[Harp-L] re: E-blues Harp Tuning

["Jonathan R. Ross" <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Brandon Zarzoza wrote:

"Mypersonal favorite is the Blues Soloist tuning from Pat Missin's
Altered
States. I have a bunch of Hohner Hot Metals in this very cool tuning:"


This is essentially just a standard German major diatonic (my
name--gaining popularity all the time:) tuning but which starts on what
is normally the second hole.  Or it could be thought of as the first
inversion of the standard tuning.  It's also the basic melodion/diatonic
accordion/diatonic concertina tuning as well.  

What I was wondering is what it is you've found particularly useful
about this tuning compared to the standard?  I've not played around with
it (on harmonicas--I'm familiar with it on accordions), in part because
I've not seen an obvious benefit over the standard.  I suppose if you
started it on low-E as opposed to the standard higher-E it might be very
fun, actually.  A bit more controllable compared to a low-C harp, as you
get both the more versatile parts of a low C as well as the more
non-shrill high octave of a standard C.

Have you considered the following tweak?:

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

This would give you the flat seventh in first position high-end playing
and thus a seventh chord.  It would, of course, eliminate any bends in
the top two holes, but I doubt that many people would find a perfect
fourth blow bend particularly easy to control.  You could, of course,
just double-up the Cs so as to retain the standard blow bend in what is
now hole 9 which would normally be in hole 10--but I prefer to avoid
doubling if possible.  Although, doubling up as follows would be another
interesting variation:

Blow: . . .C E G G Bb
Hole: . . .6 7 8 9 10
Draw: . . .B D F A C

Here you both double the fifth and invert the pattern on the last hole,
so it might be complex.  Still, it might be fun for the draw bends you
gain.  Of course, if you wanted to retain blow bends throughout, that
would be a problem.

Just some thoughts and a question--I wish you well with your retuning.
I'm always interested in why people use the tunings they gravitate
towards.  Often it seems to be a very personal choice--ie, what works
for the individual's style of playing and way of thinking about music.
Thus, while I love both the Paddy Richter and the Country tunings, I
don't like the Melody Maker, which is ironic because the MM is just
those two combined.

Thanks, and I'd really love to hear what it is you find this tuning
helps you to do and the advantages (and disadvantages, too) you see in
it as opposed to the standard German major tuning.




 oo    JR "Bulldogge" Ross
()()   & Snuffy, too:)
`--'