Re: [Harp-L] Re: The advantages of BD harmonica notation

[Philharpn@xxxxxxx]

The B-D system of tab is older than dirt. My copy of "E-Z Method for  
Harmonica" was printed after the copyright was renewed in 1955. It was  
originally copyrighted in 1928. The price circa 1955 was 25 cents. And if it was  
being sold in 1928, I strongly suspect earlier copies of the same system were  
available. 
 
 This 7 1/2 x 4 3/4 inch 16-page booklet, "E-Z Method for  Harmonica," was 
printed by Wm. J. Smith Music Co. Inc. New York. Subtitle is: "A  very easy 
and practical system containing just the necessary material for self  
instruction."
 
The the back cover the E-Z Harmonica Method is described: "The original  
picket size self-instructor. Complete illustrated playing instructions and 
over  25 songs arranged in easy number system. No knowledge of music 
necessary." 
 
I don't have many old harmonica books but I'm sure somebody  has    one 
with an earlier original copyright date than 1928  --probably from Hohner. 
 
 
Hope this clears up the news about this "recent" tablature.
Phil Lloyd
 
 
 
 
 
In a message dated 7/3/2010 4:22:48 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
b.lehnert@xxxxxx writes:

With all  due respect I want to object to the above mentioned advantages
of the  letters B and D above + and -. Unfortunately a huge amount of
different  rules for writing harmonica tabulature has come up and it is
sad, that so  few progress has been made in standardisation.

B/D are symbols much  like +/- are symbols. Symbols can be chosen in
better or worse ways. The  point that B and D are good symbols because
they are easy to remember  _if_one_speaks_English_fluently_ may seem
perfectly natural to the English  native speaker.
Unfortunately, those Chinese that were being referred to  will mostly not
be native English speakers and they will have to learn the  meaning of
those letters much the way they would have had to learn +/- oder  arrows.
If you draw a circle of 100km around where I live, there are 4  (well,
more like 3.5) languages spoken but none of them is English.  People
still use tabulature.

Furthermore, B ist the first letter in  "Blow" but also in "Bending" -
which lends itself to confusion with the  beginner. The
not-beginner-anymore will have learned whatever notation and  probably
won't mind either way.

So the BD notation is not flawless -  at least for the
non-English-speakers. 


"Without figuring out  arrows" - Arrows are not hard to figure out at
all: Put the tab sheet on  the table in front of you. If the arrow points
into your mouth breathe in,  if it points from your mouth breathe out.
The air is always going the way  the arrow shows. Is that any more
complicated than BD?
Arrows had the  disadvantage of not being available in text only
environements but that is  changing. With Unicode making it's way to our
computers, up-arrows and  down-arrows are more and more available.
â   â    â   â   â   â


Until then, plus and  minus are universally known symbols available
everywhere and they are not  confusable with b - bending. They are as
universal as the arabic number  notation.
Imagine your blowing up a balloon - if you want it to be bigger  (that is
a "plus") then blow, if you want it to decrease (that is a  "minus") let
air flow into your mouth - that is nothing like "having to  remember".


Please don't misunderstand: There is an awful lot of  possible and good
ways to write tabulature. I have tried different ones to  see which one
suited me best and after short time I could adapt to each of  them
equally well. Only changing between them was difficult.
If I had a  wish in terms of harmonica tab it would be that everyone is
using similar  if not the same symbols when communicating via the
internet and when  writing books.  

Respectfully,
Bernhard