Re: Re: [Harp-L] Minor Blues

[Kitt Gamble <kittg@xxxxxxxxx>]

Thank you all for the thoughtful replies.Kitt 

    On Thursday, April 21, 2016 6:20 AM, Steve Baker <steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
 

 Hey Kitt, if anyone knows about this then it has to be you. Do you mean that you invented Natural Minor tuning, or was it around previously? Of course it's possible that I misunderstood him, but I certainly thought Lee was referring to NM when he said "my tuning" during our conversation in Frankfurt 2 weeks ago. When I posted, I just wanted to disclaim that Hohner invented it.
"Ownership" or "authorship" of harmonica tunings is a grey area as they're not always recognized as mechanical innovations by patent lawyers. I "invented" the SBS tuning in the mid 1980s, in that I thought it out for myself, built prototypes, gave it a name and subsequentlyÂconvinced Hohner to manufacture it. I have recordings of it too, the earliest is from 1988. However, this doesn't prove that someone else hadn't already had the same idea. Much later, "my" tuning was copied by Seydel under a different name, the model is/was called "Blues Solist Pro Oktave LA". No lawsuits ensued. C'est la vie.

Steve Bakerwww.stevebaker.dewww.european-music-workshops.comwww.harmonica-masters.de
On 21.04.2016, at 02:44, Kitt Gamble 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. ÂHarmonically 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?
>