Re: XB bending vs Overblowing; repost

["Fernando Bresslau" <fernando.bresslau@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

- ----- Original Message ----- 
From: "George Brooks" <gbrooks1@xxxxxxxxx>

> And now a word on terminology.  In the quote above, Rob differentiates
> between the XB-40 and the "Richter Diatonic ."  I have done the same in
the
> past.  But, unless I am mistaken, the XB-40 **is** a Richter-tuned
diatonic,
> albeit one with greatly enhanced bending capabilities.  I realized this by
> the time of my most recent post, and called the Marine Band type
instrument
> a Richter-tuned twenty reed harmonica to differentiate it from the XB-40,
> which is a Richter-tuned 40 reed harmonica.  That's cumbersome.  Does
anyone
> have a suggestion for a workable shorthand?

Hi, George. There is a discussion goingo on on Harp On! About this specific
topic.
Richter is actually a type of contruction of harps, not a tuning. The
Richter system refers to a sandwich of  two reedplates with a comb between
them, and more important, each cell of this comb houses only 2 reeds, one
blown and the other drawn. In this aspect, XB isn´t by any means a Richter
instrument.
But, since many harmonicas built the Richter way presented the tuning of the
blues diatonics (there is a fancy name based on chords for this
tuning,"I/V7/ii6"), the name began being used for this tuning also. It is
popular, although incorrect.

There is no real good term for this tuning, but I like the name Vamper best.
Call it the Vamper tuning, and one should know what you mean. But of course,
things are much, much more complicated.

So, you can have a harmonica with the XB´s type of construction (which I
think should be called just that way) and a vamper tuning, and you have a
richter harmonica and vamper tuning. Quite two differnt things.

On the chormaticity of this harmonica, I´m going to post a message I sen´t
to Harp On! these days. I don´t like to crosspost, but, since the thread
seems to ahve gotten to an end at the other list, I think it´ll be ok.

Best regards,
Fernando Bresslau