Request help with terminology

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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Request help with terminology

Post by IaNerd » Mon Sep 27, 2021 7:21 pm

Consider the following:

Case 1:
Blow: D F A C
Draw: C E G B

Case 2:
Blow: B D F A
Draw: C E G B

I think I have been using the term "inverted" for both of these kinds of tunings. Case 1 could be considered "inverted" because each blow is higher than its respective draw. Case 2 could be considered "inverted" because the tonic is in the draw layer.

I think it would be best not to conflate these two meanings by using the same term. Maybe there is already a convention for naming these and I have simply been sloppy all this time.

Can you help?

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Brendan
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Re: Request help with terminology

Post by Brendan » Tue Sep 28, 2021 12:30 am

Personally I think of it as Case 2. I came up with the name "Inverted Solo Tuning" after discovering that I had it lurking in my Slide-Diatonic harmonicas all along - just slightly altered. Basically it's the same key scale, but with the breath directions reversed.

Here's the version in key of C I use in my Slide-Diatonics. It's not a pure Inverted Solo scale because it's altered slightly for use in Irish music. It gives me doubled C and D notes, which I find very useful because they are adjacent to the fifths below

Code: Select all

CB  CD  EF  GA  CB  CD  
dc  de  fg  ac  dc  de
The optimal full Inverted Solo Tuning (eg. for use in a diatonic harmonica as the main scale) is this:

Code: Select all

BC  DE  FG  AC  BC  DE....
Since it's for playing in C, it gives all the main notes 1st/3rd/5th as expressive bendable draw notes, as well as the adjacent fifth/tonic with the doubled C.

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triona
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Re: Request help with terminology

Post by triona » Tue Sep 28, 2021 12:54 am

I exchanged the upper and the bottom reed plates of a standard Richter harmonica, just as an experiment. The tone layout of each reed plate remained the same. Air direction changed from blow to draw and vice versa. Bending, overblow and overdraw changed fundamentally. The latter I did not yet check out completely.

I don't know how to call this. :lol: But I suppose it could be rated as a third kind of "Inversion". And it gives a very interesting new feeling of playing, especially when playing full chords. :ugeek:


dear greetings
triona
Last edited by triona on Tue Sep 28, 2021 9:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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EdvinW
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Re: Request help with terminology

Post by EdvinW » Tue Sep 28, 2021 2:02 pm

How about saying the top four holes of Richter are blow-high, while the first six are draw-high?

Otherwise, you could consider the breathing pattern of the first six holes regular, while the top four are flipped. How about that?

Inversion is already used, not only for Brendan's Inverted Solo, but also when concerning inverted chords, like Triona mentions. I'd prefer not to include more meanings.
Edvin Wedin

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