[Harp-L] re: Fourkey (and other altered tunings)



Jazzmaan writes:

"(3) A question: What is a "Diatonic" harp? Is the Fourkey a diatonic harp? "

Yes. It would need at least twelve notes per octave to be considered chromatic (this has been done on a Richter-harp, or at least on the similar to Richter in usage All-American Bakelite). The Fourkey tuning has more notes available than most other tunings (German Major Diatonic, Melody Maker, Natural Minor, etc...) but that does not make it a chromatic instrument.

" I think that term doesn't do justice to the Fourkey. Sure it can play diatonic scales. But it can also play a complete chromatic scale without resort to overdraws or overblows and just two ordinary draw bends in a 12 note chromatic scale."

Bends have essentially the same issues in terms of differences in timbre, articulation and pitch control as overblows/draws. You may only have two bends as accidentals and the other notes as naturals available in the Fourkey, but that doesn't mean those two notes are any less problematic than they would be in any other tuning. You would still have to choose key, position and the like in order to avoid or exploit that difference as with most other diatonic tunings.

" I'm searching for the appropriate term to include all "short harps" including Richter and all other alternate tunings. I'm thinking "10/20 harp" is a better descriptor. 10 holes/20 reeds. Any other ideas?"

Richter is the appropriate term for the instrument, IMO, but not the tuning, thus my suggestion of German Major Diatonic (GMD). Richter was originally used to denote the construction of the instrument and not the tuning (notably, most diatonic harmonica types have used this same tuning layout, whether Richter, Wiener, Knittlinger or other). Richter has transformed itself into being a catch-all for the tuning as well, which ends up leading to oxymorons, a Richter tremolo for instance.

"(4) What does it take to convince some of you harp-l people to give the Fourkey a try?"

Most people here won't even try natural Minor or Country tuned. And those take essentially no relearning. So the odds that they want to try something as truly different as Fourkey would seem very slim indeed.




()() JR "Bulldogge" Ross () () `----'






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