Re: [Harp-L] re:Richter+ tuning

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

The superiority of the Dvorak keyboard is a myth. All the so-called research was generated by Dvorak and those who stood to profit by persuading the US military to replace QWERTY keyboards with Dvorak.

Also, the statement that QWERTY was designed to slow typists down to prevent typists from jamming the early machines is likewise untrue. In the first decade typists were already winning typing speed contests with speeds comparable to modern speeds using the QWERTY keyboard. Just another but of Dvorak propaganda.

Inertia is not the only cause of manufacturers being unwilling to change. There's also prudence. Why should they tool up and also change all their promotional efforts, unless they see a real opportunity that justifies the expense and risk? (Remember New Coke?) Meanwhile, Seydel has an excellent test bed with the tuning configurator. If they saw that a particular tuning was selling noticeably well, they'd be sure to follow up on the opportunity. 

And Hohner, Seydel, and Lee Oskar all offer alternate tunings - natural minor, harmonic minor, country tuning, Melody Maker(tm) being the main ones. None has come close to the popularity of standard tuning. Lee Oskar is presently on a campaign to popularize his tunings with songwriters

As I said before every alternate tuning gives you something and takes away something else. I use a few of them myself, but they work for me and I'm not about to try to convince the world that any of them is the path to salvation.

Winslow


________________________________
 From: Robert Coble <robertpcoble@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Harp-L <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx> 
Sent: Sunday, May 11, 2014 9:18 PM
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] re:Richter+ tuning
 

Winslow very astutely observed and then stated, regarding alternate tunings (excerpt):

"... but for some reason none has supplanted the standard tunings."

I assert (without proof) that the PRIMARY reason is inertia, similar to the QWERTY 
effect in typewriter (and now computer) keyboard layouts. Alternate keyboard layouts 
have been proven to be much more efficient, especially the Dvorak layout, but the 
industry standard continues to be the ... industry standard QWERTY layout. 

There is an enormous inertia in all aspects of the industry which makes and supports 
and plays harmonicas. An alternate layout requires retooling of the factory. In order 
for it to be economically viable (profitable), the economies of scale must work in
favor of the alternate. However, the vast majority of training literature is oriented 
toward the traditional "standard" tuning. The vast majority of teachers (and role 
models, as players) learned how to make good music using what was available back in the
day (including what's available in the "current day"). What and how the teachers learned 
is now the "received wisdom" which is propagated to the next generation. It takes 
considerable dedication and time to acquire the skills to play good music with skill on
a limited instrument. (Every instrument has limitations of some kind; that's NO HIT on
the lowly harmonica.) Only a few "fanatics" (Mr. Duke of Wail and ME!) are willing to 
unlearn/relearn the basics in order to reap the potential benefits. Even with those 
putative benefits, there are things that are lost. For instance, if you like playing 
octaves, then you'll have to use something other than Spiral Tuning, because you CANNOT 
play octaves on it: the breath switches direction at the octave. This is merely an 
artifact of "spiraling" the diatonic scale around and NOT some "strange" anomaly. Seven
notes do not evenly divide into 4 holes.

In short, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. If it was good enough for Little Big Muddy 
Walter Waters, then it's by God good enough for YOU, Grasshopper! Just learn to play 
the damned thing like God intended it to be played, or at least the way everybody else
who is anybody has played it, still plays it, and will play it, warts and all.

Unless, of course, you want to study the DIFFERENCES and decide that the advantages of 
an alternate tuning outweigh the disadvantages AND you are willing to become a beginner 
again. All I can say in that case is that it is easier to acquire the skills the second 
(or subsequent) time around, if you didn't learn the first time on an alternate tuning.
The most important decision is simply deciding what YOU want to play and finding the 
quickest, easiest, least expensive route to that musical Nirvana. No pain, no gain, and 
all that rot... Personally, I'm not into all that pain crap when trying to play music.
(I guess that permanently disqualifies me from ever playing the "blues" on harp.)

There Ain't No Such thing As A Free Lunch: you pay your money and eat what you bought.
BUT, if you don't like the taste, then look at the available menu and make a different 
selection the next time. Try it; you might just find a new "best" flavor -- for YOU!

Crazy Bob