[Harp-L] Equal Temperament

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

per David Fairweather:

If I'm playing amplified diatonic blues there is NO WAY I will use  
anything
but a Just Intoned harp.   The in-tune difference tones on a Just  
Intoned
harp add a whole 'nother level to my playing.    And without naming  
him,  a
well-known top level professional blues harp player once told me that
anybody trying to play classic amplified blues on an Equal  
Temperament harp
is always going to sound like a "candyass" by comparison.

David,

This is a valid point IF the only music one plays is classic  
amplified blues, which, if one is playing in the "classic" style,  
involves playing chords, and is restricted to playing in First,  
Second and Third position.  If that's the only music a player  
performs, JI is optimum.  No argument here about that.

BUT, there are so many other styles of music to play amplified, other  
positions to play in, AND other approaches one can take to playing  
authentic blues.

There is a serious problem sounding IN TUNE playing in Fourth, Fifth  
or Twelfth position on anything other than an ET harp because JI and  
compromise tunings have so many flat notes. Also, in any position,  
it's hard to play in tune w/horns on a harp with so many flat notes.

There is also a problem playing chords on many styles of music other  
than classic blues and certain rock n' roll because the chords  
available on the instrument are so limited they don't always fit and  
can sound pretty bad if you try to play them on many types of  
material that is otherwise playable on a diatonic harp. So, if one  
doesn't play many chords, one doesn't use "in tune difference tones"  
at any level of playing.

In this regard, there are also other approaches to playing authentic  
blues besides the "classic" style of 50+ years ago. I don't try to  
imitate old "classic" recordings when i play blues. It's the 21st  
century and the blues are not dead so, IMHO, they should not be  
embalmed.

For these reasons, i think tunings other than ET are more limiting  
FOR ME playing the material i play (which includes, but is not  
limited to, blues). But, I don't play many chords anyway.  However,  
I  find it A LOT harder to sound IN TUNE with the band unless I am  
playing an ET harp no matter what style of music I am playing.  But,  
YMMV.

Best regards,

JP