“CoG CuD” Neck Rack Tuning for 10-hole harp

Anything apart from the two mainstream default harmonicas (Solo-tuned fully-valved chromatic, and un-valved Richter 10-hole diatonic). Alternate tunings, different construction, new functionality, interesting old designs, wishful-thinking... whatever!
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IaNerd
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“CoG CuD” Neck Rack Tuning for 10-hole harp

Post by IaNerd » Wed Jan 31, 2018 6:17 pm

NAME: “CoG CuD” Neck Rack Tuning for 10-hole harp


BASIC CONCEPT:

This tuning is designed especially for folks who play harp in a neck rack. There are three FAT chordal zones, one each for the I, IV and V chords--and also their b7ths! As far as chord-chugging goes, this tuning should be very forgiving of imprecise playing technique. The red brackets show where one draw note of the minor hexatonic blues scale can be bent down to the next lower blues scale note.


WHEN/HOW: January of 2018. I have not yet had one made.


LAYOUT/DETAILS:

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IaNerd
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Re: “CoG CuD” Neck Rack Tuning for 10-hole harp

Post by IaNerd » Tue Feb 06, 2018 9:51 pm

The 5 draw note and is shared between two chords: as a perfect fifth for one chord and as a root for the other chord. Therefore, it can be tuned to ET and will sound good for both chords.

None of the major third notes are shared; they can be tuned to ET -14 cents.

None of the septimal minor seventh notes are shared; they can be tuned to ET - 31 cents.

[I am not an expert tuner. Use these ideas at your own risk. If you are an expert, please feel free to comment.]

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Re: “CoG CuD” Neck Rack Tuning for 10-hole harp

Post by IaNerd » Mon Feb 26, 2018 4:17 pm

I just noticed that if the partial Cmaj chord was extended for one more channel, then the minor hexatonic blues scale could be played for two complete octaves which have identical breath patterns. This seems almost paradoxical, because those two blues octaves span two different chordal areas of the harp.

On this tuning, playing the blues scale pentatonically (by omitting the C#) could gain in speed, since the C# is a draw bend. But it's still there when needed.
Last edited by IaNerd on Mon Feb 26, 2018 4:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: “CoG CuD” Neck Rack Tuning for 10-hole harp

Post by IaNerd » Mon Feb 26, 2018 4:40 pm

I'm also seeing now that this basic tuning, in a 13-hole format, could sport a very nice double/repeated Richter octave a la SBS and Lucky 13.

This would not, however, result in an additional blues scale octave, because the extended area would be missing the B-flat.
Last edited by IaNerd on Mon Feb 26, 2018 5:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: “CoG CuD” Neck Rack Tuning for 10-hole harp

Post by IaNerd » Mon Feb 26, 2018 5:01 pm

When using a three-hole embouchure, this tuning has only one "sour zone". Playing 4-5-6 draw would sound bad.

Contrast this with tunings that have multiple such "sour zones".

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Re: “CoG CuD” Neck Rack Tuning for 10-hole harp

Post by IaNerd » Mon Feb 26, 2018 5:34 pm

Please note that the major triads in the blow row align perfectly with those in the draw row. This makes for optimally fast and easy chugging between those chord pairs. The same is true of all the b7th tetrads.

This tuning is also sports a number of triple-stop octave pairs, especially in the blow row.

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Re: “CoG CuD” Neck Rack Tuning for 10-hole harp

Post by IaNerd » Tue Feb 27, 2018 3:53 pm

A "double-Richter-plus" format could be either to:

(A) Repeat the first four channels at an octave lower, and delete the last channel, in a 13-hole body, or ...

(B) Repeat the first four channels at an octave lower, and delete the last two channels, in a 12-hole body.

Both of these provide three full hexatonic blues scales with identical breath patterns.

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