[Harp-L] RE: Alternate Note Layout - Tombo 1577 Slideless/Valveless Chromatic



Jonathan,
Thank you for the response. (I'm sorry for the delay in responding: I've been away from home for a week without access to a computer.)
My opinion of the NON-intuitive nature of the Tombo 1577 layout was based on my initial observation of that "slight oddity at the end of the pattern", without understanding the mapping from the standard chromatic to the Tombo 1577. As soon as I understood the mapping, the layout made sense and was logically consistent, at least in that regard. The lowest 3 holes are an entirely different matter.

Actually, I was unaware that anyone produces (produced?) a standard chromatic with the suggested note layout. Would you please provide company name and product number for reference? I am aware that Seydel (bless them!) will produce just about any note layout that can be imagined, within certain limits. I already have a Seydel Chromatic Deluxe, tuned in Circular Tuning beginning with the "G" below middle "C". 

I'm unsure WHY the suggested note layout would make legato more difficult than the Tombo 1577 note layout with that "slight oddity at the end of the pattern." Since I don't have a harmonica with the suggested layout, it becomes impossible to try both patterns and determine which is easier. With that giant caveat, it would seem that a regularly spaced pattern of intervals for all keys would actually make legato in all keys easier. But then, I'm principally a diatonic player, so what would I know?

As for the "piano-like" note arrangement, perhaps I should have been clearer. The suggested note layout is NOT key-specific; it is generic for all keys. The piano-like arrangement was a reference to the interval layout. The first 3 notes of the major scale (in any key) are interspersed with the "sharps/flats" of those 3 notes. The scale then switches to the opposite row (between scale degrees 3 and 4) and the last 4 notes of the major scale are then interspersed with the "sharps/flats" for those 4 keys. This pattern applies to all keys. That was the only meaning for "piano-like" that I intended. Obviously, the piano is "easier to play" (in some sense) in some keys rather than in others, because (as you pointed out) some keys fall more naturally to the human hand positions than others. However, I'm not sure that the proposed note layout on a harmonica would prove to be more difficult than any other over time. We humans seem to be a rather adaptable lot when it comes to overcoming our own design deficiencies! 

Perhaps it is the switch from lower to upper row (or vice versa) in the middle of the scale that creates the (perceived?) legato problem? 

Thank you,
Crazy Bob

>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Sat, 17 Oct 2009 17:08:11 -0400
> From: Jonathan Ross 
> Subject: [Harp-L] Note arrangements
>
> Sorry for the unreadable, untitled mess this was when I tried posting
> before. Hopefully this time it works format wise (iPhones can be odd
> at odd times).
>
>
> Crazy Bob writes:
>>> "While looking at the note layout of the Tombo No. 1577 Slideless/
>> Valveless (HURRAH!!!) chromatic harmonica, I was initially struck by
>> how NON-intuitive the note layout appeared to be."
>
>
> No more or less so than a standard chromatic. Both give you an entire
> C scale in an octave unit which can then be repeated for as many
> octaves as is needed. The only difference is that the Tombo has each
> reed in its own hole, whereas the standard chromatic has two reeds per
> hole. This causes a slight oddity at the end of the pattern when you
> have a lower pitched note after a higher pitched one, but this is
> typical for most harmonicas with reeds in individual holes, certainly
> no-one familiar with tremolos (common in Japan) would find it familiar.
>
>
>> "Here is an alternative note layout that I devised (without too much
>> effort, I might add). I've changed the hole numbers to start on hole 1.
>>
>> Upper Row - 1B (C#)-2D (D#)-3B (F )-4D (G )-5B (A )-6D (B )
>> Lower Row - 1B (C )-2D (D )-3B (E )-4D (F#)-5B (G#)-6D (A#)"
>
>
> I'm sure you won't be surprised to find that this has been suggested
> and even comercially produced for the standard chromatic before. It
> certainly has some advantages, especially for single note playing.
> But, it tends to make legato more difficult, where a more key-specific
> layout (like the original) works better for some keys and worse for
> others. These modes of limited transposition tunings can be great, but
> they also can be like 12TET tuning--it makes everything equally bad.
>
>
>> "Not only does it allow for a wider range in the same amount of space,
>> but it provides a "piano-like" arrangement of natural notes and the
>> sharps and flats consistently across all 12 keys. "
>
>
> No, actually the reverse. The piano is a very key based layout--you
> have the key of C in white and then added sharps and flats at
> irregular intervals in black. No two keys share the same scale
> patterns. The standard solo tuned chromatic or the original layout of
> the Violin Scale Tombo is much more similar to a piano layout in that
> regards. A wholetone layout like you propose is more similar to things
> like the chromatic button accordion layout--a limited number of
> patterns transposable for all keys.
>
> JR Ross
>
>
 		 	   		  
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