[Harp-L] Spiral (Circular Tuned) Harps

[Robert Coble]

Although Seydel's key naming convention seems slightly out of kilter for Spiral harps, at least it's consistent.Whatever note is in hole 1 blow is the label for the harp - period.
When I first started investigating Spiral using Seydel harps, I realized that the underlying key is based on hole 2 drawfor the corresponding major scale notes. Using that as the basis, it is then very easy to find the corresponding modes,because there are NO missing notes in the diatonic scale. I personally like the fact that the Seydel design starts on the 5th scale degree in hole 1 blow. There are many times that I can resolve from the V back to the I from below, in additionto resolving down from above.
In the diagram below, the numbers associated with BLOW and DRAW are the scale degrees of the underlying major scale.(If formatting is lost, try copying the diagram into MS Word or similar editing software, and use the Courier New font to align the information. Sorry, I have no control over the presentation font for Harp-L; not a complaint, just the facts.)
BLOW 5 7 2 4 6 1 3 5 7 2HOLE 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10DRAW 6 1 3 5 7 2 4 6 1 3
if you consider hole 2 draw to be the root (tonic) note of a major scale, then the 7 modes are located as follows.
NOTE: "Positions" are referenced against the underlying major scale key, * NOT * to the labelled harp key!
Hole 2 draw (6 blow; 9 draw) = Root note for Ionian (major scale) mode - 1st positionHole 3 blow (6 draw; 10 blow) = Root note for Dorian (minor scale) mode - 3rd positionHole 3 draw (7 blow; 10 draw) = Root note for Phrygian (minor scale) mode - 5th positionHole 4 blow (7 draw) = Root note for Lydian (major scale) mode - 12th positionHole 4 draw (1 blow, 8 blow) = Root note for Mixolydian (major scale) mode - 2nd positionHole 5 blow (1 draw; 8 draw) = Root note for Aeolian (natural minor scale) mode - 4th positionHole 5 draw (2 blow; 9 blow) = Root note for Locrian (diminished scale) mode - 6th position
Chords are readily available, as are some of the missing chromatic (blues) notes. Note that the b3, b5, and b7 notesare available as halftone draw bends on holes 3-4-5, which are much easier to control than on the standard RichterTuning. If you want, you can half-valve to get the remaining chromatic notes, or you can overblow to get them.
As for playing examples and tutorials, you will not find any better than from Robert Hale, the Duke of Wail!
Regards,Crazy Bob

[Robert Hale]

On Sat, Jun 15, 2013 at 10:08 PM, Robert Coble <robert...@hotmail.com>wrote:

> you will not find any better [tutorials] than from Robert Hale, the Duke
> of Wail!


Thank you, Bob!
"Changing the world one spiral-player at a time!" <grin>

Robert Hale
Spiral Advocate
Learn Harmonica by Webcam
Low Rates, High Success
http://www.youtube.com/DUKEofWAIL
http://www.dukeofwail.com
https://www.facebook.com/DUKEofWAIL

[esk...@juno.com]

I am glad to see people advocating and building the Circular or Spiral tuned harps! I'm a former fiddle player, and I play Irish music on the chromatic, and although I began playing blues on a Marine Band in the '60's, I found the Richter Scale so frustrating for American fiddle tunes and Bluegrass that I more or less abandoned it. Then came the "Zirk" (the German abbreviation for Circular, stamped on the side of each harp) , and my life has changed (this is starting to sound like an infomercial). The key naming is pretty confusing, but I think of it in terms of modes (without bends); the key is named for the "five" (or dominant) of your straight diatonic major scale and gives you a Mixolydian scale (with a flatted seventh) which (when you bend the 3rd degree) gives you the standard blues scale. If you figure backwards from the dominant, you get a diatonic (or Ionian) scale with all the notes, and a good draw bend on the important scale tones (including "Do"), and if you move up one note, you get a good Lydian mode (which is actually used quite a bit in Appalachian fiddle music) and the ability to play some good figures over the II chord that shows up in so many tunes. Probably haven't contributed much to clarity, but that's how I think of it. Zirks Rule! -emily
____________________________________________________________
1 Odd spice that FIGHTS diabetes
Can this unusual &#34;super spice&#34; control your blood sugar and fight diabetes&#63
http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/51bf3a161855c3a1508c4st01vuc

[Robert Hale]

On Mon, Jun 17, 2013 at 9:31 AM, esk...@juno.com <esk...@juno.com> wrote:

> I found the Richter Scale so frustrating for American fiddle tunes and
> Bluegrass that I more or less abandoned it.

Thank you Emily!

I came home from a recording session where I could NOT get the celtic
groove fast enough. (Got paid for other tunes, tho)

I began to hear the rapid use of triplet arpeggios, and that's what I
couldn't reproduce on Standard or Melody Maker.

That was my incentive: Never get stumped in the studio again.

Robert Hale
Spiral Advocate
Learn Harmonica by Webcam
Low Rates, High Success
http://www.youtube.com/DUKEofWAIL
http://www.dukeofwail.com
https://www.facebook.com/DUKEofWAIL

--

Robert Hale is the DUKE of WAIL
*________________________*
*
*
*Music Lessons for Adults and Children *
**Harmonica, Steel Guitar, Dobro, Piano Tuner
*Distance Learning via Webcam*
**DUKEofWAIL.com <http://www.dukeofwail.com/>
*480-720-8897*
*
*
<http://www.youtube.com/dukeofwail#p/u/12/jfCJCe_hUMY> Take a Free
Lesson<http://www.youtube.com/dukeofwail#p/u/12/jfCJCe_hUMY>
* <http://www.facebook.com/DUKEofWAIL> *Follow
me<http://www.facebook.com/DUKEofWAIL>

[Eugene Ryan]

>>, you get a good Lydian mode (which is actually used quite a bit in
Appalachian fiddle music) and the ability to play some good figures over
the II chord that shows up in so many tunes.

Hey Emily,

Could you give me the names of some of those tunes? I'd be very interested
in hearing them.

I'm glad this tuning has suited you so well... Richter is great but has
some disadvantages for melody playing.

Thanks,
Eugene

[gnarl...@gmail.com]

It was Irish music that led me to spiral type tunings--still not using full spiral.
Hi Eugene!

Sent on the Sprint� Now Network from my BlackBerry�

[Mund...@aol.com]

Well I live in Scotland just now and there is LOTS of Gaelic music here...
But the only "Irish music" band I have ever played with was "Les Emeralds"
in Calais France... I use my chromatic to play Irish music.
Yes, I went to University in Dublin! A LONG time ago...
Blues wise I used to play harp back in the '60s with Rory Gallagher... Of
course he was a pretty good harp player himself! And an excellent sax player
too.
He was a GREAT musician and a kind and a good person!
I miss him.
John"Whiteboy"Walden
Just now, in bonnie Scotland...
But next week, back in the Republic of the Philippines.
PLAYING MY MOUTH ORGAN!


In a message dated 6/19/2013 2:11:49 P.M. GMT Daylight Time,

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

[rex]

I like cross tuned diatonics also. By cross tuned I mean harps designed to play a major scale in second position. This list includes the Zirk, Country Tuned, Melody Maker, and Major Cross. From draw 2 to hole 6 the Zirk, Melody Maker, and Major Cross are the same. They all work great for Irish Trad, Fiddle Tunes, Country, Gospel, and Old Time. I settled on the Melody Maker layout for three reasons. First, I find the turn around between holes 6 and 7 to be useful for tripletts. You can get three notes with one breath change. Concertinas and some button accordians have the same layout and those ornaments have worked their way into the music over time. Second, it is easy to make a Melody Maker. Just raise three notes. I have all the keys Lee Oskar offers but have made some others. I have a Melody Maker in A (retuned D harp) and also one in Low A (retuned Low D Special 20). I have retuned a Bb Oskar into an F Melody Maker. Also retuned a Golden Melody. Even retuned a Seydel Big Six into a G Melody Maker (never again, stainless is hard to work). Zirks would be too much work to do myself. If I want a Manji or a Crossover in Melody Maker it is no problem. The third reason is I still find Richters useful for certain tunes, especially ones that work better in first position, and it is easy to switch between the Melody Maker and the Richter. If I played Zirks I would play ONLY Zirks. I'm not talented enough to switch between Zirks and Richters. Two thumbs up to those who can. There is a fourth reason but it rarely comes into play. The Melody Maker goes one note lower. I rarely need that note but there are a few tunes that really need it. Ash Grove for instance. You can't move it up an octave and you need the blow 1 in the lower octave. I'm not raining on the Zirk parade here. It's a nice harp. I'd rather play only Zirks than only Richters if forced to choose between those two. 

[Eugene Ryan]

Hi Emily (hey Gary and others too!)

Thanks for your fascinating explanation. I'm always interested in knowing
tunes that demonstrate particular mode usage and your post was very
informative. I don't know much about Appalachian music - they were great
examples.

We have similar things in Irish music but when I looked at a few of the
particular Irish tunes, they appeared to be in G to start with but resolve
to D major using a C# leading tone, not really exhibiting a Lydian feel.
There are may be some real Lydian tunes in Irish music but I'll have to
find them - it seems to be more common in Scandinavian folk music. There
may be similar historical reasons for the C and C# in those particular
Irish tunes (as opposed in the minor tunes switching between Dorian and
Aeolian) but I don't want to speculate on the origin of individual tunes
because the history is hard to trace (and I'm not a musicologist).

Thanks!
Eugene