Introducing the Wedin Chromatic – folk music ornaments in many keys
Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2021 10:12 pm
I've been using a rather different kind of tuning for chromatic harmonica for a few years now. For years I had been looking for a harmonica that lets me convincingly play minor Swedish folk tunes with diatonic ornamentations. After finding this tuning I haven't bought or built a slide-harp tuned any other way. I thought someone might find it interesting, so I decided to finally get off my behind and share it.
Instead of going into the technicalities of the tuning (that's a later post!), I thought I'd start at the other end and first share a couple of short sound clips to show what it can do. I'll just say that the tuning is fully chromatic and repeats every 4 holes to give a range of 3 octaves in a 12-hole harmonica. All the tunes are played using the same harmonica. It doesn't require any modifications and can be played out of the box if bought custom tuned from Seydel.
So here we go!
Only two patterns are required to play 8 easy and flowing major pentatonic scales: Eb, Bb, F, C, G, D, A, and E. Their relative minor pentatonic scales are Cm, Gm, Dm, Am, Em, Bm, Fm# and C#m. In the following clip I use exactly the same pattern four times to play a simple Irish tune in four keys, starting in Bm.
https://cloud.fripost.org/s/qnrkBskDjYs5xcc
The tuning has 6 "home key signatures": Bb, F, C, G, D and A. Within these major keys and their related modes, diatonic decorations such as trills are easy to add at evrey note in the scale. The following clip is played in Bm, but the tune can be played just as well, using almost the same pattern in Gm and Am. (Dm and Em are just as nice and easy using a different pattern, and F#m is not too bad for this tune either.)
https://cloud.fripost.org/s/2Rx8tef4zxb7GSE
In several minor keys (especially Gm, Dm and Am which are important in Swedish folk music) tunes where the sevenths and/or sixths are major are not any harder to play or ornament than tunes in natural minor. The tune in the following short clip follows a Dm scale with major sixth and major seventh.
https://cloud.fripost.org/s/DCzYi4nHkidK5tq
Many Swedish tunes have notes all over the place. The following clip shows a tune in Am where the third, sixth and seventh change several times. I also like to play this tune in Gm and Dm, and the different keys offer slightly different opportunities for ornamentations.
https://cloud.fripost.org/s/ydd8BtWJAkfYsaA
I conclude with another example of a tune with a lot of accidentals, this time in Gm.
https://cloud.fripost.org/s/HinGGEfCxCfYS68
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I do own a standard solo tuned chromatic, but I must admit I don't play it much. My impression though, is that the things I've demonstrated are rather hard to reproduce on a standard chromatic. Solo tuning has a bunch of easy pentatonic scales, but they are fewer and require more diverse patterns. Diatonic ornaments can be made easier by using a slide diatonic, but that strategy gets harder when tunes start to modulate and incorporate accidentals. Of course there are people who put in many years of hard work and can play anything, but I don't know of any chromatic tuning where playing melodies with diatonic ornaments is easy in many keys.
So what do you all think? Any input is very welcome! I've tried other tunings for chromatic harmonicas, but this was the first one I liked enough to start playing the chrom regularly. This likely means I'm biased, so a fresh pair of eyes (and ears) would be helpful
Instead of going into the technicalities of the tuning (that's a later post!), I thought I'd start at the other end and first share a couple of short sound clips to show what it can do. I'll just say that the tuning is fully chromatic and repeats every 4 holes to give a range of 3 octaves in a 12-hole harmonica. All the tunes are played using the same harmonica. It doesn't require any modifications and can be played out of the box if bought custom tuned from Seydel.
So here we go!
Only two patterns are required to play 8 easy and flowing major pentatonic scales: Eb, Bb, F, C, G, D, A, and E. Their relative minor pentatonic scales are Cm, Gm, Dm, Am, Em, Bm, Fm# and C#m. In the following clip I use exactly the same pattern four times to play a simple Irish tune in four keys, starting in Bm.
https://cloud.fripost.org/s/qnrkBskDjYs5xcc
The tuning has 6 "home key signatures": Bb, F, C, G, D and A. Within these major keys and their related modes, diatonic decorations such as trills are easy to add at evrey note in the scale. The following clip is played in Bm, but the tune can be played just as well, using almost the same pattern in Gm and Am. (Dm and Em are just as nice and easy using a different pattern, and F#m is not too bad for this tune either.)
https://cloud.fripost.org/s/2Rx8tef4zxb7GSE
In several minor keys (especially Gm, Dm and Am which are important in Swedish folk music) tunes where the sevenths and/or sixths are major are not any harder to play or ornament than tunes in natural minor. The tune in the following short clip follows a Dm scale with major sixth and major seventh.
https://cloud.fripost.org/s/DCzYi4nHkidK5tq
Many Swedish tunes have notes all over the place. The following clip shows a tune in Am where the third, sixth and seventh change several times. I also like to play this tune in Gm and Dm, and the different keys offer slightly different opportunities for ornamentations.
https://cloud.fripost.org/s/ydd8BtWJAkfYsaA
I conclude with another example of a tune with a lot of accidentals, this time in Gm.
https://cloud.fripost.org/s/HinGGEfCxCfYS68
---
I do own a standard solo tuned chromatic, but I must admit I don't play it much. My impression though, is that the things I've demonstrated are rather hard to reproduce on a standard chromatic. Solo tuning has a bunch of easy pentatonic scales, but they are fewer and require more diverse patterns. Diatonic ornaments can be made easier by using a slide diatonic, but that strategy gets harder when tunes start to modulate and incorporate accidentals. Of course there are people who put in many years of hard work and can play anything, but I don't know of any chromatic tuning where playing melodies with diatonic ornaments is easy in many keys.
So what do you all think? Any input is very welcome! I've tried other tunings for chromatic harmonicas, but this was the first one I liked enough to start playing the chrom regularly. This likely means I'm biased, so a fresh pair of eyes (and ears) would be helpful