[Harp-L] Chromatic tuning

[Vern <jevern@xxxxxxx>]

Years ago, I used my controlled-pressure tuning table, sound-level meter, and tuner to get a quantitative handle of the effects of playing pressure on loudness and pitch.

The data were reported on harp-l.  My conclusions were that the low pitches were affected greatly by blowing pressure but the high pitches were hardly affected at all.
I concluded that a "perfect" tuning would set the lowest pitches two or three cents sharp.  Then the "sharpness offset" should gradually diminish as the reeds became shorter until the highest pitches would have no offset at all.

Of course, a tuning table makes no allowance for player embouchure which can have a great effect.  

I concluded that the best tuning procedure is:
1. Play the harp to a tuner and write down the indicated pitch and desired change ( in + - cents) for each note.
2. Disassemble the harp. Play and record every note by placing the plate against your lips..."kissing the reedplate"
3. Without regard to the absolute pitch, change the "kissed" pitch by the desired amount. This avoids having to reassemble the harp multiple times.
4. Reassemble the harp and repeat step 1.

IMO, perfection isn't possible.  I can tune all day and not get any better than + - a cent or two.  Because of the human variables involved, that has to be good enough. 
Using an expensive tuner to try to tune within a fraction of a cent on a harmonica seems to me to be laughable overkill.

I think that if you spend some time playing your harp to your tuner, you will agree. 

Harder blowing has diminishing returns on producing higher perceived sound levels.  The logarithmic response of the human ear doesn't recognize an increase much less that a doubling of sound energy.  The same human ear that hears the buzzing of an insect or the sighing of the breeze through the pines is not destroyed by a clap of thunder. Developing a more resonant embouchure and hand-cup or turning up the gain on your amp is going to be much more effective than blowing harder.

Most ensembles tune to the piano which starts out at A440 and gradually goes flat between tunings.  A harmonica tuned to 443 will sound out of tune.  Electronic keyboards are neat because they don't get out of tune and can even be tuned to match the harmonica.

IMO, a chromatic tuned 441 or 442 out of the box is reasonable.  445 is outrageous.

Vern
> 
> From: Bob Cohen <bob@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [Harp-L] Slidemeister
> To: "harp-l harp-l" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: Saturday, June 26, 2010, 8:02 AM
> 
>  .......My question was about chromatic tuning.  Before his passing Bill Romel
> did his magic on a Toot's hard bopper of mine. He tuned all the reeds sharp
> saying that the pitch would come down when I played at concert volume.  I
> play amplified so I don't need to blow so hard to get heard.  How do others
> have their chroms tuned?
> 
> Bob
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>