[Harp-L] Re: Equal Temperament



Hi Chris!   Nobody would ever accuse you of sounding like a "candyass"!    But I don't believe that modern Marine Bands are truly "Just Intoned".   Aren't they some kind of "compromise" tuning?   Definitely better than Equal Temperament for classic blues, but still not quite there.
This message isn't directed at you Chris, but at several other people who have written me on and offlist:
If I'm playing classic amplified blues (and please note that qualifying "if" was also at the beginning of my original post),  my harp of choice is the Hering Vintage which is definitely Just Intoned.
Many of my harp playing friends, including several more than competent players I know who ONLY play classic amplified blues, have never tried a  Just Intoned harp.   Some of them have spent huge bucks on boutique amps and custom modded microphones in a never-ending search for that elusive classic tone without realizing that they will never get "that tone", on an equal temp harp.
And I'm not talking about some subtle difference that requires delicate ears to perceive.  All it takes is a bullet mic, a distortable amp and somebody who knows what they're doing and ANYBODY can hear the difference, including, (most importantly) non-musicians in the audience.
But I'm convinced that many players who don't know any better, have numbed their ears to ignore the out-of-tune grunge tones coming from the chords on their over-amped Lee Oskars or Golden Melodies, or they blame it on the amp or mic because they've never had the pleasure of playing through a Just Intoned harp.
So even if your a master of advanced position play,  why wouldn't you also carry a Just Intoned harp in your bag for times when the music calls for it?   If you're sitting in with a classic blues band at a biker bar and the band breaks into "Born in Chicago", is that really the situation when want to show off your 12th position chops on an Equal Termperament harp?
--- On Sun, 4/4/10, chris smith <harpshredder@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

From: chris smith <harpshredder@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Re: Harp-L Digest, Vol 80, Issue 8
To: "David Fairweather" <dmf273@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sunday, April 4, 2010, 6:32 PM

   Well, the minor blues scale calls for a significantly lowered b3rd  b5th , and b7th so ( EG, in 2nd pos. on C harp, key of G I play 3rd hole draw half step bend Bb @ 432 cents).Playing at normal concert A 440 pitches won't sound "ballzy". This is why the Marine Band has been the blues harp of choice for so long.
                                                                   Chris
Chris "Hammer" Smith

Hammer Smith Band

Official Myspace Page http://myspace.com/chrishammersmith

harpshredder@xxxxxxxxx

--- On Sun, 4/4/10, David Fairweather <dmf273@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

From: David Fairweather <dmf273@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] Re: Harp-L Digest, Vol 80, Issue 8
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Date: Sunday, April 4, 2010, 3:17 PM

If I'm playing amplified diatonic blues there is NO WAY I will use anything
but a Just Intoned harp.   The in-tune difference tones on a Just Intoned
harp add a whole 'nother level to my playing.    And without naming him,  a
well-known top level professional blues harp player once told me that
anybody trying to play classic amplified blues on an Equal Temperament harp
is always going to sound like a "candyass" by
 comparison.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Date: Sat, 3 Apr 2010 16:10:44 -0400
> From: "Jim Rumbaugh" <jrumbaug@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Equal Temperamnet
> To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Message-ID: <FDC9AA278FAE4781B66E137D23C6A493@blacky>
> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
>        reply-type=response
>
> QUOTE " I have been consistently impressed which how much more IN TUNE my
> playing sounds in comparison to the other players. ..... .  Sort of
> validates my long standing
> preference for ET."
>
 ===========================================================
>
> I do not see it as proof of the value of Equal Temperment. Can you confirm
> they had Just tuning or some other type of tuning??  I do see it as
> confirmation that many "less than proffesional" harp players will play out
> of tune harps or do not maintain their harp's pitch.
>
> I have to keep after mine.
>
> Jim Rumbaugh
>
>
>
>



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