AirMojo asked: Is "Lydian Tuning" the same as "Country Tuning" ?
Allow me to stick my foot in my mouth as I give you my understanding. “Lydian Tuning” is a term used by Jazz guitarists, I believe. As far as I know, there is no Lydian Tuning for harps, although it’s probably possible, just not necessary.
Lydian ‘Mode” on the other hand, is a major scale where the 4th is raised a ½ step. For example, CDEF#GABC. Notice the F#.
Country Tuning-- If you take a C harp and raise the 5-draw by a ½ step, you would be raising the F to F#, but that’s a tuning tweak– not a scale, nor a Lydian Tuning. I can see where it might confuse someone.
You can play in the Lydian mode (scale) on lots of harp tunings.
Playing in the Lydian mode is probably easiest with a harp in Melody Maker Tuning while playing it in 1st position. You can play complete Lydian scales in all three octaves with no Overblows or Overdraws. You would use every blow and draw note and only two bends, the 2’ and the +10’
Last Edited by on Sep 21, 2012 10:50 PM
Country Tuning is a tuning scheme that is commonly used to play in 2nd position. The purpose is to give the player the major 7th on the 7th note of the major scale. It is accomplished by raising the 5 draw 1/2 step and occasionally even the 9 draw.
However, if you want to experiment with lydian based musical phrasing, you could simply take a Country Tuned harp and play it in 1st position.
In fact, I'm going to do that myself for grins and gigs.
---------- Greg Jones 16:23 Custom Harmonicas greg@1623customharmonicas.com 1623customharmonicas.com
I just had lunch with Jerome Peyrelevade, the harp player in the video, who confirmed that Lydian tuning is the same as country tuning, i.e. draw 5 and 9 raised a half step.
Standard Country Tuning raises only the 5D a 1/2 step, namely; Major 7th Country Tuning. However, there are a couple of variations of that Country Tuning that raises both the 5D and 9D a 1/2 step.
What I can't find, (perhaps someone else can) is that the name of this custom variation is actually called "Lydian Tuning." Where's does that come from?
Isn't the player in the video Brodur SebCharlier or is that just a stage name?
Last Edited by on Sep 22, 2012 10:21 AM
I understand exactly what you're saying and I don't mean to belabor this -- except that I enjoy the banter.
But, I can also use your exact argument: "It's called Lydian tuning because it plays the Lydian mode as its natural, first-position scale" for renaming Melody Maker Tuning to Lydian Tuning.
You can also play in the Lydian mode on a standard Richter tuned harp by using 12th position (playing 5 draw as the root, with no overblows/overdraws). To get a C Lydian scale, use a G harp.
Jim...I suppose it could be stated the other way around too, depending the players perspective and like the good Doctor said, if 12th is played were back at ground zero?
