[Harp-L] Review of the EDharmonica a new tuning by Seydel

[Konstantin Kolesnichenko]

Hello, harp-l!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vh2_0T_v3xc

Hope you like it :)

--
Konstantin Kolesnichenko
http://kolesnichenko-harmonica.com/

[Matthew Bullis]

Ok, so for $30 on Amazon I'm taking a chance. However, the videos online aren't helping with the understanding of what this offers. Since I'm blind, I'm going only on the words used, and apparently the tuning layout is a graphic on the page. Also, the
play.edharmonica.com
site isn't accessible to my screen reading software, since it doesn't use standard web controls, So I can't play any of the lessons. Can anyone explain what notes you get on draw and blow? Is this ten hole or something else? Is the shape very different from a standard ten hole diatonic? I find there are several models past the intro price of $30, but is that because of reed quality and brand name, or because of some added features? Finally, is there just one key available and it's expected that you use this for most tunes, or are they just starting out with this key? The info says play in eight keys. I realize that this is perhaps such a new product that maybe only the original message poster might have this, but if there's any more guidance, I would appreciate it.
Thanks,
Matthew

[Konstantin Kolesnichenko]

Hello Matthew,
It’s a 10 hole harmonica and the shape is standard. EDharmonica’s note
layout (key of C) is:
Blow A C E A C E A C E A
Draw B D G B D G B D G B
With the EDharmonica (key of C) you can play in 8 different keys without
any overblows: C major, A minor, G major, E minor, D major, B minor, F
major, D minor.
On Amazon I find only key of C edharmonica, but it’s absolutely enough to
start with. We can order any different keys at Seydel’s website.


Сб, 6 жовт. 2018, 00:56 користувач Matthew Bullis <matthew...@gmail.com>
пише:

[gnarl...@gmail.com]

>> I am wondering if the $30 harmonica on Amazon is a Seydel? Pretty good deal if it is German made!

[Konstantin Kolesnichenko]

No, it's Eastop in C :)

Сб, 6 жовт. 2018, 17:45 користувач <gnarl...@gmail.com> пише:

[Gary Lehmann]

Hard to go wrong for $30!

Sent from my iPhone

[Brendan Power]

Just for the record, there is nothing 'new' about the ED Harmonica tuning. It's simply the bottom end of Paddy Richter or Melody Maker repeated up the harp - except they start the scale on the A instead of the C.

The website says 'Patent Pending', but I'd be very surprised if a patent were ever granted. Not just because it's an existing tone layout repeated, but also because it's been publicly used and recorded with in the past.

Isacullah has mentioned it on Modern Blues Harmonica, with his own name I can't quite remember - Pentatonic Tuning? I think he's done videos with it also.

I've had a few harps in this tuning in my case for nearly 30 years, and got Richard Sleigh to make me a custom Marine Band version back in the early 90s. It's a very nice harp that I dubbed The Slayer, and still have  

I call the tuning Paddy Richter Extended, and recorded a couple of tracks using it in the XB40 on my 'New Chinese Harmonica' album of 2013. And, incidentally, those harps start the scale on the A note too, which sets a public precedent five years ago for that little variation... You can hear the x-reed version on the first track:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjlIZLiFETg

I'm not knocking the tuning at all - I wouldn't have used it myself if it weren't good! But to try and claim it as something new and even patent-worthy is not just misleading, but also legally and factually false.

[Brendan Power]

On another point: the ED Harmonica project leaders have been very secretive about who they are; there is no mention of any names on their website. Most start-up companies are very proud to name their personnel, but not this one. Why is that, I wonder? 

I discovered the company is based in the Ukraine. Since Konstantin is a well-known Ukranian harmonica player, one assumes he must know the background to this project, and be proud it is based in his country. I wonder if he could tell us if he is involved in the project himself. For example, is it his playing on the demo tracks? If not, who? It's nice playing, it would be good to know the player's name :-)

On Thursday, 4 October 2018 21:47:25 UTC+1, Konstantin Kolesnichenko wrote:

[rex]

Interesting. Looks like it could play A Mixolydian which is useful for some fiddle tunes.

[ROBERT TEMPLE]

I recently got an Easttop EDharp in "C" and I have grown quite curious about what more can be done with this tuning once all obs are set up correctly.  So far, the layout does seem to offer a familiar yet slightly different trail of notes and intervals.  The chords available are of course different than the standard Richter setup though I have learned how to use them here and there.  I am primarily a blues, funk, jazz/blues and sometime reggae player and this harp fits the bill for a lot of the stuff I like to play.  I want to stretch out more in the various jazz idioms and with the option of this tuning, on top of having learned to ob, I now have more tools at my disposal.

I REALLY hope that the Easttop EDharps will soon be available in more keys.  I think it should be available in at least all keys from G3 to maybe as high as Eb4.  Having the extra keys available would br great for those interested in playing tunes written in Ab, Bb, Db and Eb, I think.  The Eb-labeled EDharp would have C as blow one.  I have looked at the tuning from the perspective of the latter reference and when so doing I noticed that the so-called "blues scale"  [tonic, b3, 4, b5, 5, b7, tonic] lays out nicely.  It requires one ob for the b5 [x3] if you look at it from straight-harp perspective.  I will try to attach a chart here so you may examine my idea[s].

Another option that I think might have a lot of potential is to valve the entire drawplate so that one may have both draw AND blow bends holes 1-10.  The valved diatonic is something new to me and I realize it is a totally different approach to chromaticism so I can't really speak to that subject so much but I expect to get into partial valving soon.

I look froward to other folks' thoughts on this great tuning, using obs and/or partial valving or just whole valving.  Exciting times for harp players !  Cheers !!!