Re-tuning EDHarmonica to a harmonic/melodic blues tool

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!
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IaNerd
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Re-tuning EDHarmonica to a harmonic/melodic blues tool

Post by IaNerd » Mon Mar 22, 2021 8:16 pm

Fourteen months ago I was experimenting with re-tunings of EDHarmonica -- which could arguably be called Regular/Repeating Paddy Richter. Today I extended that topic here: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=652#p3516

Then it occurred to me that that re-tuning -- shown again in the upper diagram below -- could be tweaked to become a hybrid of inverted Richter and Am/Gm. This latter part might be a new tuning in and of itself.

In this instance I am using the term "inverted" not in the "harmonica" sense of switching the blow and draw layers. Rather, I here mean "inverted" in the general musical sense of rearranging the notes of a chord. Note how, in the lower diagram below, the first three holes are akin to hole 3 and then holes 1-2 of standard Richter tuning.

So what results is a harp which starts out with a lovely C-blow chord over a G-draw chord (albeit inverted), which transitions smoothly into a repeating A minor chord in the blow layer and a G minor chord in the draw layer. This Am/Gm combination gives us a G minor pentatonic blues scale with just one draw-bend required (the D to C#). It also gives us a G minor hexatonic blues scale when we additionally draw-bend the G to an F.

As a re-tuning, this should be pretty easy provided the 1 blow doesn't start to rattle. Just four reeds to re-tune ... three of them by just one semitone!

The Easttop EDHArmonica model can be had for under 30USD; to my knowledge, there is only one key available. The Seydel Session Steel version currently runs about 80USD and at that price can be had in any of twelve keys. The Seydel 1847 Classic version is about 110USD, and can also be had in any of twelve keys.

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