Re: XB-Melody

["Robert Paparozzi" <chromboy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi David,

    Excellent post, I didn't know they made the XB Melody, was this by
special request??.
I like my XB's alot so maybe I should give these a try. Thanx again for the
well explained info,-)

ciao,
Rob

- ----- Original Message ----- 
From: "d.m.fairweather" <dmf273@xxxxxxxxx>
To: "harp-l-digest" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, May 21, 2004 3:01 PM
Subject: XB-Melody


>
> 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!
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