Re: [Harp-L] 10-hole Chromonica tuned at 445

[Vern <jevern@xxxxxxx>]

Near A = 440:

 445 hz is about 20 cents sharp or 1/5th of the way to Bb at 466. Almost everyone will hear this as a discord against 440-tuned instruments.

Five cents sharp is about +1 hz or 441hz, 1/20th of the way to Bb.  Hardly anyone would hear a discord against 440-tuned instruments.  

When all of the other instruments tune up with an (often-flat) piano, and your harp is out there at 445, it's as cringe-worthy as fingernails on a blackboard.

Most harmonicas are tuned a bit sharp because the pitch can drop with vigorous playing and a "bendy" embouchure.  However, the low/long reeds are more affected than the high/short ones.  In a perfect world, the tuning would anticipate the player's effect on the pitch of every note.   Hohner's assumption that the player is going to pull the pitch down 20c is, IMO, unreasonable.

Vern


On Oct 13, 2012, at 1:45 PM, Robert Hale wrote:

> On Sat, Oct 13, 2012 at 1:04 PM, Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>wrote:
> 
>> 445 is not the same as 440 tuned 5 cents sharp.
> 
> 
> Winslow, thank you for the clarification to my nomenclature. In the
> practical application, the harp mentioned SOUNDS rough with 440-tuned
> guitars. That's a problem.
> 
> 
> Robert Hale
> 
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