Balkan tunes and tuning

[Piro39]

Malarz yes a regular major tuned G harp.

[Brendan]

Gerhard, and anyone else interested: the Lucky 13 in Diminished Tuning is now released:

https://brendan-power.com/lucky13.php#lucky13Dim

I was testing it out in Hijaz scale today. As with any other scale, there are only three patterns required to play Hijaz in all 12 keys! I'll lay them out here shortly, in the form of Phrase Maps.

These are very useful visual representations of mouth moves, breath changes and bends on the harp. You can see some for Major and Minor Pentatonic scales on the link above. Great for learning, and perfect for a symmetrical repeating scale like Diminished.

[Gerhard62]

Gerhard, and anyone else interested: the Lucky 13 in Diminished Tuning is now released:

https://brendan-power.com/lucky13.php#lucky13Dim

I was testing it out in Hijaz scale today. As with any other scale, there are only three patterns required to play Hijaz in all 12 keys! I'll lay them out here shortly, in the form of Phrase Maps.

These are very useful visual representations of mouth moves, breath changes and bends on the harp. You can see some for Major and Minor Pentatonic scales on the link above. Great for learning, and perfect for a symmetrical repeating scale like Diminished.

Although I already have got one Session Steel Diminished half-valved in A and one in B from Seydel, I just ordered one of your new Luckys. Three octaves are a good reason for purchase

[EdvinW]

I was testing it out in Hijaz scale today. As with any other scale, there are only three patterns required to play Hijaz in all 12 keys! I'll lay them out here shortly, in the form of Phrase Maps.

I had a go at making some Phrase Maps as well, and I think they turned out rather pretty
https://cloud.fripost.org/s/zdRxgtEPQ29GBMf

[Gerhard62]

I had a go at making some Phrase Maps as well, and I think they turned out rather pretty
https://cloud.fripost.org/s/zdRxgtEPQ29GBMf

You did, what I want to do
Thanks a lot!!!

[Brendan]

Edvin: Nice, thanks! Phrase Maps are such great little helpers, especially with a symmetrical repeat tuning like Diminished. The same shape can be moved around anywhere!

The only thing I would do differently to put the blow note on the bottom. Since these are graphic representations of pitch, it seems to me more logical to have the lowest note in each hole at the bottom of the grid, with the pitch rising from blow through to drawbend and draw (see attached for an example).

Having the blow note at top is correct in the sense of its physical position on the harmonica, but it's not how you actually hear the phrase/scale. Intuitively I feel I learn faster internalising the shapes if I'm seeing the arrows move as the notes do relative to their pitch.

What do others think?

[EdvinW]

The only thing I would do differently to put the blow note on the bottom. Since these are graphic representations of pitch, it seems to me more logical to have the lowest note in each hole at the bottom of the grid, with the pitch rising from blow through to drawbend and draw (see attached for an example)

I like them the way I posted them, but flipping them is a flick of a button Here's a version like you ask for: https://cloud.fripost.org/s/bAGdij84qWzHsYq

[Brendan]

Thanks Edvin! I saved your flipped version of the Dimi Hijaz Phrase Maps (attached). Great your new tool allows players to select which version they like. Blow note at the bottom feels more logical in musical terms to me, so that's what I'll choose.

Though I haven't used them in the past, I'm finding Phrase Maps really useful for trying out scales etc on Diminished. When looking at them, I'm already finding that I'm subconsciously making the actions in my mouth as I trace the pattern on the grid.

Without a harp it's like silent practice. I could easily see this as a great learning tool when you're on a train or similar situation and can't play a physical harp. You can instead virtually 'play' the phrases in your head by studying these powerful visual representations.

[Brendan]

I posted some interesting recently discovered Diminished harp info, including a wonderful Dimi player and his quirky Phrase Maps, on this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=775&p=3382#p3382