Re: Re: [Harp-L] tuner

["Tim Moyer" <wmharps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

john thaden wrote:
> Don't you think the success of tuning by ear or by tuner also 
> has to do with the temperament you end up with?  If all reeds 
> are tuned to zero cents on either a digital or strobe tuner, 
> then of course the tuning will be equal temperament; chords 
> will sound pretty rough.  But if reeds are tuned the needed 
> number of cents sharp or flat to make a just tuning, then chords 
> will sound great. My $25 tuner has a label on it that tells me 
> how many cents to detune each reed on a diatonic for a compromise 
> tuning.

Tuning a diatonic harmonica to Just intonation is pretty simple 
without a tuner once a reference pitch is set because there are 
references everywhere.  The blow plate, for example, is simply 
octaves, 5ths and 3rds off the root note.  On the draw plate it's a 
little more complicated, but you can tune the 2 draw to the 3 blow 
for the reference pitch.  Then it's octaves, 3rds and 5ths again, 
though relative to different notes.  The only outcast is the 5/9 
draw, but the tuning of that note varies a lot with different 
intonations (7-limit just, 19-limit just, or a compromise).  

12TET is more complex because the intervals aren't perfect.  That's 
where the tuner is handy.  

-tim