Re: [Harp-L] Melody Maker Tuning

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Tin Lizzie wrote:
<I have some Seydel Blues Session country-tuned harps that ride around in my case all the time, and some Blues Session Paddy Richter harps that I <thought I would play a lot but ended up not.
<
<I think I could take the blow reed plate from a Paddy Richter and the draw reed plate from a country-tuned harp and end up with a Melody Maker.  (And <have two regular Richter reed plates, plus a comb, left over.  Such a deal!)  Is this correct?

It's almost correct. The Melody Maker tuning includes a sharped draw 9 reed, i.e. the natural 7th degree of the scale in second position (with blow 9 the tonic).  The country tuning flats that reed, i.e. the draw 9 reed is 1/2 step flat compared to the Melody Maker.  Not tragic--you can still get the natural 7th with a bend on the blow 9 reed.  

<Is there any reason to prefer to keep the country tuned harps as they are?

Well, I think the country tuning is a great tuning for all sorts of stuff.  Steve Baker has said in this forum that he uses it on about 1/3 of his work.  You can hear it at work on the various recordings of "Billy the Kid" on my site at hunterharp.com.  But if you don't like it and don't plan to use it, by all means try something else.

Regards, Richard Hunter