RE: [Harp-L] Special tuning questions

[Jérôme P. <peyrelevade@xxxxxxx>]

Ah ah ... some people have a great sense of humour here!

I do use an augmented 5 draw too (my 5 draw is a F# on my C diatonic harp).
For very different reasons than Jioseppi at the basis, but same result at
the end.

I mainly play jazz (cf. my youtube channel), and it's very important for me
to be able to change key at any time (even when playing blues in fact).
The balance of the harp, between draw and blow reeds, is essential to my
playing.
For example:
When blowing 4, 5, 6, I get a C Maj arpeggio.
When drawing 4, 5, 6, I get a D Maj arpeggio.
When bending 4, 5, 6, I get a Db Maj arpeggio.
When overblowing 4, 5, 6, I get a Eb Maj arpeggio.
(note that these arpeggios are present in 10 maj scales out of 12).

One can see that modes derived from the C Maj scale are no longer a
reference with that tuning.
I don't think about positions anymore, but only about keys and scales, as
any other chromatic instrument.
To me, it is a much easier approach when dealing with key changes while
playing a tune.

But I'm French so I like artificial complexity ah ah!

I hope that helps, and sorry for my approximate English,

Regards,

Jerome
http://www.youtube.com/JersiMuse




> > Ken H in OH
> >
> Ha ha ha, I don't know if it's 'better known as' but I have been 
> using that tuning since 1959. There was a good reason for it. I am 
> not as advanced as most of you guys/gals, or at least I wasn't back 
> then. After all, I was just a kid of 17. I never liked the Richter 
> layout and while it's fine for blues (with the blue #5 draw), It 
> didn't lend itself to ballads nor Doo-Wop. Several people I know have 
> claimed that the 50s were the low point in music in the U.S., but I 
> didn't see it that way. I liked to play along with the Fleetwoods, 
> Flamingoes, Shep & the Limelights, Johnny Maestro & Brooklynn Bridge, 
> Drifters, and yada yada yada.
> 
> Changing the reed #5 made a difference in doing 19 out of 100 tunes 
> in an acceptable fashion to a whopping 67 out of 100. THEN, I noticed 
> that it made a number of country/western tunes possible even WITHOUT 
> using a second harp for the bridge. Then, since I like to use all 10 
> holes, I realized that the #9 needed adjusting too. I'm not German, 
> so Richter doesn't fit me, and I'm not Irish, so Paddy doesn't fit me 
> either. I am Italian & Polish, so I don't know WHAT (the hell) I'm 
> doing? lolol
> 
> I have NO idea of what positions are. I know that I sometimes pick 
> up a harp that is waaaay different from what the tune requires? And 
> sometimes I make it work, but couldn't tell you what I'm doing. I 
> think this comes from the fact that I am mainly a chromo player and 
> work with all chromos in all keys. So maybe it's osmosis? lolol

 		 	   		  
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