Re: [Harp-L] History of harp tuning

[Rick Dempster <rickdempster33@xxxxxxxxx>]

I'd argue that the harmonica's popularity through it's existence can be
attributed to a fair extant
to the fact that you can hear a recording, go out and buy a stock harp
and imitate what you heard without to much bother.
Custom tunings amount to a Tower of Babel.
The harp will always have its base following as a simple 'folk' instrument,
despite the existence of virtuosos and professionals.
Dylan's playing (shudder!) probably resulted in far more harp sales than
just about anyone
else you care to mention.
I don't care what you do to it; it still sounds like a mouth organ!
RD


On 13 May 2014 04:42, Robert Hale <robert@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>  (Pretentious topic, huh?)
>
> Each of us who teach develop efficient ways to "tell the story" to a new
> harp student. (Please don't bother to nit pick details with me here, cuz
> new students just want to get rockin' on their new harp!)
>
> About 1850, a clockmaker from Germany started mass-producing harmonicas.
> The tuning he chose offered a nice one-octave scale in the middle, two nice
> major chords at the low end, and different pattern of scales tones at the
> high end.
>
> The two chords were intended to be the Tonic (blow) and Dominant Seventh
> (draw). When the instrument migrated to America, some players reversed the
> two, using the Tonic chord (draw) and the Subdominant (blow). When bending
> was added to individual notes, this tuning became the foundation of
> American blues, folk, and rock and roll.
>
> THE INSTRUMENT HELPED TO SHAPE THE MUSIC. Had another tuning been in use at
> this point, Blues would have sounded much different, and so would the forms
> that imitated and followed it.
>
> I think Lee Oskar took a brilliant position in the market by offering two
> tunings (Natural Minor and Melody Maker) that altered the historical and
> "familiar" arrangement, each by only 3 notes. Players could comprehend the
> changes, and build upon their previously learned 2nd position habits.
> (Using a C harp for key of G songs.) It became an accessible "bridge."
>
> (Fast-forward to the Spiral tuning)
> Step right up, friends and neighbors, Spiral tuning is how the harmonica
> SHOULD have been invented in 1850. <grin> Truly!
> Spiral does what Lee's two alternate tunings (above) do, and does them VERY
> well!. Come on over into the LIGHT, my friends. (But it's NOT the sound of
> our American blues catalog, so I keep both!)
>
> My respect goes to the archivists of our passion - Winslow Yerxa and Pat
> Missin.
>
> Robert Hale
> Spiral Advocate (Fanatic!)
> Learn Harmonica by Webcam
> http://www.youtube.com/DUKEofWAIL
>  http://www.dukeofwail.com
>