Re: [Harp-L] help with minor positions

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Rick Dempster wrote:
> When it comes to harp, I stick to Richter, and standard solo chrom. I have to stop and think about the reason for this.
> Largely, I think,  it's because I can't be bothered having more and more pesky little toys messing up the space in my gig case, and more instruments to maintain...
> There are some wild sounding tunings around, but I dodge them, because I could only play them for their superficial voicings, and it would be the instrument dictating the music rather than me.

Rick, I think if you make a natural minor or a Country tuned harp your walking-around harp--the one you carry in your pocket for playing whenever the opportunity appears--for a couple of months, you will get familiar and comfortable with it.  Natural minor and Country tuning are both Richter tunings.  All the scale degrees are in the same places as on a standard Richter.  The difference is in the quality of the scale degrees, so the 3rds might be minor instead of major, for example.  But that's not hard to get used to.  

That said, if you're more comfortable with a standard tuning than any other, go for it.  It's not that people don't play NMs or country tunings that bothers me.  People should play what they like to play.  It's the idea some people have that anyone who uses anything but a standard Richter is morally deficient that bothers me.

Regards, Richard Hunter


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