Chromatically tuned diatonics

["Jp Pagan" <coquiblues@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Arthur said:

>Hi List, I am have succeeded in making chromatically tuned harps. They are 
>ten hole diatonics that I tuned into a chromatic scale. Here it is for a "C 
>chrom":
>C D E F# Ab Bb C D E F#
>Db EbF G A B Db Eb F G

well, let me say "congratulations." sounds like quite a tuning feat. 
certainly, i've never done anything that extensive. however, it doesn't seem 
to me this setup would be terribly useful. for one thing, you only get an 
octave and some change out of a 10hole. you also don't get any bends, i 
don't think. (unless you valve the thing, in which case you don't need to 
make it chromatic in the first place.). would be more useful as a longer 
harp perhaps.
if you can put this much effort into tuning, why not try something like 
diminished tuning which, with some bending, allows for a fully chromatic 
scale on the diatonic?
this site (http://www.angelfire.com/music/HarpOn/patstunings.html) has some 
info on that, and here's a short excerpt from the harp-l files, by Pat 
Missin, on the tuning:

"Well, there are several layouts that could be called a diminished tuning.
The "diatonic" one to which I was alluding, would be laid out according to
a diminshied arpeggio, rather than a scale. The one I have in front of me
is a C dim arpeggio as blow notes and a D dim arpeggio as the draw notes:

BLOW C Eb Gb A C Eb Gb A C Eb
HOLE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
DRAW D F Ab B D F Ab B D F

With this set-up, a chormatic scale would be played as blow; draw bend;
draw, move upone hole; blow; draw bend; draw; etc. There are only three
patterns for any scale or phrase, starting wiht either a blow, draw or draw
bend. If you fancy trying one, they are quite easy to build from a solo
tuned harp."

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