Re: [Harp-L] Chords

[Michelle LeFree <mlefree@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Robert Hale wrote:

> >
> >Tom Richardson wrote:
> >
> ><How do Spirals compare to Country-tuned?  In avoidance of overblows?  In
> >chords?
> >
> My comments here refer to Spiral with the fundamental Major scale rooted
> on draw 2 and Blow 6.
> (Other placements, shifted left or right, are possible and available.)
> This layout is most relatable for diatonic players with some experience in
> second position (2P) and for those who work with Melody Maker and Natural
> Minor from Lee Oskar.
>
> I have 6 short videos on youtube introducing Spiral and why I think it is
> SO effective... <clippage>
>
> CHORDS
> Spiral offers 6 full triads (chords), 3 Major and 3 minor. (See video link)
> Think Bill Withers' Lean On Me.
> Add fourth hole to triads for Maj7th and minor 7th. Very tasty! <...more clippage>

Thanks for that informative post and accompanying set of videos, Robert. 
I'm a bit relieved knowing your explorations of alternate tunings didn't 
make you "forget" how to play standard Richter layout. I share that same 
fear.

I play mostly blues and old-timey so the venerable Richter layout is 
fine for me. I prefer compromised tunings of one temperament or another 
for their gorgeous chords. But I also like to play bluegrass and 
traditional Irish where I play single notes in synchrony with other 
instruments that are equal tuned (fiddles, guitars, mandolins, etc.) so 
I have a full set of equal-tuned Suzuki Promasters that I've 
half-valved. (I found out the hard way that 7-limit Just tuning doesn't 
fly in those situations.)

And that brings me to my question. I eschew playing chords on those 
Suzukis, though I love them in every other respect. That's because, to 
my ear, chords on an equal-tuned harp sound ah, well, annoyingly sour. 
I've avoided Lee Oskar harps largely for that reason, though it's 
painful since the two I have have lasted 15 years.

I was anxious to hear you demonstrate chords with spiral tuning but it 
sounds, again to my ear, that you've tuned your harps with no compromise 
to their temperament -- in other words, equally. I say that because, and 
I am being blunt here only because I am genuinely curious, all those 
chords that you showed us are so conveniently available with spiral 
tuning sounded "equally" sour to my ear.

So, I wonder if you've ever tried applying some sort of compromised 
temperament to spiral tuning to make those chords sound more harmonious?

Or maybe the question is, why do you not do so?

Thanks,

Michelle