Paddy richter slide diatonic creation

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jimbo
Posts: 14
Joined: Tue May 14, 2019 10:09 pm

Paddy richter slide diatonic creation

Post by jimbo » Sun Jun 02, 2019 1:41 pm

Hello Brendan!
I m very interested by creating a Paddy richter slide diatonic 10 holes by using the switch harp!
Do you think that it might work
I want one in G and one in D
Could you confirm my theory
Buying one switch harp and 4 harps
One in G and retune the 3 blow and the second harp is a A wich retune to fill the G major scale
And doing the same with a D harp and a E harp?
Is it all right? Will the sound and the airtigh will be good?
Does it will be like the old Paddy richter slide diatonic 10 hole?
Thanks Brendan

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

Re: Paddy richter slide diatonic creation

Post by EdvinW » Sun Jun 02, 2019 2:48 pm

I cannot answer your questions about the particular hardware, airtightness etc., but your plan for the tuning looks right :)

To make the G slide diatonic (SD), you just raise 3B on the G harp one full step from standard Richter, and the modification of the A harp isn't too difficult either:

Code: Select all

Difference in half steps:  0 -1 +2  0 -1  0  0 -1  0  0
New SD blow notes:         a  c  f# a  c  e  a  c  e  a
Original blow notes:       a  c# e  a  c# e  a  c# e  a
			   
Hole:                      1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10

Original draw notes:       b  e  g  b  d  f# g# b  d  f#
New SD draw notes:         b  e  g  b  d  f# g  b  d  f#
Difference in half steps:  0  0  0  0  0  0 -1  0  0  0
All in all, to make one slide diatonic you need to raise two notes one full step, and lower four notes one half step.

The finished tuning looks like this:

Code: Select all

Blow: Slide in:  a  c  f# a  c  e  a  c  e  a
      Slide out: g  b  e  g  b  d  g  b  d  g
                 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10
Draw: Slide out: a  d  f# a  c  e  f# a  c  e
      Slide in:  b  e  g  b  d  f# g  b  d  f#
To make the D SD you use the same differences as above, so that you lower 2B, 5B, 7D and 8B on the E harp one half step, and raise 3B on both the D harp and the E harp one full step.

Happy harpin'!
Edvin Wedin

jimbo
Posts: 14
Joined: Tue May 14, 2019 10:09 pm

Re: Paddy richter slide diatonic creation

Post by jimbo » Mon Jun 03, 2019 7:46 am

Thanks you very much!

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Brendan
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Re: Paddy richter slide diatonic creation

Post by Brendan » Sun Jun 16, 2019 10:56 am

Sorry for the delayed reply Jimbo. Thanks to Edvin for the accurate tuning advice.

On the D version: high key Switch-Harps suffer from the dreaded Helmholtz Resonance Coupling phenomenon, which makes the upper octave reeds go significantly flat. If you're playing in the lower two octaves it will be fine, but if you want to use the upper octave you'll need to tune reeds higher to compensate.

I have done a video on it, see the Switch-Harp page:
http://www.brendan-power.com/harmonicas ... atonic.php

Most Irish tunes don't go above the B note on hole 6 draw of a D harp, so it's not a big deal for your purposes.

Mathys
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2018 11:05 pm

Re: Paddy richter slide diatonic creation

Post by Mathys » Mon Jun 17, 2019 7:15 am

Thank you Brendan!

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