Tuning of harmonicaMD ?

Anything apart from the two mainstream default harmonicas (Solo-tuned fully-valved chromatic, and un-valved Richter 10-hole diatonic). Alternate tunings, different construction, new functionality, interesting old designs, wishful-thinking... whatever!
Post Reply
User avatar
IaNerd
Posts: 588
Joined: Thu Aug 10, 2017 6:42 pm
Location: Iowa, USA

Tuning of harmonicaMD ?

Post by IaNerd » Sun Mar 14, 2021 8:37 pm

Do any of you know the exact tuning of Seydel's medicalMD harp? I find the chord diagram confusing. My best guess is:
Blow: E F A C D --- F D G B E
Draw: B C E G A --- C A D B F
SchamanCard-back.jpg
SchamanCard-back.jpg (247.37 KiB) Viewed 6076 times

EdvinW
Posts: 259
Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2018 6:02 pm
Location: Sweden

Re: Tuning of harmonicaMD ?

Post by EdvinW » Sun Mar 14, 2021 10:35 pm

This is a tricky one...

I don't think there's actually any minor chords there. I've gone through a bunch of videos without hearing any.

To find the actual notes, I ran the following clip through my spectrum analyser (a.k.a. girlfriend with a really good ear): https://youtu.be/PrO_JqswsYI

The C chord seems to be G C E G, not using a presumed Bb at the top.

In both the F and the G chord, the lowest note sounding is the third of the chord. The G chord also has an additional third at the top, and sometimes the F might have a seventh.

I trust what I say above to be true, but what follows will be guessing. I would suggest

Code: Select all

F A C F Eb   B D  G B A
1 2 3 4 5    6 7  8 9 10
G C E G Bb  (D F# A D C)
where the flat notes in hole 5 are both a step below those in hole 4. The D chord is pure conjecture, based on the fact that the first holes seem to prefer close gaps between blow and draw.

I don't know what "band chords" means. Could it simply be suggesting that if the score says Am7 you draw on the left, etc?
Edvin Wedin

Alan
Posts: 34
Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2017 3:17 pm

Re: Tuning of harmonicaMD ?

Post by Alan » Mon Mar 22, 2021 10:22 am

The tuning is:

Blow: FACFEb GBD GF
Draw: GCEGBb ADF#AC

So the 5th blow note in each section is a whole step lower than the 4th note.

Putting it in scale degrees, the blow chord is 13517b the draw chords are 51357b

I think the meaning of the Band chord is just that if the band or the music chart has any of those three chords on it, this is the section to play at that time. You don't have the root note for the minor 7ths, but you get the 357b for those.

User avatar
IaNerd
Posts: 588
Joined: Thu Aug 10, 2017 6:42 pm
Location: Iowa, USA

Re: Tuning of harmonicaMD ?

Post by IaNerd » Mon Mar 22, 2021 10:59 am

Thanks to Edvin and Alan.

It does sound nice.

By the way, at one time Seydel told me that they could custom-tune this 5+5 harp "off menu" , i.e. it is not part of their Configurator.

User avatar
triona
Posts: 373
Joined: Thu Mar 30, 2017 3:24 pm
Location: Aue / Germany

Re: Tuning of harmonicaMD ?

Post by triona » Tue Mar 23, 2021 2:14 pm

I saw this just now.
Mine has the same as Alan's, verified by my tuner:

blow: F3 A3 C4 F4 Eb4 - G3 B3 D4 G4 F4
draw: G3 C4 E4 G4 Bb4 - A3 D4 F#4 A4 C5


dear greetings
triona
Aw, Thou beloved, do hearken to the Banshee's lonely croon!
sinn féin - ça ira !
Cad é sin do'n té sin nach mbaineann sin dó


https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1yI3H ... 9ktgzTR2qg

Post Reply