[Harp-L] chords and intonations



Kevin asks about just intonation and equal temperament in terms of the harmonica. As usual, I'd suggest going to the harp-l archives and doing a search for just intonation, equal temperament and so forth--there's a lot of great information in the archives.

Try this to start with:

http://harp-l.org/mailman/htdig/harp-l/2003-August/msg00234.html

Now, for specific answers to questions...


Kevin writes:


"Is equal like what Bach did
with the piano tuning when he wrote the
"Well Tempered Clavier"....."


Maybe. What system Bach was composing for is very much up for debate (a heated debate at that). In some ways the main point is that any temperament (equal or not) is a means to try and make all the notes possible on an instrument sound best together in as many combinations as possible. Equal temperament (any, but the most common and the one we are talking about with regards to factory harmonica tunings is 12- tone-equal-temperament, ie, twelve notes per octave--12tet) is one way to do this, one in which no key is given more weight than any other. There are other systems, though, and it is as possible as not Bach wrote the Well Tempered Clavier for one of those (more possible, IMO--but that's my opinion, and in terms of scholarship it's certainly not decided).


Just to be pedantic, Bach was not composing for piano for the most part. The harpsichord and clavichord were much more popular and prominent stringed keyboard instruments in his day than the (very new at the time) piano, and an instruction book like the WTC would probably have mostly been aimed at the clavichord. But, the pieces work well on most any keyboard.



Kevin again:

"There is a Richter tuning also."


A misnomer, IMO. "Richter tuning" really tends to mean the physical layout of the instrument rather than the specific layout of the notes. Thus, a Richter diatonic is one which has a single comb with blow notes on a plate and draw notes on another, with the comb defining cells with one blow and one draw note. This is to differentiate from the Weiner system or the Knittlinger system found primarily in tremolo and octave harmonicas. Basically, Richter properly refers to the construction rather than the tuning, per se. Indeed, even Minor tuned or Spiral tuned diatonic harmonicas can be thought of as being "Richter tuned", IMO.


I tend to use "German Major diatonic" for the most common harmonica tuning simply because it is a tuning also found on other diatonic instruments which originated in Germany at about the same time (harmonicas, accordions, concertinae, etc...).


Kevin asks:


"What is the best tuning for chords?"


None. It all depends on the context. For the most part, chords sound more harmonious in a simpler just intonation, especially if there are only a few notes in the chord (triads and such). However, this may not be what you want all the time. It all depends on the sound desired for the instrument and the piece of music.


I'd also recommend Pat Missin's website and links in general on this subject for more information than I can supply:


http://www.patmissin.com/



Hope this helps.





()() JR "Bulldogge" Ross () () & Snuffy, too:) `----'







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