[Harp-L] Buschmann and Richter tunings

[Jonathan Ross <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

John Broecker wrote:

"the tunings <snip> might be:  Aura, equal temperament; and  Richter,
just intonation."

I think there really isn't enough evidence either in writing or in  
surviving instruments to say we can know either with any degree of  
certainty.  I would say that it's logical to assume that the just  
intonation which was later found on most instruments with the "German  
Major Diatonic" scheme (Richter, Knittlinger and Wiener harmonicas as  
well as diatonic accordions and concertinae) was there from the  
start, but that it is really an unknown.  As for the Aura, well,  
there is little real evidence about it's specific design, and  
considering that temperament varied significantly from region to  
region and instrument to instrument in the early 19th century there's  
really no basis to assume anything for the Aura.


 "Today's stock chromatics are generally equal temperament, "


But the first slide-chromatics were not--this was a later switch,  
possibly coinciding with the change from a GMD based tuning to the  
currently popular solo tuning.  The first "chromatic" harmonicas were  
tuned in 7-limit just intonation, just like diatonic harmonicas at  
the time tended to be--essentially a C harmonica and a C# harmonica  
both in 7-limit just.


"According to the legend, Richter was visiting an accordion factory,  
and saw
 how the accordion reeds were placed and tuned for the best  
harmonies, and
copied  it to the diatonic harp."


I have never heard or read about this legend before.  Certainly not  
the part about visiting a factory--typically the legend seems to say  
Richter borrowed the idea, but not give much more detail than that.   
And, it should be noted that even the more vague legend does not have  
much support to it (see http://www.patmissin.com/ffaq/q37.html ).   
I'm wondering what your source for the above is--the part about an  
accordion factory, since this is the first I've read of it.


"According to the legend, Buschmann placed a set of 12 or 13 pitch pipe
reeds in a horizontal row, and played it. Later he extended the range  
of the
new  instrument."


I've read the numbers 15 and 21, but never 12 or 13.  In any event,  
there is very little documentation of Buschmann's invention, so it's  
hard to say what he really made.

 Early harmonica history is a vacuum in many ways.  It's easy to  
speculate, but not very useful.  Basically, we don't even know enough  
about what Buschmann's earliest harmonicas looked like to guess how  
they were tuned or what their intonation might have been.  Moreover,  
we don't have enough early examples of even the more common and still  
familiar types to be able to really say much about their origins  
either.  Sadly, I think the best answer to the original question is,  
I don't know and neither does anyone else.



JR Ross