Re: [Harp-L] Harp-O-Chord




----- Original Message ----- From: "Peter McGuire" <peter.mcguire@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2006 9:32 AM
Subject: [Harp-L] Harp-O-Chord



Hi all,

Two nights ago my bandmates gave me a Harp-o-Chord, a sort of zither-type instrument that holds a harmonica. See >http://www.fretlesszithers.net/harpochord.htm for more information. They want me to get a tune ready for the summer gigs. I was wondering if >anyone throughout history ever made a recording using the Harp-O-Chord of if there were ever any pieces/performers connected to it.

Any help in selecting a piece is appreciated.

Peter

It is an interesting instrument and an interesting problem. I con't know of any recordings but do have some suggestions.


There should be no problem selecting a piece. You do appear to have some severe limitations:

- Unless you understand the "missing notes" on a Richter diatonic and have facility in bending to obtain them, I suggest a concert-tuned diatonic harmonica. Because the strings provide the chords, you will have less need for the draw-dominant chord of the Richter-tuned diatonic.

-Select a diatonic tune with no accidentals ( sharps and flats that do not appear in the key signature)

- Select a tune with only the 3 main chords tonic, dominant, and subdominant. (e.g. C, G, and F in the key of C) I presume that the three group-of-three sets of strings will be tuned to provide these three chords... probably in the key of C. If you find sheet music in another key, it will have to be transposed to the key of your instrument.

I presume that the strings will be tuned as follows:

Individual bass strings: G, C, F, an octave lower that the sets-of-three strings.
Sets-of-3 strings: C/I chord (C, E, G), F/IV chord ( F, A, C), G/V chord (G, B, D)


A slightly more sophisticated tuning might be: C7 chord (C, E, Bb), F chord ( F, A, C), and G7 chord (G, B, F). Then when the C chord is needed, do not pluck the Bb and when the G chord is needed, do not pluck the F. The third note in each chord is the fifth and contributes little to the harmony. The C7 and G7 chords are frequently used even in simple pieces. A frequently-useful A-minor chord is obtained by plucking just the A and C strings of the F-chord set-of three. Here again, the omission of the fifth (E) from the Am chord loses very little musically. This tuning and the ability to omit one string from each set of-three provides C, C7, F, Am, G nd G7 chords and improves the chordal possibilities considerably. It all depends on how nimble are your fingers and how much you want to remember.

The bass notes will be plucked with your thumb and the sets-of-three chords will be plucked with your index, middle, & ring fingers. Your accompaniment will be "bass - chord - bass - chord" for 4/4 meter and "bass - chord - chord" for 3/4 meter. - Wreck of the Old 97, Listen to the Mocking Bird, Wabash Cannon Ball, When the Saints Go Marching In, Michael Row the Boat Ashore, Irish Washerwoman, are lively possibilities. There are many more possibilities, but you must avoid the accidentals and stay with the available chords. IF you understand crossharp and bend, some blues are possible.

Playing some strings in one 3-string group and some strings in another 3-string group would greatly increase the chordal possibilities but may require more finger facility and chord knowledge that you wish to acquire for on this arcane instrument. The pictures indicate that the inventors went on to much more complex string arrangements...approaching the harp or maybe even the Auto-Harp.

However, if you grow fond of the sound of the harmonica with the lap-harp, then you can move on to more sophisticated instruments. An Auto-Harp and a Hands-Free-Chromatic harmonica on a neck rack would enable you to play a vastly larger set of tunes having accidentals and more complex chord sequences with a much larger (but still limited) set of chords. Then replacing the Auto-Harp with a guitar would remove all limitations.

Vern
Visit my harmonica website www.Hands-Free-Chromatic.7p.com






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