[Harp-L] Re: Just something to ponder...

David Staley <staleyclan@xxxxxxxxx> · Thu, 10 Feb 2005 14:10:27 -0800 (PST)

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I was just reading some information on tuning schemes
on Pat Missins page
http://www.patmissin.com/tunings/tun2.html and was
wondering... Since just intonation sounds better in
chords and equal temperment tuning is more melodic,
would it be possible or has it been done to make or
rework a slide harp or chromatic harp (whichever would
be best suited) so that with the button out the harp
is just intonation tuned for playing chords, and then
when the button is pushed the harp switches to equal
tuning for melodies? 
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This message was posted on another forum.  I was going
to respond to it but couldn't cut and paste into it so
below is my response.
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Oh all right, since you asked, I?ll share with you
what I?ve been toying with recently.  I?ve been
working on a number of alternate tunings.  One of them
I?ve applied to diatonics and am now working on a
chromatic version that does just as you suggest.  Be
patient through this long diatribe of mine and I?ll
get to it near the end.

First, I must admit I?m just a beginner.  But I have
an insatiable need to understand how things work, tear
them apart and create my own Frankensteins.  I never
seem to be satisfied and go through this with almost
everything I touch.  Recently, I?ve become interested
in alternate tunings looking for a more versatile
layout than Richter. Initially I came up with the
spiral tuning and found that it was already being used
but not very popular.  Heaven knows why, because it
seems very intuitive to me. Yet I still wasn?t
satisfied.  I combed Pat Missin?s body of work and 
Magic Dick?s patents. (By the way, just because
someone has a patent doesn?t make them the first ones
to think about it or even that the patent is
defendable.  Patent officers make mistakes all the
time.  I doubt his patent is very defendable because
of the existence of so much relevant prior art.  What
I am presenting probably isn?t the first time it?s
been thought of either. But I can say that I came up
with it on my own. I present it freely and welcome
discussion.  I also welcome any opinions, feedback, or
comments for criticism or improvement.) Nevertheless,
with regard to the tuning I?ve been working on, I
can?t seem to find reference to it even on Pat
Missin?s website. It could be buried in his site
somewhere, there?s a lot of information there.

As I have said, I was looking for a more versatile
tuning with a more comprehensive choice of chords and
was intrigued by the spiral tunings but wasn?t quite
satisfied with the diatonic spiral.  The tuning scheme
I?ve been working on is assembled by using parts of
this circular or spiral chromatic string:

A C# E G#  B Eb F# Bb C# F G# C Eb G Bb D F A C E G B
D F# A

Looking closely at this string, you?ll find the circle
of fifths so I call this the Circle of Fifths tuning. 
Stack a few of these strings on top of each other like
one big harmonica and you get.:

    4   3   4   3   4   3   4   3   4   3   4   3   4 
 3   4   3   4   3   4   3   4   3   4   3
G#  C   Eb  G   Bb  D   F   A   C   E   G   B   D   F#
 A   C#  E   G#  B   Eb  F#  Bb  C#  F   G#
A   C#  E   G#  B   Eb  F#  Bb  C#  F   G#  C   Eb  G 
 Bb  D   F   A   C   E   G   B   D   F#  A  
B   Eb  F#  Bb  C#  F   G#  C   Eb  G   Bb  D   F   A 
 C   E   G   B   D   F#  A   C#  E   G#  B
Bb  D   F   A   C   E   G   B   D   F#  A   C#  E   G#
 B   Eb  F#  Bb  C#  F   G#  C   Eb  G   Bb

Geez, what a mishmash, but take any 10 hole chunk out
of the above, apply it to a semivalved harp (valves
placed on each hole of the draw plate only), and you
get something like this:

Valved Blow Bend    A    C#   E    G#   B    Eb  F# 
Bb  C#  F
Blow                Bb   D    F    A    C    E   G   B
  D   F#
Hole                1    2    3    4    5    6   7   8
  9   10
Draw                C    E    G    B    D    F#  A  
C#  E   G#
Draw Bend           B    Eb   F#   Bb   C#   F   G#  C
  Eb  G

This is a C version that starts with a CEG major chord
on the draw. Alternating between blows and draws up
the scale gives you each chord in the C major scale
except that the seventh chord in the sequence is a B
minor chord instead of  a B diminished chord.  One
usually uses the vii diminished chord for some level
of dissonance which is relatively easy to accomplish
here by bending the minor chord a bit.  In other
words, pick any three or four notes in a row and it
will give you a major or minor chord.

Major Scale Sequence
 I    ii   iii   IV   V   vi   vii   I   
     DFA         FAC      ACE       CEG
CEG        EGB       GBD       BDF#

Minor Scale Sequence
   i    II  III   iv   v   VI  VII   i
       FAC       ACE      CEG       EGB
  EGB       GBD       BDF#    DF#A

One can just as easily pick out a tuning that starts
with a with a minor chord instead of a major chord
which has advantages that you will see later.  

When you look closer, other cool things start popping
out too.  First to note are that the 2nd position key
of G has the exact same blow/draw pattern as the 1st
position except it?s moved 2 holes over.  And so is
the 3rd position and so on.  In addition the minor key
is represented too.  For instance E minor uses the
same notes as G major and so you have a harmonica that
doubles in usefulness with minor key patterns that are
all the same as well.  This one of the reasons you may
want to start the draw row with an A rather than a C. 
You get the corresponding minor key.

Another interesting thing happens too.   You?ll find
that for the minor Blues scale, the three ?Blue notes?
are draw bends, right where you want them.  Not only
that but to play blues, you?ll find that the the
blow/draw pattern for a blues scale on this tuning is
almost identical to the one used for the 2nd position
blues pattern on a Richter harmonica.  

G blues scale on the Circle of Fifths tuning
       C         G
G      D     
   Bb  C#   F

G blues scale on the Richter tuning.  ( i.e. 2nd
position on a C harmonica)
       C         G
G      D    F
   Bb  C# 

The only difference is that with the Circle of Fifths 
tuning, the F is a draw bend, not just a draw.

You also get a whole other set of keys on the draw
bend and blow bend rows.   For instance, below C E G
is B Eb F# .  Alternating the draws and bends, you?ll
find the B major scale.  (I?m still not good enough
yet to bend full chords to use these extra keys
effectively but it can be done and I?m sure it?s a
cinch for some) 

Sure, there are disadvantages too.  First is that, you
don?t get all the notes in a major key on just the
draws and blows.  Though you don?t have to overblow to
get any not you still need to bend to get to some of
those notes.  This may not be suitable for very quick
playing.  Second, though every set of consecutive
notes is a consonant major or minor chord.  you don?t
get the convenient feature of having the tonic chord
everywhere you blow on a Richter layout.  Also, unless
you have lips as wide as the Mississippi, you don?t
get the ability to do octaves.  But this may be a
blessing in disguise because it opens itself up for
just tuning intervals quite easily.   (You only really
need two interval ratios, 6/5 and 5/4).  So far I have
 an F/C/G harp like the following: 

Valved Blow Bend     D    F#  A   C#  E   G#  B   Eb 
F#  Bb
Blow                 Eb   G   Bb  D   F   A   C   E  
G   B  
Hole #               1    2   3   4   5   6   7   8  
9   10   
Draw F               F    A   C   E   G   B   D   F# 
A   C#
Draw Bend            E    G#  B   Eb  F#  Bb  C#  F  
G#  C

If it works out well, I think one could get by nicely
with 4 harps.
F  A  C E  G  B  D  F# A  C  E  G  Bb D  F  A
E  G# B	Eb F# Bb C# F  G# B  Eb F  A  C# E  G#

And If I never get the hang of bending full chords,
seven or eight harps should be more than sufficient:

F,F#,G,G#,A,Bb,B,and G

Ok, so how can this apply to a chromatic style
harmonica?  Well, with the availability of half-valved
harps, XB-40?s, Discrete Combs, etc. I personally
don?t have much desire for a chromatic unless it can
give me some additional chord choices.  Let?s take a
look at what can be done using a Circle of Fifths
tuning with twelve holes in a Chromatic layout like
this:

Slide Out
Valved Blow Bend    B     D    F#   A    C#   E    G# 
 B    Eb  F#   Bb   C#
Blow                C     Eb   G    Bb   D    F    A  
 C    E   G    B     D 
Hole #              1     2    3    4    5    6    7  
 8    9   10   11   12
Draw                D     F    A    C    E    G    B  
 D    F#  A    C#    E
Draw Bend           C#    E    G#   B    Eb   F#   Bb 
 C#   F   G#   C     Eb

Slide In
Valved Blow Bend    B     Eb   F#   Bb   C#   F    G# 
 C    Eb  G    Bb   D
Blow                C     E    G    B    D    F#   A  
 C#   E   G#   B    Eb
Hole #              1     2    3    4    5    6    7  
 8    9   10   11   12
Draw                D     F#   A    C#   E    G#   B  
 Eb   F#  Bb   C#   F
Draw Bend           C#    F    G#   C    Eb   G    Bb 
 D    F   A    C    E 

With this rig you get chromatic operation plus all the
major and minor chords for each note by selecting
slide in or slide out.  For this particular tuning you
also get the most popular major keys on the blow and
draw notes.  For Slide Out, you get low F, C, and G
and for Slide In, you get low D,A, and E.   It?s not
easy, I admit, probably on a par with performing
overblows in context.  All the other keys and chords
are available by bending except for Bb which can be
done by bending too but takes a little more work.  Now
this tuning structure could be made in other keys too
but for a  ?stranded on a desert island? choice for a
versatile harmonica, this is the best I could come up
with.  To build one of these, I?d like a 12 hole
chromatic about the size of a Hering Master Solo
(don?t exist as far as I know).  There are some that
come close.  If you want to see some really nice
harmonicas that are built as half valved chromatics,
check out Brendan Power?s excellent site.  His CX12?s
and cut down CX10?s are very cool.  I?m thinking of
doing this project on the new Hering Vintage 40
Chromatic.  It might be small enough for my needs.  
And when this becomes the best thing since brass reeds
(Hah!!)  all I ask is that the harmonica companies and
customizers send me one of their first production
models.  That isn?t so much to ask, is it?  Ahh well,
it was fun playing with this and maybe it answers your
question.

ReedChucker

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