Chromatic harmonica tuning
Tue, 11/01/2011 - 15:42
Hi Mr. Yerxa.
I don't want to ask you about solo and alternate tunings, but for the tuning numbers for each pitch in chromatic.
I have layouts for just intonation in marine bands but I don't know nothing about the election I have to make in order to tune my chromatic.
Just intonation or equal temperament?
Pitch deviations?
Thanks in advance.
If you want to play in all keys, equal temperament is the only one that will do this well. Just intonation puts certain chord beautifully in tune while putting other things seriously out of tune - great for first and second position on diatonic, but a bad idea for a chromatic played chromatically.
That said, you can sweeten the fifth intervals (usch as C-G and D-A), as a pure fifth is only two cents sharper than an equal fifth. But this is only worthwhile if you play those combinations as splits. If you play them as single note you won't notice the difference.
Pitch standard is perhaps a more important topic for chromatic. Breath pressure depresses pitch, so most chromatics come tuned sharp. Depending on where you live (USA where pitch is A440, Germany where it's more like 444, etc.) and your personal playing style, you may want to change how your harmonica is tuned relative to prevailing pitch.
For me, living in 440-land, tuning my chromatics to A442 gives me enough of a cushion that I can play without sounding too sharp once I start to really play, but without sounding flat either. Stevie Wonder would sound very flat playing my harps, as he pushes pitch more aggressively; his harps are said to be tuned to something like 446.