
dictionaries to find the correct English term for musical notions. I gave up.
When jumping between English and German dictionaries I constantly 
found further meanings. It´s similar to find a definition in an 
encyclopaedia.
You are referred from one headword to the next and finally end where
you started. British and American English is a further trap. 

So, the British "tone" corresponds to the German "Ton" but isn´t 
absolutely equivalent. The German physical notion "Ton" means an
accoustic wave with a defined frequence (pitch) = "einzelner Ton"
(Brit. "note", Am. "tone" - comp. also halftone, wholetone).

Reversely, the German "Ton" can also mean the English "sound". 
However "sound" means in German also "Klang" consisting of a 
basic tone and several overtones the mixture of which allows to 
recognize or indentify a certain musical instrument.... but can also 
mean "Schall" (comp. sound barrier = Schallmauer)

Isn´t this a real chaos?     

Well, Tim, back to your "influence to the tone". Despite this chaos I 
understand that you meant what I described with "Klang". Perhaps not
exactly but something in that way. 

If I would hear hundreds of diatonics I could identify a very certain one
and that´s Howard Levy´s GM, a single note would do it. Unfortunately,
I have no recording of Howard´s play on a Filisko MB but I think there´s
no difference.

That means that the sound of a wind instrument, specially a harp, isn´t
only an objective instrument parameter but depends also on the way
the instrument is played. 

A further sidestep underlines this:

It´s a rule, at least in German music shops, that you can´t check this
or that harp by real playing to find out that one you finally buy. If you
played one you had bought it. You can only check them by means of a
bellows which is a big difference as everybody knows.          

Finally, I should ask Harpie whether he had yet a closing words.

Of course, Dad, I have.

Pic2318834   wrote on "ideal diatonic harp":

< One that does not grab mustache hair. >

Well, 231, there´s hope for you. 

Either you play on harps (diatonics & chromatics) in the shape of the
CX 12  or you shave. In case, you aren´t accustomed to blades or knives, 
you can get rid of sticking hairs as the cowboys do on horsebacks. 
In former times they used their revolver pommels but nowadays take 
hammers. They knock the hairs through the skin and bite them off.  

Harpfried    

(I hope more -fried than Harp-)