[Harp-L] Really excited about my diminished harp!

[Michael Rubin <rubinmichael@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I got a Low F# Diminished at SPAH!  It is incredible.  Normally I only like special tunings for the chordal possibilities, but this harp has won me over.
   
  The blow notes are all the notes in a F# fully diminished chord F# A C D#
  Then it repeats itself and the last two holes are F# and A.
   
  The draw notes are all the notes in a G# fully diminished chord G# B D F, then it repeats itself and the last two holes are G# and B.
   
  Every draw note (all 10 holes) can be bent 1/2 step creating a G fully diminished chord, G Bb Db E.
   
  So it looks like this:
   
  Blow             F#    A    C     D#   F#   A    C    D#   F#    A
  Holes            1      2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10
  Draw            G#    B    D     F     G#  B     D    F     G#    B
  Drawbends   G      Bb  Db   E     G    Bb   Db  E     G      Bb
   
  Considering that every fully diminished chord can actually be thought of as a voicing of 4 different fully diminished chord, this harp can play 8 fully diminished chords and arpeggiate one more.  (I don't really consider bending 4 notes at once to be a sound worthy of recording if a producer said to play a G fully diminshed chord.  I might buy a low G diminished harp.)
   
  Looking at the harp, it becomes clear that it is fully chromatic.  Breaking down movement into two basic forms of half steps and whole steps, there are very limited conceptual movements on this harp.  
   
  If one is on a blow note and wishes to move up a half step, he would stay on the same hole and draw bend.  If one was on the bent note he would move up a half step by  playing the draw note.  If one were on the draw note he would move up a half step by moving one hole to the right and blowing.
   
  If one is on a blow note and wishes to move up a whole step, draw.  If one is on a bent note and wishes to move up a whole step, move one hole to the right and blow.  If one is on a draw note, move one hole to the right and draw bend.
   
  Totally logical!  Fully chromatic without the sounds of overblowing or valves.  If only they made one that goes 3 full octaves, it would be cool!  Maybe they do.
   
  I spent a minute with it at SPAH and didn't understand it.  I spent 5 minutes today undertsanding the above, played the 12 major scales and turned on different styles of music and was jamming right away!
   
  Michael Rubin
  Michaelrubinharmonica.com