Re: [Harp-L] Chords

[Rick Dempster <rickdempster33@xxxxxxxxx>]

This is the kind of discussion I find most interesting.
Please, do go on! Just let me get started!
RD

On 9 July 2015 at 23:01, Michelle LeFree <mlefree@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

> 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
>
>