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The new Wedin tuning for chromatic. Regular scales in many keys! And ornaments!

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Edvin:
When I play the chromatic I use a tuning that's quite a bit different from the others. I've been using it since I picked up the chrom a few fears ago, and I think it's high time I'd to share this tuning with the SlideMeister community! I hope someone will find it interesting  :)

I suppose the tuning could be summarised as follows: Many comfortable keys, with regular breathing patterns and easy diatonic ornaments.

In an attempt to avoid immediately scaring people away with the tuning diagram, I thought I'd first show you what it does. I'm no virtuoso, but hopefully the clips give some idea of its potential. Listen to all of them or just the ones that seem interesting.

So. Here goes.

Pentatonic scales in most keys can be played with only two patterns. In the following clip I use a single breathing pattern to play a simple Irish melody in 4 keys, using the slider only to change between keys. A similar pattern gives 4 more keys, so in total 8 out of 12 key signatures have simple pentatonic scales that don't require the slider!

https://cloud.fripost.org/s/qnrkBskDjYs5xcc (Files are hosted at a server I'm a member of, no fishy "free-storage" site ;))

6 of these 8 key signatures allow you to regularly expand the pentatonic scales to full diatonic scales, without requiring awkward slider work. Thus, when playing by ear, it's very possible not to know what key you're in. In fact, in these 6 key signatures, there are easy diatonic ornaments (like trills) on every note! The effect might not be quite as extreme as with Brendan Power's slide diatonics, but you get it in 6 key signatures (each with major, minor, Dorian, Mixolydic etc modes!) and you have all chromatic notes for accidentals! The following clip demonstrates this with a Swedish tune in natural Bm, but it could be played just as well in Gm, Dm, Am or Em.

https://cloud.fripost.org/s/2Rx8tef4zxb7GSE

The real advantage, and my main motivation for developing this tuning, is that it facilitates playing ornaments in tunes that don't conform to standard major or natural minor scales.

In this clip I play a Swedish tune in Am where the third, the sixth and the seventh alternates between minor and major:

https://cloud.fripost.org/s/ydd8BtWJAkfYsaA

The following clip is a short doodle in the D Hijaz scale (D Eb F# G A Bb C D), to show that it might work reasonably for Middle Eastern music as well.

https://cloud.fripost.org/s/pb9kizTrZPcSd5q

Here's one more clip in Swedish (last one, promise!), this time in D melodic minor (D E F G A B C# D). I'm happy with this one.

https://cloud.fripost.org/s/DCzYi4nHkidK5tq

Finally, for reference, here's a longer clip (1:43) where I play the same short piece from an Irish melody in all 6 good keys using the same articulations. (as oppose to the others, this one's in major!)

https://cloud.fripost.org/s/ZL7rC7FLp8sYKje

And before anyone asks: Yes, it has the same range as Solo tuning. And yes, it has repeating octaves :)

Another post with a tuning diagram will follow shortly. Stay tuned!

streetlegal:
It's been a while since we've had a new alternate tuning system for chromatic posted here. So I'm looking forward to studying your diagram Edvin 8).

Grizzly:
Okay, I'm hooked. Sort of. Let's see the chart, so I (we) can determine whether retuning a solo tuned harmonica is feasible.

Tom

John Broecker:
Yes, I'm also waiting for the note placement chart.

Best Regards, Stay Healthy

John ("Note Charts") Boecker
Chechalutz of Charmonica

Edvin:
The note chart is appended. Have a look :)

It has the same range as orchestra tuning with three identical octaves, except the very top and bottom notes. It's 6 good major keys are Bb, F, C, G, D and A, with good minor keys Gm, Dm, Am, Em and F#m.

Use the following rules to climb up the scale:
To move up a full step from a blow note:Move one hole to the right
or release the slide and draw.
To move up a full step from a draw note:Move one hole to the right
or push the slide blow one hole to the right.
To move up half a step from blow note:
Draw one note to the left
or push the slide.
To move up half a step from draw note:
Blow in the same hole
or push the slide.
If you are playing in one of the good keys, these instructions are almost foolproof! If you happen to be playing an E note, a draw A or a blow B, you must choose the right option. What's beautiful is that the right option for these notes also work for neighbouring holes, so you can guess when in doubt!

These intervals can of course be strung together to longer ones. Going up a minor third can often be done by changing from blow to draw, going up a fourth can almost always be done by changing from blow to draw and moving one step to the right, etc. Of course, to move down the scale you just follow the rules backwards.

It might seem complicated, but because it always work the pattern can be learned quickly.

For instance: In the 8(!) pentatonic keys Eb, Bb, F, C, G, D, A and E you can ALWAYS apply the first choice for every rule and keep the slide stationary! See the appended phrase map for pentatonic scales!

As for ornaments: Half-note trills are produced with the slide. Whole-note trills are produced with jaw flicks, like trills between A and B on a standard Solo. Moving quickly back and forth between three or more consecutive notes in a scale has never been easier!

A few comments:

* There are no double stops or chords. This is a melody instrument! ("If you wanna chug, find yourself a suck-harp" ;))
* It shares some advantages of LeGato tuning, but because my tuning repeats every 4 holes it should be a much easier project to make from a stock chrom.
* Keys A, D, F and Bb can be played without moving the slide.
* Because both slide-in and slide-out notes are useful in most scales, flipping the slide upside-down is an option. In fact, since Dm and Gm are common in Swedish folk music and I play more minor than major, I mostly play flat-slide, including on all the recordings. I chose to present the sharp slide version here first because I thought it might appeal to more people.

Any comments or questions are very welcome!  :) There is more to be covered, but this is enough for a second post ... I already feel it's getting too long ;)

And Grizzly: I've bought both of mine customised from Seydel, but the retuning should be possible. Do you have any input on the retunability? The easiest way to try it is to program it into your midi harmonica, if you're fortunate enough have one.

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