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Blues tuning for 12-hole "diatonic" harp

Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2017 5:33 pm
by IaNerd
NAME: Not sure yet.

BASIC CONCEPT: A 12-hole slant harp with a "standard" Richter left side, and a right side where every “blues scale” note has at least one unbent draw or blow spot PLUS an enharmonic twin that is a fully-bent draw note.

WHEN/HOW: September of 2017. I have not yet had one made.

LAYOUT AND DETAILS:

Notes of the Blues Scale in G: G — A#/Bb — C — C#/Db — D — F — G

I Gmaj yes (x2), one with 7th
ii Amin no
iii Bmin yes, partial
IV Cmaj yes (x3)
V Dmaj no
vi Emin yes, partial
vii F#dim no

**FUN FACT** There are 192 pathways from the lowest blues scale note up to the highest (or vice versa), and 36,864 pathways up-and-then-down (or vice versa) all the blues scale notes.

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Re: Blues tuning for 12-hole "diatonic" harp

Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2017 5:56 pm
by IaNerd
Addendum #1: This entire tuning could be bumped up by one octave. The result would be a left half which for many people would be easier to bend, but possibly a right half that is harder to bend.

As a compromise, a tuning like this could be reentrant, as follows.

Raise channels 1-6 by one octave. Change 7 blow to G, but do NOT raise channels 7-12 by an octave. Now we have the same sort of tuning but with a shorter voice and--for some folks--easier to play.

Re: Blues tuning for 12-hole "diatonic" harp

Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2017 5:45 pm
by IaNerd
To elaborate on the post just above:

The overall tuning in this Subject can be accomplished using two Seydel Big Sixes mounted on Brendan's Seydel Twin Big-Six Comb (at http://www.brendan-power.com/combs-diatonic.php ).

This would permit the left octave and right octave to be in the same register, i.e. it would be a reentrant tuning.