[Harp-L] An Alternative to the Tombo No. 1577 Note Layout

[Robert Coble <robertpcoble@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I realize that ANY note layout has probably already been proposed in this forum (and patented by Magic Dick et al.) long before. However, I didn't find anything during an archive search, so here goes.

While looking at the note layout of the Tombo No. 1577 Slideless/Valveless (HURRAH!!!) chromatic harmonica, I was initially struck by how NON-intuitive the note layout appeared to be. The breath patterns are logical: a blow note is followed by a draw note, etc. However, mapping the standard 16 notes per octave from a slide chromatic to a slideless chromatic with two rows of notes results in a weird (to ME) arrangement. The notes are spread over 16 holes. Excuse me for noticing, but aren't there just 12 notes in an octave? Given two rows of holes, shouldn't it be possible to fit 12 notes into 6 holes on each row? What other "advantages" are there?

Tombo No. 1577 Note Layout (1 complete octave)
Upper Row - 4B (C#)-5D (D#)-6B (E#)-7D (F#)-8B (G#)-9D (A#)-
Lower Row - 4B (C )-5D (D )-6B (E )-7D (F )-8B (G )-9D (A )-

And then things get "weird":

Upper Row - 10B (C#)-11D (B#) 
Upper Row - 10B (C )-11D (B )

Here is an alternative note layout that I devised (without too much effort, I might add). I've changed the hole numbers to start on hole 1.

Upper Row - 1B (C#)-2D (D#)-3B (F )-4D (G )-5B (A )-6D (B )
Lower Row - 1B (C )-2D (D )-3B (E )-4D (F#)-5B (G#)-6D (A#)

Not only does it allow for a wider range in the same amount of space, but it provides a "piano-like" arrangement of natural notes and the sharps and flats consistently across all 12 keys. (Okay, 15 keys, if you want to differentiate enharmonic keys). Yes, you have to switch up and down from one row to the other (think: substituting for the slide)-but don't you have to do that with the Tombo No. 1577 anyway, if you are playing in any key other than "C" major? The actual breath patterns become just 2 for playing in any key-it's either three notes on the bottom row followed by four notes on the top row, OR three notes on the top row followed by 4 notes on the top row. The breath patterns are consistent in all keys,  starting with either a blow or a draw. Most importantly, the interval "jumps" are consistent for all keys. That certainly is NOT the case for the standard slide chromatic or the Tombo No. 1577.

Any more thoughts on this idea?

If I had the time and money, I'd build one just like this, just to see if it is an "improvement." Alas, so little time, so little money!

Crazy Bob



 		 	   		  
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