[Harp-L] re: Fourkey (and other altered tunings)

[Jonathan Ross <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Jazzmaan writes:

"(3) A question:  What is a "Diatonic" harp?  Is the Fourkey a  
diatonic harp? "

Yes.  It would need at least twelve notes per octave to be considered  
chromatic (this has been done on a Richter-harp, or at least on the  
similar to Richter in usage All-American Bakelite).  The Fourkey  
tuning has more notes available than most other tunings (German Major  
Diatonic, Melody Maker, Natural Minor, etc...) but that does not make  
it a chromatic instrument.

" I think that term doesn't do justice to the Fourkey.  Sure it can  
play diatonic scales.  But it can also play a complete chromatic  
scale without resort to overdraws or overblows and just two ordinary  
draw bends in a 12 note chromatic scale."

Bends have essentially the same issues in terms of differences in  
timbre, articulation and pitch control as overblows/draws.  You may  
only have two bends as accidentals and the other notes as naturals  
available in the Fourkey, but that doesn't mean those two notes are  
any less problematic than they would be in any other tuning.  You  
would still have to choose key, position and the like in order to  
avoid or exploit that difference as with most other diatonic tunings.

"   I'm searching for the appropriate term to include all "short  
harps" including Richter and all other alternate tunings.   I'm  
thinking "10/20 harp" is a better descriptor.  10 holes/20 reeds.   
Any other ideas?"

Richter is the appropriate term for the instrument, IMO, but not the  
tuning, thus my suggestion of German Major Diatonic (GMD).  Richter  
was originally used to denote the construction of the instrument and  
not the tuning (notably, most diatonic harmonica types have used this  
same tuning layout, whether Richter, Wiener, Knittlinger or other).   
Richter has transformed itself into being a catch-all for the tuning  
as well, which ends up leading to oxymorons, a Richter tremolo for  
instance.

"(4) What does it take to convince some of you harp-l people to give  
the Fourkey a try?"

Most people here won't even try natural Minor or Country tuned.  And  
those take essentially no relearning.  So the odds that they want to  
try something as truly different as Fourkey would seem very slim indeed.




 ()()    JR "Bulldogge" Ross
()  ()
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