Re: [Harp-L] Tuning and gapping. Gapping and tuning.

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

First Gap. Gapping affects tuning.


Then tune. Tuning should not affect gapping.

if your tuning is changing your gapping, then look for ways to:

--tune with less pressure so as not to change the gapping.

-- Lift and support the reed for tuning without changing the gapping.

Winsow

 
Winslow Yerxa
Author, Harmonica For Dummies ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5
Harmonica instructor, The Jazzschool for Music Study and Performance
Resident expert, bluesharmonica.com
Columnist, harmonicasessions.com


________________________________
 From: Toni Macaroni <macaroni9999@xxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-L list <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx> 
Sent: Friday, February 17, 2012 2:00 PM
Subject: [Harp-L] Tuning and gapping. Gapping and tuning.
 
Hi Harpers

My chromatic harmonica technician skills are improving but I am often
frustrated by tuning and gapping. My tuning procedure often changes the
reed gap and my gapping procedure often changes the reed's tuning. If after
a few iterations my tuning/gapping procedure were to converge to my
targeted tuning and gap then I would be happy. But, to date, that has not
been happening often enough. Too often my tuning/gapping procedure
converges to a tuning/gapping which is close to what I want but not close
enough.

Any ideas on how to extricate myself from this vicious cycle?

My basic tuning procedure is to place a Hohner reed lifting blade under the
reed while I am working on it. I then sand the tip of the reed with a
sanding wand to raise the pitch or scrape the reed (with the Hohner
scraping tool) near the rivet to lower the pitch. I then plink the reed 4
or 5 times and check the tuning with the coverplates and reed plates
hand-held in place.

My basic gapping procedure is to use the Hohner hook tool to push the reed
near its tip.

I have decided to always tune the blow reeds with the reed plates off the
comb. This helps reduce the gap change after a tuning but does not
eliminate it.