PowerBender Versus EdHarmonica
Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2018 4:12 pm
I used PowerBender exclusively for the past 2.5 years and it’s been fantastic. I also studied BP’s PowerBender book which was really helpful in learning the tuning. It’s worth the change from Richter.. so much better in my opinion.
That said, I am now switching to the ED tuning full time (which is the same as the Paddy Richter Extended tuning, but starting 1.5 Steps lower).
It was a tough decision for me to make a full switch, but over the past 2.5 years I have a better idea of what I want out of my instrument and what tuning will serve me best. I expect to stick with this one for a lifetime and I’m loving it. Powerbender is now my second favorite tuning. Here are my thoughts (as an intermediate player) on the ED tuning if anyone is interested:
Am/C Layout:
[AB] [CD] [EG] [AB] [CD] [EG] [AB] [CD] [EG] [AB]
- A bit over 3 Octaves (versus 3 for Richter or PB) on a 10 hole where 1/2 tone is lost on the high end (which I rarely use in jam sessions) and 1.5 tones are gained on the bottom (I always desire to go a little bit lower while playing). A C harp, for example, starts on an A and ends on a B. I like the added low notes.
- Consistency from Octave to Octave which is huge for me when it comes to improvising. And so much less to remember when needing to learn what notes are where or different scales. You only need to memorize the patterns for 1 Octave versus 3.
PB has 3 different octave layouts, which can be advantageous in it’s own way (different style of playing on each octave makes it interesting/flexible, but much more complicated, especially when improvising). It’s like having to play 3 dofferent instruments at the same time when purely improvising amd wanting to repeat patterns from different octaves. On the otherhand, any “muddyness” in one octave of ED, extends to all octaves (like playing key of Bb on a C harp). Like I said, plus or minus, but far more plus than minus for me.
- 10 out of 12 Notes available per Octave with only draw bends needed. The other 2 notes can be obtained via Overblows. (Similar to PB)
- Most frequently used notes are generally available without bending (Like PB).
- Infrequent notes (the two missing) require Overblowing (like PB)
- Same Breath Pattern throughout and draw bends on every hole (like PB)
- Contains rich double bends but avoids the tricky 3 hole triple bend on hole 3, PB. I guess this is a plus or minus depending on the person. Plus for me since 3 is half a tone too much to control precisely without years of training. I also don’t like the double bend on hole 10 of PB - very hard to control..
- No duplicate notes in an Octave. PB has duplicate 2D/3B hole and 4D/5B hole. It’s useful, but I prefer simplicity over the usefulness in this case. One path to master rather than several.
- 4 Major and 4 Minor Scales with only draw bends. On a C harp: F, C, G and D + their relative minors.
- 6 Major Pentatonic, 6 Minor Pentatonic and 3 Blues Scale with only draw bends. Super! (On a C harp: Bb,F,C,G,D,A amd their relative minors). I only need 5 Maj/Min Pentatonic scales and both PB and ED has them so I call this a draw.
- 14 4-hole Octaves Splits no matter where you are in the harp! Awesome! I love octaves and this is loaded with them. This is a huge advantage for me over PB, which has only 8 Octaves, and some are four hole while others are 5 hole splits. I’m a TBer and I love Octaves more than Chords. PB has more chords, but I don’t find any of then above the first octave that useful. It’s also so easy to mive from one octave to another since they are equal distant apart.
- Numerous Double Stops, 3 hole and 5 hole splits. 3 hole and 5 hole splits are not a big deal to me, but I like the double stops everywhere.
- VI Minor Chord everywhere on blows. V Major Chord everywhere on Draw. At the moment, I like having a minor chord on the top and major on the bottom. A nice balance between happy and sad.. or so it seems. PB is classic Richter here. I call this a draw at the moment.
It’s cake for me, but I wouldn’t say it’s for everyone. The ED is a Pentatonic machine that can also play the blues and, in my opinion, it really excels as a Pentatonic instrument. It feels like a nice balance between simplicity and complexity without going too far in either direction.
Powerbender feels more like like an evolution of Richter and is especially great in 2nd position, where as ED feels more like a Pentatonic Machine that feel more like other modern instruments with consistent octaves.
I like to play pentatonic scales, with other notes as flavors, in different positions and ED seems better suited for that. My way of playing is to own 3 harps (A,Ab, and G), learn 5 Major & 5 Minor Pentatonic Scales on each so i can play all 24 keys with just those 3 (I travel minimally with a 20L backpack and don’t want to carry so many harps on my travel). PB can work in the same way with 3 harps.
I’ve explored a few tunings (Richter, PowerBender - my other favorite) and researched several (diminished, augmented, circular, solo, Richter Extended, etc), but nothing feels like it hits all the marks for what I’m looking for like the ED does. PB is a beautiful tuning and it works for the way I play, but ED fits me better. It’s my exclusive tuning going forward and I’m rapidly adjusting to it because of it’s simplicity and flowfulness.
That said, I am now switching to the ED tuning full time (which is the same as the Paddy Richter Extended tuning, but starting 1.5 Steps lower).
It was a tough decision for me to make a full switch, but over the past 2.5 years I have a better idea of what I want out of my instrument and what tuning will serve me best. I expect to stick with this one for a lifetime and I’m loving it. Powerbender is now my second favorite tuning. Here are my thoughts (as an intermediate player) on the ED tuning if anyone is interested:
Am/C Layout:
[AB] [CD] [EG] [AB] [CD] [EG] [AB] [CD] [EG] [AB]
- A bit over 3 Octaves (versus 3 for Richter or PB) on a 10 hole where 1/2 tone is lost on the high end (which I rarely use in jam sessions) and 1.5 tones are gained on the bottom (I always desire to go a little bit lower while playing). A C harp, for example, starts on an A and ends on a B. I like the added low notes.
- Consistency from Octave to Octave which is huge for me when it comes to improvising. And so much less to remember when needing to learn what notes are where or different scales. You only need to memorize the patterns for 1 Octave versus 3.
PB has 3 different octave layouts, which can be advantageous in it’s own way (different style of playing on each octave makes it interesting/flexible, but much more complicated, especially when improvising). It’s like having to play 3 dofferent instruments at the same time when purely improvising amd wanting to repeat patterns from different octaves. On the otherhand, any “muddyness” in one octave of ED, extends to all octaves (like playing key of Bb on a C harp). Like I said, plus or minus, but far more plus than minus for me.
- 10 out of 12 Notes available per Octave with only draw bends needed. The other 2 notes can be obtained via Overblows. (Similar to PB)
- Most frequently used notes are generally available without bending (Like PB).
- Infrequent notes (the two missing) require Overblowing (like PB)
- Same Breath Pattern throughout and draw bends on every hole (like PB)
- Contains rich double bends but avoids the tricky 3 hole triple bend on hole 3, PB. I guess this is a plus or minus depending on the person. Plus for me since 3 is half a tone too much to control precisely without years of training. I also don’t like the double bend on hole 10 of PB - very hard to control..
- No duplicate notes in an Octave. PB has duplicate 2D/3B hole and 4D/5B hole. It’s useful, but I prefer simplicity over the usefulness in this case. One path to master rather than several.
- 4 Major and 4 Minor Scales with only draw bends. On a C harp: F, C, G and D + their relative minors.
- 6 Major Pentatonic, 6 Minor Pentatonic and 3 Blues Scale with only draw bends. Super! (On a C harp: Bb,F,C,G,D,A amd their relative minors). I only need 5 Maj/Min Pentatonic scales and both PB and ED has them so I call this a draw.
- 14 4-hole Octaves Splits no matter where you are in the harp! Awesome! I love octaves and this is loaded with them. This is a huge advantage for me over PB, which has only 8 Octaves, and some are four hole while others are 5 hole splits. I’m a TBer and I love Octaves more than Chords. PB has more chords, but I don’t find any of then above the first octave that useful. It’s also so easy to mive from one octave to another since they are equal distant apart.
- Numerous Double Stops, 3 hole and 5 hole splits. 3 hole and 5 hole splits are not a big deal to me, but I like the double stops everywhere.
- VI Minor Chord everywhere on blows. V Major Chord everywhere on Draw. At the moment, I like having a minor chord on the top and major on the bottom. A nice balance between happy and sad.. or so it seems. PB is classic Richter here. I call this a draw at the moment.
It’s cake for me, but I wouldn’t say it’s for everyone. The ED is a Pentatonic machine that can also play the blues and, in my opinion, it really excels as a Pentatonic instrument. It feels like a nice balance between simplicity and complexity without going too far in either direction.
Powerbender feels more like like an evolution of Richter and is especially great in 2nd position, where as ED feels more like a Pentatonic Machine that feel more like other modern instruments with consistent octaves.
I like to play pentatonic scales, with other notes as flavors, in different positions and ED seems better suited for that. My way of playing is to own 3 harps (A,Ab, and G), learn 5 Major & 5 Minor Pentatonic Scales on each so i can play all 24 keys with just those 3 (I travel minimally with a 20L backpack and don’t want to carry so many harps on my travel). PB can work in the same way with 3 harps.
I’ve explored a few tunings (Richter, PowerBender - my other favorite) and researched several (diminished, augmented, circular, solo, Richter Extended, etc), but nothing feels like it hits all the marks for what I’m looking for like the ED does. PB is a beautiful tuning and it works for the way I play, but ED fits me better. It’s my exclusive tuning going forward and I’m rapidly adjusting to it because of it’s simplicity and flowfulness.