Question about Easy 3rd / Do it!

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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Question about Easy 3rd / Do it!

Post by IaNerd » Tue Jan 07, 2020 4:02 pm

EDharmonica, a.k.a. Extended/Repeated Paddy, is a repeating bank of three holes. The same is true of FourTimes Richter.

Easy 3rd seems to start out like that, but then adds one new note and reverses its breath pattern. Is this irregularity strategic, or simply an artefact of re-tuning from Standard Richter?

Does anyone play a "pure" (regular and repeating) version of Easy 3rd? Any links to such?
Last edited by IaNerd on Wed Jan 08, 2020 2:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.

EdvinW
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Re: Question about Easy 3rd / Do it!

Post by EdvinW » Wed Jan 08, 2020 12:30 pm

A "Regular Easy 3rd" repeating every 3 holes is an interesting idea! I haven't tried it, but it inspires some thoughts: Compared to other tunings, it seems to emphasise overblows rather than bending!

Let's assume a C harp:

Code: Select all

C E G C E G C E G C
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
D F A D F A D F A D
A major drawback of the RE3 is that there are TWO notes missing which cannot be reached by bending, Bb and B. The Bb can be reached with an overblow though.

With the big fat C major chord it's tempting to play in C, and if you're happy with a pentatonic scale this might work. Am could work in the same way, but without so many useful chords. Because of the missing B, however, sharp keys are pretty much of out of the question: you can't even get any sharp pentatonic scales!

If we're playing in natural Dm (or a Dm blues scale) we don't really need the B so this might ok, or even more than ok, as you would get that juicy Dm chord all the way up the top. In a way, it's a very "simple" tuning, as the pattern is short and doesn't require any bends. If we stay in natural Dm, bends would solely be used as ornamentations on the tonic, 3rd and 5th, arguably the most important notes in the scale. I don't know when I'll have time to try it, but it certainly sounds intriguing!

As for the other flat keys they require more overblows (and some bends), and look awkward to play. This tuning appears to be quite a one-key pony :)

PS. It might be nice to shift the entire thing to get in a low A at the bottom:

Code: Select all

G C E G C E G C E G
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
A D F A D F A D F A
What do you think?
Edvin Wedin

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IaNerd
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Re: Question about Easy 3rd / Do it!

Post by IaNerd » Wed Jan 08, 2020 2:26 pm

I just found this: https://youtu.be/u1R-qCXQFMg .

His name is Isaac. Does anyone know his last name? Contact information? I would like to have him participate in this discussion.

At 3:18 in his video he mentions the possibility of a RE3. Or existence? I don't yet know if he has tried one.

When I learn more about this, I will incorporate those ideas into this: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=652#p2828
Last edited by IaNerd on Wed Jan 08, 2020 2:54 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Question about Easy 3rd / Do it!

Post by IaNerd » Wed Jan 08, 2020 2:35 pm

EdvinW said: "If we stay in natural Dm, bends would solely be used as ornamentations on the tonic, 3rd and 5th, arguably the most important notes in the scale."

YES! This is a major design element of Inverted Bebop, discussed here: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=612#p2619

Regarding your "shift" -- I agree there, too. As in the Orchestra version of Solo, I think two octaves with "elbow room" on both sides is generally preferable to three full octaves.

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IaNerd
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Re: Question about Easy 3rd / Do it!

Post by IaNerd » Wed Jan 08, 2020 4:11 pm

From Seydel's website (note, in German, the B natural note is written as H, and B flat is written as B):

Easy 3rd / Do it! (by Dale King)

This tuning is the ideal alternative to play pieces in minor keys, because you can easily play pieces in the third position without the need of intonating the double bends which are needed to play the dorian scale on a standard Richter harmonica! The draw chord becomes the minor chord (D F A D, on a harmonica in C) of the 3rd position instead of major chord (D G H D, on a harmonica in C) of the second position. Believe it or not - this is the most intuitive way to simply play in minor keys. This is not only interesting in a Rock/Blues context but also useful for many Irish Folk pieces which can now be played with a full chord accompaniment! Because of the available chords (d-minor and C-major) the Easy 3rd-variant also could be named "The Reaggae harp";-). Originaly this tuning is based on an idea of Dale King, an American harmonica player, living in Germany.
Seydel makes no mention of a RE3.

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Re: Question about Easy 3rd / Do it!

Post by IaNerd » Wed Jan 08, 2020 7:29 pm

At 2:40 here https://youtu.be/IvUcWkLTq7E Isaac states unequivocally that he does use some form(s) of RE3.

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Brendan
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Re: Question about Easy 3rd / Do it!

Post by Brendan » Wed Jan 08, 2020 9:24 pm

Rick Epping has been playing Irish music to a high level on the standard Easy Third Tuning for many decades. He uses tongue blocking with chord vamping and octaves to get a very full sound. Joel Andersson has adopted Rick's style and extended it further with tongue-switching. It's great for their style of playing.

I'd never tried Easy Third myself, because of that missing 7th note in the bottom octave scale. I remember talking about it with Rick, who felt that he could miss it out or play other notes to keep the character of the tune. Certainly his and Joel's trad playing is excellent, but feeling that 7th was critical was the stimulus for creating Paddy Richter as my preferred option for Irish playing.

However, after spending time with Joel last October and trying one of his harps I appreciated the ease of playing melodies with Easy Third, and decided to input it into my DM48 to mess with it further myself. I did it over all 12 holes, so you actually get virtually 4 octaves range (RE4?). I made it into a Slide Diatonic, so that 7th is available as a slide note (A to B in the key of C).

It's nice but I haven't explored it a lot. This discussion reminds me to have another noodle :)

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Re: Question about Easy 3rd / Do it!

Post by IaNerd » Sat Jan 11, 2020 6:50 pm

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