How would YOU re-tune the Easttop EDharmonica?
Posted: Thu Dec 19, 2019 6:46 pm
In a ten-hole format, the venerable Standard Richter tuning spans tonally from Tonic 1 to Tonic 4. This looks like three octaves; however, its first and last octaves are missing some notes. Three complete octaves of a septatonic scale simply do not fit within ten holes.
Some tunings are extremely wide. For example, Pentabender has each octave occupying five holes. A ten-hole format can therefore sport only two of these octaves.
In this discussion I want to focus on those tunings which--entirely or nearly so--have octaves made of repeating banks of three holes. Two notable examples are Extended/Repeated Richter, and its sibling Extended/Repeated Paddy Richter (more recently called EDharmonica). Many interesting and useful alternate tunings have a structure like these two.
For people who like to re-tune harps, these compact-scale tunings can be problematic. Over 99% of stock 10-hole harps have Richter's non-repeating octaves and reversing breath pattern. One might be able to re-tune one end of a harp, but the differences accumulate and before long we need to alter reeds by four or five semitones, or even more.
I noticed recently that the EDharmonica can be had in three stock models:
1) the Easttop T008k (key of C only), 30 USD
2) the Seydel Session Steel (12 keys from G to F#), 80 USD
3) the Seydel 1847 Classic (12 keys from G to F#), 110 USD
In this discussion I want to focus on the fact that the Easttop option is a unique product for two reasons. First, it has that repeating bank of three holes. And second, it is relatively affordable. I know of no other stock harps which meet both of these criteria.
I envision that the Easttop EDharmonica promises huge potential for enthusiasts of alternate tunings. I hope that many of you on this Forum contribute in the space below your creative responses to this question: "How would YOU re-tune the Easttop EDharmonica?"
Some tunings are extremely wide. For example, Pentabender has each octave occupying five holes. A ten-hole format can therefore sport only two of these octaves.
In this discussion I want to focus on those tunings which--entirely or nearly so--have octaves made of repeating banks of three holes. Two notable examples are Extended/Repeated Richter, and its sibling Extended/Repeated Paddy Richter (more recently called EDharmonica). Many interesting and useful alternate tunings have a structure like these two.
For people who like to re-tune harps, these compact-scale tunings can be problematic. Over 99% of stock 10-hole harps have Richter's non-repeating octaves and reversing breath pattern. One might be able to re-tune one end of a harp, but the differences accumulate and before long we need to alter reeds by four or five semitones, or even more.
I noticed recently that the EDharmonica can be had in three stock models:
1) the Easttop T008k (key of C only), 30 USD
2) the Seydel Session Steel (12 keys from G to F#), 80 USD
3) the Seydel 1847 Classic (12 keys from G to F#), 110 USD
In this discussion I want to focus on the fact that the Easttop option is a unique product for two reasons. First, it has that repeating bank of three holes. And second, it is relatively affordable. I know of no other stock harps which meet both of these criteria.
I envision that the Easttop EDharmonica promises huge potential for enthusiasts of alternate tunings. I hope that many of you on this Forum contribute in the space below your creative responses to this question: "How would YOU re-tune the Easttop EDharmonica?"