[Harp-L] Re: Seydel & Spiral Tuning

[Robert Coble <robertpcoble@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Greg Jones asked "Robert" (the Duke of Wail):


*If one is playing on a spiral tuned harp where the 2 draw is a C and 
the song is in the key of C, what position is being played?

How about the same harmonica and the song is in the key of G?*

I'm also a Robert who is enamored (if that's the appropriate euphemism
for "fanatic") with Spiral Tuning.

My personal approach is to consider the underlying key of the harp to
be the reference, rather than the note in hole 1 blow or the labeled key
of the harp, or the note in hole 2 draw (although that does correspond to 
the tonic [scale degree 1] based on Seydel's Spiral Tuning scheme).

So, for a Spiral Tuned harp with 2 draw = "C" (that would be a harp labeled
"G" based on Seydel's naming convention), the underlying key is "C" major.
(all that means is that the notes that are "spiralled" up the harp are based
on the "C" major scale.) That would be considered to be 1st position. 
Consequently, using the same harp to play in the key of "G" would be playing 
in 2nd position, and so forth around the Circle of Fifths.

2nd position "naturally" (whatever that means) corresponds to the Mixolydian 
mode, if using the notes of the 1st position scale without bending or 
overblowing.

Here's an example based on the respective scales for "C" major and "G" major:

Scale Degree - 01 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06 - 07 - 08 (Octave) 
"C" major       C -  D -  E -  F -  G -  A -  B -  C

Scale Degree - 01 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06 - 07 - 08 (Octave) 
"G" major       G -  A -  B -  C -  D -  E - F# -  G

But there is no "F#" naturally occurring in "C" major. So, if the tonic note
is "G", the corresponding mode of "C" major is Mixolydian mode, which has a
flatted 7th scale degree (flatted relative to the key of "G" major). With
"F" substituted for "F#", all of the same notes from "C" major form the "G"
Mixolydian mode.

FWIW (not much, unless you are interested in the theory), here is the 
correspondence between "positions" and "modes."

1st position  (tonic = scale degree 1) => Ionian mode (major)
2nd position  (tonic = scale degree 5) => Mixolydian mode (major)
3rd position  (tonic = scale degree 2) => Dorian mode (minor)
4th position  (tonic = scale degree 6) => Aeolian mode (natural minor)
5th position  (tonic = scale degree 3) => Phrygian mode (minor)
6th position  (tonic = scale degree 7) => Locrian mode (diminished)
12th position (tonic = scale degree 4) => Lydian mode (major)

By convention, there are only 7 named (Greek or church) modes, corresponding 
to the 7 scale degrees contained in a major key.

(BTW, there are other named modes, corresponding to scales other than the major
scale, such as the jazz major-minor, which is the major scale with a flatted 
3rd scale degree. But that goes far beyond your original question.)

HTH to muddy the waters! Hey, "Muddy Waters!" I can dig it!
Crazy Bob