Re: [Harp-L] Name any other instrument that...

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

The diatonic whistle (aka pennywhistle) used in Celtic music comes in 8 or 9 keys and in high and low versions and you change whistles to change key, although you might use a whistle modally to play in a key other than the default major key, same as with harmonica. Good whistles can be as expensive as a custom harmonica.

The diatonic accordion is tuned exactly like a diatonic harmonica. The simplest type has one row of 10 buttons in a single major key, and two left hand levers that give the tonic chord when you press the bellows and the V chord when you pull. For this type, you'd need different instruments for different keys.

Clarinets used to come in Bb and A. Before the modern systems of keys and rods was developed, some keys were too hard to play on the Bb, so players would us the A clarinet instead.


Until about 1840, both trumpets and horns (aka French horns) were diatonic instruments. However, rather than have 7 or 8 different horns, players had 7 or 8 crooks, or lengths of tubing that would change the key. They inserted the crook between the mouthpiece and the body of the horn, changing the total length of the tube and thus the key of the horn.

Winslow 
zzz

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From: Robert Hale <robert@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx> 
Sent: Saturday, December 6, 2014 5:36 PM
Subject: [Harp-L] Name any other instrument that...


A student pointed out that harmonica is the ONLY instrument you change for
each key. Are there others?

Robert Hale
Serious Honkage in Arizona
youtube.com/DUKEofWAIL
DUKEofWAIL.com