"High Octane" blues tuning for 10-hole harp
"High Octane" blues tuning for 10-hole harp
NAME: "HIgh Octane" blues tuning for 10-hole harp
BASIC CONCEPT:
About a week ago I posted the first of what has now become a series of "High Octane" blues tunings.
These tunings are characterized by featuring AT LEAST following properties:
1. Three whole chords of a I - IV - V progression (my default for the I chord is Gmaj.
2. Three whole minor hexatonic blues scales of the same tonics (i.e. the G blues scale, the C blues scale and the D blues scale), playable without tricky bends or overblows.
The challenge for THIS version of "High Octane" is to accomplish all of those goals (plus a few more) within a 10-hole format.
This version features:
1. The I chord and its b7th.
2. The IV chord and its b7th.
3. The V chord and its b7th.
4. The minor hexatonic blues scale of the I chord (playable without tricky bends or overblows).
5. The minor hexatonic blues scale of the IV chord (playable without tricky bends or overblows).
6. The minor hexatonic blues scale of the V chord (playable without tricky bends or overblows).
A downside of this version is that it has very few tasty draw bends. That type of expressiveness has been sacrificed for the sake of having the full chords and the full blues scales crammed into ten holes.
WHEN/HOW: October of 2017. I have not yet had one made.
LAYOUT/DETAILS:
BASIC CONCEPT:
About a week ago I posted the first of what has now become a series of "High Octane" blues tunings.
These tunings are characterized by featuring AT LEAST following properties:
1. Three whole chords of a I - IV - V progression (my default for the I chord is Gmaj.
2. Three whole minor hexatonic blues scales of the same tonics (i.e. the G blues scale, the C blues scale and the D blues scale), playable without tricky bends or overblows.
The challenge for THIS version of "High Octane" is to accomplish all of those goals (plus a few more) within a 10-hole format.
This version features:
1. The I chord and its b7th.
2. The IV chord and its b7th.
3. The V chord and its b7th.
4. The minor hexatonic blues scale of the I chord (playable without tricky bends or overblows).
5. The minor hexatonic blues scale of the IV chord (playable without tricky bends or overblows).
6. The minor hexatonic blues scale of the V chord (playable without tricky bends or overblows).
A downside of this version is that it has very few tasty draw bends. That type of expressiveness has been sacrificed for the sake of having the full chords and the full blues scales crammed into ten holes.
WHEN/HOW: October of 2017. I have not yet had one made.
LAYOUT/DETAILS:
- Attachments
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- Edited on Nov. 1, 2017 to correct omission in channel 8.
- 2017-11-01 (2).png (78.85 KiB) Viewed 8933 times
Re: "High Octane" blues tuning for 10-hole harp
If the post just above this one shows the Gen 1 of "High Octane blues, 10-hole version", then the following diagram shows Gen 2.
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- Gen 2 of the High Octane 10-hole
- 2017-11-03 (2).png (74.12 KiB) Viewed 8919 times
Re: "High Octane" blues tuning for 10-hole harp
Gen 3 (below) takes a very different approach.
Of these 10-hole versions, which would you choose? Why?
Of these 10-hole versions, which would you choose? Why?
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- 2017-11-04 (2).png (58.97 KiB) Viewed 8897 times
Re: "High Octane" blues tuning for 10-hole harp
Gen 4 takes yet another approach ---putting the V chord in the draw layer.
As far as 10-hole versions go, this (imo) is easily the best so far.
As far as 10-hole versions go, this (imo) is easily the best so far.
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- 2017-11-05 (2).png (54.84 KiB) Viewed 8884 times
Re: "High Octane" blues tuning for 10-hole harp
Regarding "Gen 4" (above) ....
Now imagine adding three additional channels of "Low Richter" a la the Steve Baker Special or Lucky 13, and this becomes a monster 13-hole tuning! See this diagrammed in a topic called "Extra High Octane" blues tuning for 13-hole harp.
Now imagine adding three additional channels of "Low Richter" a la the Steve Baker Special or Lucky 13, and this becomes a monster 13-hole tuning! See this diagrammed in a topic called "Extra High Octane" blues tuning for 13-hole harp.
Re: "High Octane" blues tuning for 10-hole harp
I suggest that you compare this tuning to the one in the Topic called "Blues Mullet" tuning for 10-hole harp. The two tunings are very similar in their overall goals and capabilities, but they have very different structures. I ask for your thoughts on these two approaches.