Re: [Harp-L] tuner

["Steve Shaw" <moorcot@xxxxxxx>]

You will read an awful lot of guff about this.  First, you need to know what 
harmonica tuning is all about, and the best way to do this is to download 
Pat Missin's superb treatise on this and study it well.  You will find a 
link to this at http://www.patmissin.com/tunings/tunings.html

Second, do not pay a fortune for a tuner.  You can get a little Seiko 
chromatic tuner for £15 or so, don't ask me what that is in bucks but it's 
very few.  Unless you are an ultra-professional you do not need to get every 
reed of your harp to within a cent or a tenth of a cent of "what it should 
be" (whatever that is).  If you don't believe me just try telling your 
guitar man that he's out by a cent and watch the air turn blue.  A cheapie 
tuner will give you a perfectly good idea of where you are apropos tuning.  
I've been out tonight at my session with harps that I've given only the most 
cursory checking-over for weeks and weeks, and (apart from the one with the 
reed that had obviously gone south), they were in tune better than any of 
the mandolins and fiddles, and as for the twelve-string guitar - sheesh!



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