RE: [Harp-L] Re: was Danny Boy now Paddy

"Steve Shaw" <moorcot@xxxxxxx> · Fri, 22 Dec 2006 17:11:38 +0000

I do the retune on all my 10-hole harps, and I haven't analysed the 
situation fully, but most tunes in D or E Dorian (3rd position) don't need 
that missing note and could be played on a standard-tuned low D.  If you 
think about it, whistles and flutes can't generally get below that bottom D 
(our hole 4), so tunes in D that go below that are "unfriendly" to a lot of 
traditional instruments.  I imagine that's the reason you don't get too many 
of those tunes.  I just thought of two off the top of my head that DO go 
into "unfriendly" territory - the two hornpipes that are often played 
together, "Home Ruler" and "Kitty's Wedding."   You would have trouble with 
these on a D whistle or flute but you can do them on the low D as long as 
you're "Paddied."   On the other hand, an awful lot of G tunes go right down 
to the note D (that would be hole 3 on a G harp) and need the missing E 
note, so a standard, non-Paddy harp struggles with a lot of G tunes.   On 
your D whistle or flute you have got those low notes in G tunes, which is 
why there are a lot of G tunes with the low notes.  So it's far more 
important to have a Paddy G harp for G tunes than it is to have a Paddy D 
harp for D tunes.  Glenn Weiser's book recommends a 12-hole 364-type harp 
for some of the G tunes, which avoids the need to retune but puts you an 
octave higher in some cases.
Steve
http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/trad_irish_harmonica
HEAR my CD clips: http://www.gjk2.com/steveshaw/cd.htm

From: "mOx" <mox1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Re: was Danny Boy now Paddy
Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2006 11:01:05 +0100
Steve, am I wrong in assuming that for celtic music you are more likley to

'rice paddy' a low D for Jigs (1st position D major) and Reels (3rd 
position

E minor)?

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