Re: [Harp-L] retuning Hohner Autovalve

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

If the Draw 5 reeds (both high and low octaves) sound out of tune, then those are the ones you need to tune. You could retune other reeds but why go looking for trouble if you've already identified the main problem?

If I recall correctly, the AutoValve may be tuned to 7-limit just, which puts the 5 Draw very flat as a melody note (though it sounds great when included with Draw 1,2, 3, 4 in a chord).

If you're especially interested in third position, you may want to concentrate on finding a new pitch fr Draw 5 in the context of a minor chord.

Pat Missin has some advice on this in his long article on tuning at patmissin.com.

Before you try retuning any reed, first determine what pitch level the harp as a whole is tuned to. There may be "A440" stamped in the covers, but don't trust that. Test Blow 1, 4, and 7 against your tuner set to A440. If they're sharp when played gently, then set your tuner to A441, A442, A443, etc., until those notes play as close as possible to in tune, at the zero-point. Then you have a basis to retune Draw 5 to whatever degree of sharpness or flatness from the zero point that will give you the result you want.

If you don't have a tuner that allows you to set the frequency of the note A, then note how sharp Blow 1, 4, and 7 are (or take an average). That's your new virtual zero point. Then, when you go to tune Draw 5, any deviations in cents from being by-the-book in tune should be be accomplished by adding to or subtracting from that new virtual zero point.

Winslow

Winslow Yerxa

Author, Harmonica For Dummies ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5

--- On Wed, 2/4/09, hannessch@xxxxxxxxxx <hannessch@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
From: hannessch@xxxxxxxxxx <hannessch@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] retuning Hohner Autovalve
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Date: Wednesday, February 4, 2009, 7:29 AM

I have a Hohner Autovalve in G which I would like to retune to compromised
tuning, as especially the 5 draw sounds out 
a little out of tune when playing e.g. in Dorian mode. Could somebody please
tell me which reeds I need to retune to 
which frequencies?


Greetings, Hannes
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