XB-Melody

["d.m.fairweather" <dmf273@xxxxxxxxx>]

So far there have been no comments posted here on Harp-L about the new XB-Melody custom
tuning.   That's understandable, since I'm the only person in the world who owns one,
and since many harp players have little interest in alternate tunings.   But perhaps I
have failed to convey the importance of this very significant advance in harp design.

As many of you know, I've been experimenting with alternate tunings for quite some time
now, both on the chromatic and diatonic.   Starting with the "Temptation" tuning about 
5 years ago,  I've been searching for a tuning that would make jazz easier to play on
the harmonica.   I'm not necessarily looking for a harp that plays equally well in all
twelve keys, although I've tried some of those too.   I just want a harp that's
relatively easy to play "Rhythm Changes" in at least one or two keys.   Jazz changes
are hard enough to navigate that I certainly don't want the added difficulty of having
to struggle with my harp while I'm playing.  

Well after years of searching, I can finally say I've found that holy grail.  The
XB-Melody is as close to a perfect tuning (for my purposes) as I've ever played.  It's
designed according to a few basic principles:

1. Every note in the chromatic scale can be played via either an unbent or a fully bent
reed.  Although there are some "in-between" bends on the harp, those are completely
optional choices, there is always an easier way to achieve that same note. (Except the
"in-between" blow bend at hole 10.  I'd need an 11th hole to fix that one.)

2. The harp is optimized for playing jazz in 2nd position.  Therefore the major 7th to
the tonic is used instead of the dominant 7th at draw 5 and draw 9.   The major 2nd is
also provided as an unbent note at blow 3.  This is based on Lee Oskar's "Melody Maker"
tuning.

3. Other than the variation described in #2, the harp should stay as close as possible
to traditional "Richter" tuning.  Therefore the draw bends on the low end are exactly
the same as Richter tuning.  (This is a major improvement over the diatonic Melody
Maker which is only possible thanks to the XB.)

4. Except for any deviations needed to comply with the above 3 principles, each note
bends 1 whole step.   

The result is shown here in the key of Bb:

        E
        F   Ab      Eb  Ab      Eb  Ab
A   Db  Gb  A   Db  E   A   Db  E   A
Bb  D   G   Bb  D   F   Bb  D   F   Bb
1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10
C   F   A   C   E   G   A   C   E   G
B   E   Ab  B   Eb  Gb  Ab  B   Eb  Gb
    Eb  G
        Gb


One thing that may jump out when you first study this layout is the 1-1/2 step blow
bend at blow 3.  The G bending all the way down to an E.   This is the one place on the
harmonica where it actually bends FURTHER than a standard XB-40.  Although it mirrors
the 1-1/2 step bend at draw 3, that symmetry is purely coincidental.  The deep bend was
necessary in order to provide a fully bent E in addition to the "in-between" E at draw
2.  You may wonder whether that deep bend is practical when you're actually playing the
harp.  

Well not only is it surprisingly easy to play on the harp, but it has the fortuitous
benefit of being quite musical in a jazz context.   Hum the melody to Charlie Parker's
"Confirmation" for instance in the key of F and you'll hear that same run up from E to
G at the end of the first measure.  It pops up all the time in other tunes too.  So
that's really nice to have and an unexpected benefit of this tuning.

I could go on and on about other similar little pleasures that pop up all around this
tuning, but the bottom line is that the whole harp is a joy to play.   It solves most
of the problems I had with the original XB-40.  No more seasick queasiness from trying
to hold on to a wavering "in-between" bend.  And the major 7ths make for a sweet and
mellow sounding harp.  But without the rigidity of a diatonic Melody Maker.  And with
the same low end draw bends of a Richter.  And with the amazing sensitivity and
expressivity of an XB-40.  It's really the best of all possible worlds.   I suppose if
you really wanted to keep that bluesy feel in your chords you could devise an otherwise
similar tuning that retained the dominant 7ths, but I figure I can always bend down to
the dominant 7th if I'm playing blues.

The only difficulty I have is with the #10 blow bends.  They are still pretty dicey.  I
can hit them but not reliably.  But the truth is that I have the same problem with a
standard diatonic in the key of Bb.   So I don't hold that against the XB.

Anyway, the point of this message is that if you want to play jazz without using a
chromatic (maybe you like the intimacy with your instrument that only a diatonic seems
to provide), and if you don't want to use overblows (maybe you don't like to spend time
tweaking your instruments, or you don't like the sound of a single-reed bend, or you
don't want to spend years developing your overblow embouchure, etc. etc.), and if
you've been getting frustrated trying to tame the unruly beast in your XB-40:

Then you owe it to yourself to try the XB-Melody tuning!   You'll thank me for it!