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Help on altered 12 solo tuning

Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2021 3:22 am
by Stiobard
Hi can anyone help me on this tuning just been messing around with it on dm48 and was going to lower the 4th and 8th blow reeds from C to A on a cx12 with bit of solder
C E G A C E G A C E G C
D F A B D F A B D F A B
Don't know if it is an established tuning or not apoliges if it is only new to game and have alot of experimenting to do yet this seems fairly manageable though can get the minor notes in and still have fluidity of solo tuning as using for ballads jigs and reels with guitar anyone using this does it have any limitations any help would be great thanks a mill Stiobard

Re: Help on altered 12 solo tuning

Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2021 7:32 am
by EdvinW
Welcome to the forum!

I don't know if it's an established tuning, though I actually do have one harp tuned like that. I use it mainly for playing Am and Dm tunes. Though they are not the most common Irish keys they do show up now and then, and they are common in some other genera.

I've not tried to play so much major-sounding music on it, so I'm not sure how that works. If you've tried it on your midiharp and it works out you know that better than I.

C major isn't a common key for jigs or reels though, and the common keys of D and G do seem a bit clunky to play on your tuning. If your just playing Irish music by yourself you're fine. Others may put up with your keys for a while, but you should know they are unusual. That's a great advantage of the DM48, that you can easily transpose! Not so easy on a reed harp.

The difference between your tuning and a PowerChromatic is that the latter has each F raised to an F#. This makes the Irish keys much easier to play, but also makes for less fluent Dm play.

I would say go for it! You tuning is sort of half way between Solo and PowerChromatic, and if you find you're missing the keys I talk about you can always continue the conversion all the way to a PC!

Re: Help on altered 12 solo tuning

Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2021 1:15 pm
by Stiobard
Fair play thanks for that edvin will give power chromatic a shot get back the cash i spent on the dm48 does come in handy though have few cx12s will have a go with D and G need dem for learning the tunes play most songs In G third capo in (Bb) songs like dublin rare auld times ferryman etc switch to Am for songs foggy dew and star of County Down few medleys with instrumentals in major and minor in between likes of Kesh masons apron fermoy lasses etc in between have good few in drop D on 1st and 3rd capo aswell torn between 3rd and 4th position on the minor tunes work in progress at the moment getting some sort of system der mite have to use 2 harmonicas :o tuned a special 20 down to easy third found it very good for some tunes but am getting caught out in others like the solo great for major and mixalodyn but tricky on the 2 minors do you know brendan p,s tuning paddy solo seen it mentioned on the forum but not in chart thanks again for v helpfull advice edvin

Re: Help on altered 12 solo tuning

Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2021 2:48 pm
by Brendan
It is a reasonably established tuning for chromatic harmonicas, used by at least a couple of well known players: William Galison and Long Deng Jie. Check them out on YouTube to hear it in action.

It's generally called Major 6th Tuning.

Re: Help on altered 12 solo tuning

Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2021 2:59 pm
by Stiobard
Lovely hurling will get stuck into that thanks a mill brendan much appreciated :)