Re: [Harp-L] Re: Minor Blues

[Gary Lehmann <gnarlyheman@xxxxxxxxx>]

Ooh, drama . . .
First off, what a pleasure it is to be a part of this wonderful world.
Kitt, we have not met in person, but we're Facebook pals, and your
reputation precedes you. Steve, we met at SPAH a few years back--the
elevator Dueling T-Shirt incident LOL.
So my question stands, who is the first person to "claim" the minor version
of the Standard German tuning everyone I know calls Richter?
This question is worth our time; some years back, when I started using the
f6/g6 tuning on diatonic, I spoke of it as "Magic Bop Band", since Little
Al Price recommended it and call it that. I was eventually schooled by
Brendan Power that it was HIS tuning, and should be referred to as "Power
Chromatic". So I call it that . . . sometimes--I actually like to call it
IV6/V6.
I invented a tuning--hey, a couple of them--that no one else has laid claim
to.
So who's gonna step up and claim this one?
First recording? That was Brendan's proof . . .

On Wed, Apr 20, 2016 at 5:44 PM, Kitt Gamble <kittg@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Hi Steve, I have a hard time with that statement that Lee said that. I
> would find that hard to believe as a direct quote or a paraphrase.Lee is an
> amazing harmonica player, artist and songwriter,and obviously musical
> marketer.In my about 10 year relationship with he and Tombo Harmonicas I
> never witnessed Lee inventing any special tunings that were not already
> developed previously,generally from yours truly or someone else from the
> USA,sometimes going back into the early 1900's.Quite simply it was not his
> thing. When I was involved with Tombo Harmonicas in the very early 1980's
> there was nobody from Tombo Harmonicas who had ever heard or seen the many
> dozens of tunings I (Kitt Gamble) had developed years earlier than when I
> became involved with Tombo Harmonicas around 1980.I did see some oddball
> diminished, whole tone, etc, scales that Larry the sax player from WAR had
> suggested.These were basically scales and generally impractical for the
> harmonica.I have a very good understanding of the subject of special
> tunings as I may have the largest collection of 10 hole diatonic special
> tunings in the world.I also play and can demonstrate these special tunings
> to highly skilled harmonica players. I have been playing and promoting
> Harmonica preservation and advancement for many years.Steve, I am glad you
> have a lot of love and your life is changed because of the development of
> special tunings.That's cool.I am a big fan of Harmonica history when it is
> factual and not a theory.I appreciate you as a Harmonica artist and creator
> also. Thanks.  Harmonically yours, Kitt Gamble
>
>
> On Wednesday, April 20, 2016 6:16 PM, Steve Baker <steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> wrote:
>
>
> Lee has always said he invented Natural Minor tuning. I first encountered
> it on a Tombo LO around 1985. Gotta love him for that, it changed my life
> :-)
>
> On 21.04.2016, at 00:56, Gary Lehmann wrote:
>
> > Hey, here is a question--who first retuned diatonics to Richter minor?
> Hohner, Lee Oskar?
> >
> > On Wed, Apr 20, 2016 at 8:54 AM, Steve Baker <steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> wrote:
> > I love playing bluesy tunes in minor keys. There are quite a lot of
> examples on my CDs with Chris Jones and Abi Wallenstein. Much of the time I
> use harps in Natural Minor tuning, they're so convenient and the chords are
> wonderful (as well as unavailable on standard tuning). I'll also use
> regular harps in 3rd if the song lays out better that way. Some songs work
> better in 5th position, but I'd generally use Major 7th (Country) tuned
> instruments for this, that's where 5th position first really comes into its
> own.
> >
> > If any list members will be in the area, I'm giving a workshop on minor
> key playing at the Berlin Blues Festival on June 4th starting 2pm ;-)
> >
> > Steve Baker
> > www.stevebaker.de
> > www.european-music-workshops.com
> > www.harmonica-masters.de
>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
> Steve Baker
> www.stevebaker.de
> www.european-music-workshops.com
> www.harmonica-masters.de
>
>
>
>
>
>