Re: [Harp-L] re: An alternative view... Melody Makers

[Frank Evers <frank@xxxxxxxxx>]

Am Freitag, 25. Mai 2007 23:12 schrieb Winslow Yerxa:

> I think  you mean German Major. Richter is a type of construction
> (single reeds, all the blow reeds on the top plate, all the draw
> reeds on the bottom plate, one air channel for a pair of blow and
> draw reeds). The Melody Maker tuning, for instance, is usually
> built in Richter construction.

While i usually agree with your statements and keep learning from your 
impressive pool of wisdom concerning harmonicas and their history, i 
don´t second you in your statement, that the term "Richter" just 
refers to a type of construction rather than to a tuning.

While nobody really knows who Joseph Richter was (AFAIK), other that 
he lived in the city of Haida and was manufactoring harmonicas, the 
tuning you call German Major was an important part of his invention.

With all those alternative tunings for 10-holes today there might be 
need to  have a  name of it´s own for that standard tuning, but i don
´t see whats wrong with the term richter tuned in that scope.

Btw. i´ve never heard the name "Deutsch-Dur" )which would be the 
translation of "German Major") here in Germany ;)
-- 
Gruß,Frank