Re: [Harp-L] History of harp tuning

[Music Cal <macaroni9999@xxxxxxxxx>]

I think we are all aware of what tunings are offered in music stores. I
think that most if not all of us are aware that Seydel offers alternative
tunings for many of their diatonic harmonicas and their Deluxe chromatic.
Presently the Seydel Saxony chrom has a very limited set of alternative
tunings offered due to their available stainless steel reeds.

I would like to see Hohner and Suzuki offer alternative tunings as well. So
how can I, and people of similar interest, convince Hohner and Suzuki to
offer alternative tunings and convince Seydel to expand their reed stock
for the Saxony so that I can get the tuning I want?

Seydel obviously saw a market in alternative tunings.

I would bet dollars to donuts that if two major manufacturers were to offer
the diminished and augmented tunings for their chromatic harps then the
solo tuning market share would fall off rapidly (not that I care) AND
chromatic sales would increase. When I was a kid just starting to play the
guitar I picked up a chromatic harp and tried to find all the notes of the
chromatic scale. My immediate reaction was "What!". I bet there are a lot
of folks just like me. The manufactures could market this as a "New and
intuitive pitch layout".

Daniel


On Wed, May 14, 2014 at 3:25 PM, Rick Dempster <rickdempster33@xxxxxxxxx>wrote:

> I play steel guitar too, Richard, in several tunings. The difference is
> that I can drop a six or eight string steel
> from A6th to E13th in about fifteen seconds, and return it likewise, almost
> always without breaking a string.
> To change tunings on a harp is time consuming or expensive, often both; and
> inconvenient
> in that my local music store doesn't keep anything more exotic than a
> Special 20 in Eb.
> RD
>
>