Re: [Harp-L] improving the harmonica

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

The SBS Model in C is tuned:

Blow C E G C E G C E G C E G C E

Draw D G B D G B D F A B D F A B

Holes 1-3 are like Holes 1-3 of a low C, while the rest of the holes
are like Holes 1-11 (!) of a regular C.

The SBS in C, D, and F are low-plus-regular. Unfortunately the G and A
keys are regular-plus-high instead of low-plus-regular.

There is also the standard 14-hole Hohner No. 365. This is tuned like
an extended 10-hole harp:

Blow C E G C E G C E G C E G C E

Draw D G B D F A B D F A B D F A

It comes in Low G and regular G.

It may be possible to tune either an SBS or a standard #365 to your
desired tuning. Whichever ones requires the fewest reeds retuned and/or
the fewest number of semitones per reed returned would be the one to go
for.

Putting valves on the blow reed slots (i.e. on the outside) will make
the air to the blow reeds shut off whenever you draw. This makes it 
it impossible to do dual-reed draw bends. You can still bend the draw
notes as isolated-reed bends.

It's the inside valves, on the draw reed slots, that make it shut off
the draw reeds to enable isolated-reed bends on the blow notes, but
rendering overblows impossible.

So, let's say you want to have the option to either 

1) Overblow (no valves on the draw reeds)

or 2) Play isolated blow bends (valves on the draw reeds)

You'd have to find some way to optionally apply or disengage air flow
to the draw reeds when blowing. 

A moving-parts way to do this would be a palte that slides into place
against the draw reed plate on the inside to block all the draw slots
when desired. This design was used by Hank Bahnson in his Overblow
Harp. I don't know the patent status of this design, but I believe that
since Hank's passing it's now in the control of Jim "Turbodog" Antaki
of Turboharps.

There are two ways to do this without moving parts, both commercially
available. 

One is the Suzuki Overdrive, with finger holes in the back of the
coverplates that allow you to use your fingers to block the air stream
at the back of the harmonica for any individual blow or draw reed. 

The other is the Discrete Comb (my design, available from me), which
divides each hole into a top and bottom half, allowing you to direct
the air from your mouth to the top half, bottom half, or both halves of
a hole. This way you can enable isolated bends on all 20 reeds,
isolated overblows on all 10 draw reeds, isolated overdraws on all 10
blow reeds, or all 10 regular two-reed bends - all bending
possibilities are enabled. 

Winslow

--- BiscuitBoy714@xxxxxxx wrote:


>  
>             Thanx  for getting with me on this Winslow.  With the
> valve 
> system I was talking  about it's mostly the blow reeds that I'm
> interested in 
> anyway but from  what I've learned on the list overblowing and
> bending  depends on 
> an  interaction between both reeds. I'd just like to have the option
> without 
> buying  a bunch more harps. How is that 14 hole harp tuned?
>         Randy
> 



 
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