Re: [Harp-L] tuning

[Michelle LeFree <mlefree@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

jim.alciere@xxxxxxxxx asks:
> If the band tunes to a tuner, am I more apt to be in tune with the band
> using just or equal tuning
>   
Jimmy, I hasten to avoid presuming to add to Winslow's considerable 
wisdom on tuning or any other subject but I have been studying, with 
Richard Sleigh's ample help, this very subject. In fact, Richard has 
recently published an article on Just Intonation on Tony Eyer's cool web 
site, Harmonic Tunes:

http://www.harmonicatunes.com/justintonationtuningforharmonicas

You may find it, as I did, very informative. Richard's recent book, 
"Turbocharge your Harmonica" has a terrific treatise on tuning, and is 
worth its modest price for that alone (it contains a wealth of 
information on how to adjust your reeds as well).

My take, and Richard please jump in here if I've got this wrong, is that 
Just Intonation (JI) tunes certain notes sharp and others flat relative 
to pure Equal Temperament (ET). JI harps are tuned that way to make the 
chords sound better than if played with ET tuning (ET tuning is the 
tuning that is used for pianos and with most guitar tuners). So IMHO 
some of the answer to your question lies in what style of playing you 
prefer.

JI is the tuning used in the Marine Band harps of old that the famous 
Chicago players used (more recent MB's are tuned to a "Compromise 
Tuning" that is a sort of "average" between ET and JI tuning schemes). 
Most of those Chicago guys used tongue block embouchures and relied 
heavily on the chordal nature of Hohner MB harmonicas as they were 
originally designed to be played back in 1896. Chords sound better when 
they are played on a JI-tuned harmonica. By comparison, chords played on 
an ET-tuned harp sound a bit dissonant and harsh.

Now, if my recollection is correct, you like to use Lee Oskar harps, 
which are tuned to ET out of the box. From that I would then assume that 
your embouchure of choice is lip-pursing or pucker. A lip-purser 
generally plays single notes and doesn't play a lot of chords (chords 
played on Lee Oskars, or any other ET tuned harp, sound ~very~ dissonant 
to my ear).

Here is where I am about to go out on a limb as this is where, with all 
due respect, I think Winlsow's advice fell a tad short of the mark (a 
very rare occurrence indeed from the man who literally "wrote the 
book"). I'll defer to Winslow's learned ear but I'll posit that in a 
band setting, the average listener's ear would not be able to tell the 
difference plus or minus a cent or two between harps tuned to ET if they 
were played using the pucker embouchure. My feeling is, on the other 
hand, that those same listeners could easily discern the dissonant 
nature of chords played on those same ET-tuned harps compared to chords 
played on a JI- or Compromise-tuned harmonica. Therefore, if you 
predominantly play single notes, my opinion is that ET would be your 
tuning of choice. To give a point of reference here, according to Rick 
Epping, modern Marine Bands have certain notes tuned as many as 12-cents 
flat from ET, an amount that even an untrained ear might well be able to 
hear.

My harp kit has harmonicas tuned three different ways for this very 
reason. I love Suzuki Promaster harps for their playability and the way 
they "cut" in an acoustic setting. But chords played on them sound way 
off-base and almost painful to my ear as they are tuned to pure ET. I 
use them when I play pucker embouchure, predominantly in a bluegrass 
setting; I ~never~ play them tongue-blocked (there are other issues with 
that due to their aluminum combs). On the other end I enjoy my Hering 
1923 Vintage harps for tongue-blocked playing. Chords played on them 
sound very sweet, as they are tuned to 7-limit JI, just like the Marine 
Bands of old. But I don't dare play them alongside acoustic fiddle, 
mandolin and guitar pickers because certain notes are very flat and 
those notes stick out like a sore thumb against those other instruments 
(that are tuned to ET with their respective tuners). In the middle are 
my trusty Special 20's, which are tuned to a Compromise Tuning and sound 
pretty darned good no matter what setting they are played in, single 
notes or chords (I still prefer those Suzukis for pure pucker playing in 
an acoustic setting -- I also have them half-valved ala PT Gazell and 
Brendan Power, which adds a whole other dimension to them).

Of course, I'll be very interested in Winslow's take on this post, and I 
hope Richard chimes in if I missed something. Any other comments are 
welcome, too.    :-)

Thanks,

Michelle (the harmonica grasshopper)