Re: [Harp-L] Tongue blocking and circular tuning

[Arthur Jennings <timeistight@xxxxxxxxx>]

I'll apologize in advance for being pedantic, but "octave" means

> the interval <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_%28music%29> between
> one musical pitch <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitch_%28music%29> and
> another with half or double its frequency<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frequency>.
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octave
>

C to Bb, E to D and G to F are minor sevenths, not octaves.

I blame David Barrett for spreading this confusing and erroneous usage of
"octave" throughout the harmonica community.

On Tue, Oct 27, 2009 at 6:57 AM, David Payne <
dmatthew@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Just a note, that tuning would on the spiral schemes, be laid out in an F
> scale, not a C. Thus it would be:
>  the blow notes would go    C E G Bb D F  A   C   E G
>     the draw notes would go D F A C   E G  Bb D   F A
>
> On tongue blocking itself, I see it as a primarily an octave technique. You
> can get that chordal backing with a pucker embouchure. Or at least that's
> the way I learned. I had no clue what tongue blocking was when I was a kid,
> so I got that sound with a pucker and making my lips wider.
> So, in the Dave Payne world, your octaves would be C and Bb, E and D, G and
> F, Bb and A, etc., which might give you a nice 7th once in a while.
>
> Dave
> __________________________
> www.elkriverharmonicas.com
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>
> To: Harp L Harp L <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Mon, October 26, 2009 1:45:47 PM
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Tongue blocking and circular tuning
>
> Tongue blocking can benefit circular tuning greatly.
>
> If by circular you mean a tuning where, for instance,
>     the blow notes would go C E G B D F A C E G
>     the draw notes would go D F A C E G B D F A
>
> In this tuning, you can't play octaves with tongue blocking, but you can
> get all seven three-note chords chords that belong to the major scale (along
> with their four and five note extensions). That's a lot of intriguing
> choices. You can play a melody note, then lift your tongue to create a
> variety of chords. You can also alternate blow melody with draw chord  (or
> vice versa) as diatonic accordion players do. Nad you can play splits, with
> a melody note on one side of your tongue and a chord or bass note on the
> other side.
>
> True, you can't rely on the blow chord always being C and the draw chord
> being some kind of G7. The chords constantly - but quite predictably - shift
> as you move up and down the harp, so you have to actually think and make
> choices.
>
> But then, Sam Hinton showed us that tongue blocking and thinking are not
> mutually exclusive.
>
> Winslow Yerxa
>
> Author, Harmonica For Dummies ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5
>
> --- On Sun, 10/25/09, David Payne <dmatthew@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>  circular is in no way shape or form a tongue block tuning.
>
>
>
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-- 
Arthur Jennings
http://www.timeistight.com