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

["Brandon Zarzoza" <bzarzoza@xxxxxxxxx>]

I have considered tweaking it, your suggestion gives me some options to
consider. I don't think that we are on quite the same page yet. I would
really like to hear your input if you could evaluate it from a E pentatonic
blues perspective. Most of my prospective adjustments would be to the C's on
3 6 and 9 blow.

On 2/19/06, Brandon Zarzoza <bzarzoza@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> This is an E-Blues tuning. Recall the pentatonic blues scale which is 1,
> b3, 4, b5, 5, b7. In E, that is E G A Bb B D. This tuning is so cool because
> all your notes are available in some really cool places.
>
> E(the root) is still at the convenient blows, but now it's also on the 4
> draw bend.
> G(flatted third) is a 'blue note' and is really important in the blues
> scale, but on a regular old E harp, that note is only available on the low
> end if you use overblows. Now, it's right there, twice.
> A(the forth) stays put, but its locations become a lot more convenient.
> Bb(flatted fifth) is another 'blue note', in this tuning we give it up at
> the blow bend on hole 9 and get it on a draw bend at hole 6.
> B(the fifth) is now on the draw instead of the blow of hole 6, giving you
> some cool stuff to do with the B-Bb bend. Plus, we now get it on the one and
> half step bend on hole 3. So you can do some really cool jumps and slides
> from D to B.
> D(flatted seventh) has some increased availability as well, it moves draw
> bend to draw on hole three and is also available on hole 7 draw.
>
> I don't know how to give this to you in terms of position so I apologize
> if I seem long winded. This tuning is really cool for an E blues, that's
> actually how I came to use it. I was jamming with a guitarist and we just
> couldn't seem to find each other, but he said he played an awesome E-blues,
> so before I played with him again I made a point to tune a harp into this
> setup. This is such a great tuning and I recommend it to anyone who wants to
> try something unique in E. Some really cool aspects are the 2 3 and 6; there
> is SO much available on just those three holes.
>
> About my flavor of this tuning:
> I tune them a little sharp, and that really helps it cut through those 4
> to guitar jams.
> Hot Metal harps, for those of you who haven't played them are worth about
> nothing out of the box, but they tune rather nicely. One interesting point
> to note is the that the 'pop bend'(what I call the 3 draw to 3 draw one and
> a half step bend) sounds really cool on this harp.
> If you have a set, I recommend slapping a pair of TurboLids on these
> harps. A Hot Metal with TurboLids sounds better to me than my ProHarps out
> of the box.
>
> On 2/19/06, Jp <jpl_pagan@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> > --- In harp-l-archives@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Brandon Zarzoza" <bzarzoza@...>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > I have been retuning harmonicas for about a year now, just practicing
> > on
> > > cheap harps and fine tuning my playing harps. Anyway, I have a pretty
> > large
> > > reserve of cheap harps in cool tunings right now and I'd like to
> > recoup some
> > > of the money before I invest in any more tools or harps. So if anyone
> > would
> > > like to try a new tuning I can get you an inexpensive harp to try it
> > out. My
> > > personal 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:
> > > BLOW  E  G  C  E  G  C  E  G  C  E
> > > HOLE  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10
> > > DRAW  G  B  D  F  A  B  D  F  A  B
> >
> > out of curiosity (sorry, i don't plan to buy any new tunings soon. i'm
> > already trying to learn
> > two of them) what are the benefits, as you see them, of this tuning?
> > what key/position would
> > you say it's best for? looks like a C harp with the notes re-ordered,
> > but it doesn't look like it
> > would work so well for blues in G.
> >
> >    --Jp
> >
> >
> >
> >
>