Re: [Harp-L] Borrowing Ideas from Accordions to Harmonicas.

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

The odd thing is that accordions don't use the reed placement used in Richter system harmonicas.

Both diatonic and chromatic accordions have two reeds per reedplate, with one blow reed and one draw reed, sounding either the same pitch (as in piano and chromatic button accordions) or different pitches (as in diatonic accordions). Richer harmonicas have ten on more reeds ber reedplate, either all blow or all draw reeds. An accordion reedblock (similar to a harmonica comb) may have anywhere from 10 to perhaps 50 of these two-reed reedplates fastened to the reedblock with melted wax (nails or screws are very seldom used).

Wiener and Knittlinger harmonicas actually have a closer resemblance to accordions, in that they at least have blow and draw reeds mounted side by side on the same plate.

Pat Missin has done considerable research on the mysterious Herr Richter and finds that he can't actually be located with any certainty in time or space, as there is no positive record of him in the town where he supposedly lived.


Winslow

 
Winslow Yerxa
Author, Harmonica For Dummies, ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5
            Harmonica Basics For Dummies, ASIN B005KIYPFS
            Blues Harmonica For Dummies, ISBN 978-1-1182-5269-7
Resident Harmonica Expert, bluesharmonica.com
Instructor, Jazzschool for Music Study and Performance


________________________________
 From: John Broecker <helmuth2849@xxxxxxx>
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx 
Sent: Friday, December 28, 2012 9:17 AM
Subject: [Harp-L] Borrowing Ideas from Accordions to Harmonicas.
 
Hello, Harp-Ellers.

The accordion, patented by Cyril Demian in Vienna, Austria, in 1829, has provided us harmonica players with many harmonica improvements.

In 1857 (according to the German Harmonica Museum), Joseph Richter of Haidau, Czechoslovakia (todays's Novy Bohr, Czech Republic) made
single reed diatonic harps with the Richter System reed placement, the industry standard for today's blues harps.

He was quoted as saying that he copied the system from accordions after seeing it used in an accordion factory.

The "Richter Syetem" places the exhale reeds on the top reed plate, and the inhale reeds on the bottom reed plate.
This allows us to play limited chordal accompaniment  on the humble but versatile 10-hole blues harp.

Happy Holidays

John Broecker