Brendan Power & Alternative Harmonicas Forum

In this post: http://www.brendan-power.com/forum/view ... t=50#p1633 , I introduced a new tuning which I have since dubbed “Super-Circular” because it is a variant of Circular/Spiral tuning. In that same post I began to explore the many chord progressions which could be played with Super-Circular. In this post: http://www.brendan-power.com/forum/view ... t=50#p1652 , I listed eight different melodic right-ends that could be grafted onto the Super-Circular left-end. In the following post of: http://www.brendan-power.com/forum/view ... t=50#p1654 , I additionally considered PowerChromatic as a possible melodic right-end. I noted the advantage of this combination fitting into a ten-hole format. I diagrammed and discussed further the Super-Circular/PowerChromatic combination here: http://www.brendan-power.com/forum/view ... t=70#p1848 , this time in the key of Cmajor.

In this post: http://www.brendan-power.com/forum/view ... t=70#p1890 , I considered how one could get such a harp by re-tuning Lucky 13 harps with initial factory tunings of either PowerChromatic or Solo. Those re-tunings are plausible, but by no means quick or easy. I have recently noticed that a Lucky 13 with initial factory tuning of PowerChromatic can be very easily re-tuned to something that is almost Super-Circular.

By foregoing the first chamber of Super-Circular, and the two chords that it would make possible, we can re-tune a Lucky 13 PowerChromatic to become a left-truncated version of Super-Circular. Creating such a harp requires only that the 1 blow and 1 draw of PowerChromatic each be lowered by two semitones.

This pathway of evolution has circled back to something that is very similar to PowerChromatic. What is gained: two chords that would otherwise not appear in PowerChromatic. And among these is the super-important I chord (shown as Cmaj in this example). The I chord is a critical element of 32 of the 44 (or 73%) chord progressions shown here: http://www.brendan-power.com/forum/view ... t=70#p1843 .

download/file.php?mode=view&id=439

When Super-Circular is truncated as in the post above, the vi chord (shown as Amin in this example) loses its root note. We can regain a full triad of the vi chord if we now raise the 6 blow note by two semitones. This change is shown below.

While we are at it, we might also choose to raise the 6 draw note by one semitone (also shown below). This changes one of the 6th notes for the V chord into a dominant 7th note. It also creates a new vii° chord (Bdim).

To summarize: We can start with a Lucky 13 that is factory-tuned in PowerChromatic, and by altering just four reeds, produce the following:

I chord (Cmaj) – NEW
ii chord (Dmin)
iii chord (Emin)
IV chord (Fmaj)
V chord (Gmaj)
Vdom7 (Gmaj7) - NEW
vi chord (Amin) – NEW
bVII chord (Bbmaj) - NEW
vii° chord (Bdim) - NEW

download/file.php?mode=view&id=440

download/file.php?mode=view&id=471

Adding an extra note at the bottom of a PowerChromatic seems reasonable; the lack of a tonic chord always seemed a bit awkward to me.

I wonder though: what "is" the Super-Circular tuning, really? Is it just a certain tuning starting on a certain note in the scale, or is there anything beneath? To me, anything that goes through a diatonic scale without repeating or skipping any notes could be referred to as a circular tuning, how do I tell which tunings are Super-Circular? Is it as simple as "a circular tuning with lowered seventh whenever it occurs as a blow note", and in that case, is it intentional leaving out hole 6 in your second post??

Also, what are the advantages of not having a "proper" circular with a 'b'? (I'm not suggesting "proper" is better, I'm just curious!)

I think I would find an 'a' in 1B to be more useful, as it would give a very full Dm ii chord, which I think I would use more often than the Bb bVII. But on the other hand I never tried a Super-Circular, the chord might be more useful than I imagine.
Edit: I think I see now the usefulness of bVII for playing in the key of Dm or F on a C harp, that is, in 3rd or 12th position. Makes sense! (For playing Dm though I don't think the choice is obvious between letting 1B be an 'a' or a 'bb'. It's a though call, but I prefer the 'bb'.)

EdvinW: I am preparing answers to your excellent questions.

Taking the above idea a little further ....

We can change a few more notes and recast the whole tuning into a more blues-worthy G major context:

download/file.php?mode=view&id=446