RE: [Harp-L] Re: was Danny Boy now Paddy

["Steve Shaw" <moorcot@xxxxxxx>]

> Actually, it makes good sense to me.  For one, you have 3 octaves in which 
> there is an easy draw breath pattern between D and A [on a C harp] that 
> fits your favored Trad or Celtic music nicely, yes?  Also, you don't lose 
> the first C-E-G chord either, right?  I'm sure there are other reasons, but 
> these stuck out to me.
>
> Of course, Tim had even more intriguing counterpoints! :-)
> Interesting...
> Bobbie

I posted a message to Harp-L in April of last year about yet another way of 
retuning a 10-hole harp to avoid the missing-note problems in the low 
octave.  The idea comes from Jean Sabot, a fabulous harmonica player of 
traditional music from Brittany in France - he has a website 
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/jsabot/accueilan.htm with the details of his scheme, 
which he calls "Major tuning - Ionian mode."  To cut a long story short you 
end up with a 10-hole harp which encompasses two and a half full octaves 
with no missing notes.  The huge disadvantage is that you have to do quite a 
bit of radical work on the harp, with lots of reeds needing to be adjusted 
by a tone or a semitone, up or down.  You need to be fairly skilled with 
your file and/or rotary drill, and adeptness with a soldering iron is useful 
too.  I did it (using epoxy glue instead of solder), converting a standard G 
Lee Oskar to a low D.  The blow-draw pattern is totally familiar right up 
and down the harp - no new tricks to learn.  Jean uses this tuning in a 
number of his recorded tracks.

Steve

http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/trad_irish_harmonica
HEAR my CD clips: http://www.gjk2.com/steveshaw/cd.htm

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