[Harp-L] Re: First serious foray into tuning questions

["j.gordon" <jgordon@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Michael,
To avoid breaking reeds this way try not to push the blow reed too far as only the tip needs to be exposed. To downtune use the scraper on the inside. When tuning octaves it is the lower pitched reed that should be slightly sharper than the higher reed, not the other way around as you say. The 3 a touch higher, the 9 not so much if at all. This is the way to get octaves in tune, and each harp, key and playing style would require a unique offset- there isn't an exact formula that will work universally. 0.7 cent would be inmperceptable, but 7 cents would be audible.
The trick is to play the note at it's highest pitch and not let the reed load up.
There are many considerations but for the octaves it is the lower reed that is more likely to have the pitch depressed when playing octaves.
All the best,
Jimmy
http://customharmonicas.com



Michael Rubin asks:

So I have been studying Sleigh's manual.  I have got an old harp and
have broken 3 blow reeds by using the paper clip tool and blow reed
support tool.  How do you do that better.

As per Richard's instruction, I am tuning the higher note of an octave
combination a hair sharper than the lower octave note.  For example, I
will tune hole 5 blow 0.7 cents sharper than hole 2 blow.  That sounds
good, but when I tune hole 8 blow another 0.7 cents sharper, I get the
octave beating.

Is there a way to listen to the beating to access which note is too
high or low?  Since 2 and 5 blow sound nice, my instinct is to retune
hole 8, but I want to follow octave beating rules.  Then, is there a
way to listen to the beating and access whether or not the note needs
to be flattened or sharpened?
Thanks,
Michael Rubin
Michaelrubinharmonica.com