Re: [Harp-L] harp tuning

["Bob Maglinte" <barbequebob@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim McBride" <jpmcbride@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, October 19, 2005 8:35 PM
Subject: [Harp-L] harp tuning


> Thanks to whoever it was that posted the links on harp tuning. I've read 
> all this before, but this was the clearest explanation I've seen. The 
> bottom line is really pretty straight forward. Equal tuning sets each note 
> to the exact pitch and allows melody and single note playing to sound 
> best. Just tuning adjusts a few of the pitches so that the intervals are 
> correct - this makes chords sound good. Do you harp tuning experts out 
> there agree with this simple explanation? Now a few questions for the 
> experts...
>
> 1) Why don't I hear about Equal  vs. Just tuning on other instruments that 
> play both single notes and chords? You never hear guitar or piano players 
> discussing this. Why only harp?

Because harmonica reeds give off many many more harmonic overtones than a 
guitar string does, especially the odd numbered ones that tend to be very 
harsh to the human ears.

> 2) I like to play SP20's but can't find any info on how they are tuned. I 
> believe they are Just tuned because I know that my Herring 1923 is Just 
> tuned and the SP20 sounds very close to it. Does anyone know how Hohner 
> tunes SP20's?

They're tuned exactly like the hand made Marine Bands are.

> 3) Is the 5 draw one of the notes that get adjusted for Just tuning? I 
> have a particular song, "Little Wing" by Jimi Hendrix (E minor) where I 
> play a simple 3rd position solo with a D harp. I have a 5 draw in the solo 
> and everytime I play it I hear it slightly off. Its close, but I can tell 
> something is wrong. I thought maybe I was accidentally bending it, or that 
> the particular SP 20 I used was out of tune. But now I'm thinking its the 
> Just tuning. Should I get a Golden Melody which is Equal  tuned to solve 
> this?

Yes.

> 4) Does anyone have a straightforward chart on the factory tuning for 
> particular harps? What I had in mind was taking a harp and checking it on 
> my chromatic tuner and adjusting it back to the proper factory tuning. For 
> example, the chart might tell me that my 5 draw should be tuned 20 cents 
> sharp from the intended note.

They generally use a standard pitch of A442-A443 because if a harp was truly 
tuned to A440, when played hard, it would be actually be playing closer to 
A438, which would be VERY flat against a guitar tuned to A440.

All Lee Oskars, Golden Melody, and Suzuki's are tuned to equal temperament. 
Hering 1923 Vintage Harps are tuned to 7 limit just intonation (the same way 
MB's/Sp20's used to be tuned to 20 years ago), and the MB/Sp 20's use the 
following comprimise tuning:

Hole #    1     2      3     4       5      6      7     8      9     10
Blow      0   -12   +1     0     -12    +1     0   -12   +1      0
Draw    +2   +1   -11   +2    -12    +3    -11  +2   -12    +3

The Hohner MS diatonics (Big River, Cross Harp, Blues Harp, Meisterklasse, 
Martin, Tiffany, MS  MB) uses this one:

Hole #    1     2      3     4      5      6     7      8      9     10
Blow      0   -10   +1     0    -10    +1    0   -10    +1      0
Draw    +2   +1    -9   +2     +3    +3   -9   +2    +3    +3

The 7 limit just intonation that's used on the Hering 1923 Vintage Harps, 
MB/Sp20's/Blues Harp/Old Standby's prior to 1985:

Hole #    1      2      3      4      5       6     7     8       9     10
Blow      0    -14   +2      0    -14    +2     0   -14    +2      0
Draw    +4    +2    -12   +4   - 29   +6   -12   +4    -29   +6

> From 1985-89, the MB/Sp20/Old Standby/Blues Harps used 19 limit just 
intonation, which is as follows:

Hole#     1       2        3      4      5       6        7       8       9 
10
Blow      0     -14      2+     0    -14      2+      0     -14     2+     0
Draw      4+    2+    -10     4+    2+     6+    -10      4+     2+     6+

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
MP3's: http://music.mp3lizard.com/barbequebob/