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Bluesy slide-harp tuning

Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2020 4:58 pm
by IaNerd
In the spirit of author Philip K. Dick ...

What if a half-valved slide-harp dreams about being a blues harp?

Re: Bluesy slide-harp tuning

Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2020 4:33 pm
by IaNerd

Re: Bluesy slide-harp tuning

Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2020 4:54 pm
by IaNerd
Allow me to break this down ...

As they are labeled above, the 1 through 10 blow notes are identical to what would be in a C major harp in standard Richter tuning. As such, they make a C major (IV) chord all the way through.

The 1 through 5 draw notes are also identical to standard Richter. Holes 0 through 4 make a G major (I) chord. To the right of this, we have nearly Richter but with the As removed. So from the 3 blow onward we have an implied G major chord with opportunities to include the b7 F note.

Pushing the slider in drops each of the slide-out draw notes of holes 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9 and 10 to what would have been their respective draw-bends to the next lower blues scale note. The bright blue highlighting and the color-filled columns help to illustrate this.

The oscillating in/out slider actions for 2 blow, 5 blow, 8 blow, 11 blow, 5 draw, 8 draw and 11 draw emulate warbles between their native slide-out notes and their respective partners to the left. The magenta arrows and text boxes help to illustrate this.

The slider actions of the blow layer's holes 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9 and 10 all have the effect of transitioning between each of those slide-out notes to the next lower blues scale note.

Re: Bluesy slide-harp tuning

Posted: Sun Jan 26, 2020 5:04 pm
by IaNerd
Another possibility is to have the slider transition some of the blow notes to what--in full Richter tuning--would have been their respective blow bends or overblows.

I invite your thoughts on how to tweak this general concept.

Re: Bluesy slide-harp tuning

Posted: Mon Jan 27, 2020 1:35 am
by CrawfordEs
I use a pair of half valved Paddy Richter harmonicas in a switch harp, the slider drops most notes a semitone so it is close to what you describe. There are some neat effects that can be done. Play a note, bend it, push the button but keep bending, then go back. Depending on the hole you can get a nice “push”.

Re: Bluesy slide-harp tuning

Posted: Sun May 08, 2022 1:21 am
by IaNerd
See a related discussion of mine here: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=876&p=3921#p3920