[Harp-L] Ghost Notes and Equal Temperament

["John F. Potts" <hvyj@xxxxxxx>]

JR,

Thanks for the detailed explanation.  Clearly, i have been operating  
under some flawed assumptions.  I'm self taught, but i've been  
playing for quite a while.  Over the years, I have had  the good  
fortune to regularly play with a number of really good musicians,  
some of whom have extensive formal education that did not stop at the  
wrist (as they say).  From these guys i picked up some basic working  
knowledge of theory, so i understand what you are telling me.

Anyway, a little over a year ago i began playing ET harps (Suzuki  
Hammonds).  i quickly came to the conclusion that I sound better on  
ET.  More significantly, the musicians i play with thought i sounded  
better, too (although they all may not have known about the  
instrument change)..  Except for the split interval thing, i am  
basically a single note player and i regularly use multiple  
positions.  Not only do i think i play better on ET, I definitely can  
hear pitches better.  I sound so much more in tune with the rest of  
the band when i play now than i did before i began to play ET harps.

Whether or not  they are  supposed to sound good played on an ET  
harp, the split intervals work extremely well for me and blend well  
with other instruments on a wider variety of material than the chords  
on the instrument do. The musicians i play with like it, and no one  
ever  complains that i sound dissonant or off key (complaints about  
my occasional less than optimum note selection don't count). And the  
ghost notes actually do generate an objectively BIGGER, FULLER,  
sound. Especially when amplified.  I'm not making this up.

Now, in light of what you have just explained to me, I've become a  
little little perplexed about WHY the ET harps work so well for me  
and WHY the split intervals  i regularly play sound  good on my ET  
harps.  But, I'm not going to obsess over it, and since it ain't  
broke, I'm not going to try to fix it.   But  i do really appreciate  
your taking the time to answer my questions.

Best regards,

	JP