[Harp-L] Re: Special 20 Tuning

["rick epping" <rickepping@xxxxxxxxx>]

At the time I started at Hohner in 1987, the temperament pendulum for Marine
Bands and Special 20s had swung from Just Intonation "well" toward Equal
Temperament (pardon the pun), so much so that blues players were complaining
that they were having to modify their playing styles; the 5- & 9-draw at
that time were tuned up so close to ET that players were not comfortable
playing long, expressive 7th chords using the 5-draw.  It was thought that
the advent of inexpensive quartz tuners may have been partly to blame, as
many players had been complaining that their harps were not in tune with
their tuners.  Or perhaps it was, thanks to the folk and blues revivals of
the '60s and the introduction of the harmonica into rock music, the more
widespread use of the diatonic in emsemble with ET instruments rather than
as a solo instrument, that was the main cause for complaint of their being
out of tune.  In any case, it was given to me to come up with a new tuning
that would better satisfy the blues players without leaving the instrument
too remote from other ET instruments.  This task came about around the same
time that the automated, Richter MS production was in development and, as
the Marine Band was the instrument of choice for the blues players, I took
the opportunity to devise a tuning for the MS series that remained closer to
ET, particularly with regard to the 5- & 9-draw notes, which in the MS
series are more in tune for 1st position subdominant chords than are the
Marine Band and Special 20.

I supplied the tuning charts and samples to the factory in Germany but I
don't know who came up with the term, compromise tuning.

Best regards,
Rick

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Message: 11
Date: Wed, 13 Sep 2006 07:56:19 -0700
From: fjm < mktspot@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Special 20 Tuning
To: h-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Message-ID: <45081C13.3030509@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

The current Hohner USA catalogue makes no mention of tuning schemes.  In
the past the Golden Melody was listed as equal tuned.  I'm curious
regarding the origin of the term compromise or compromised for tuning as
a description of the Hohner diatonic tuning scheme.  Was this a Hohner
term?  What's the correct term compromise or with the ed?  Sans ed makes
a lot more sense to me.  Rick Epping do you still lurk this list, or
perhaps Johnny B?  Historically you two might have more of an idea about
these questions than anybody else.  Fernando if you've got input I'd
love to hear it.  fjm


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