|
Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
So-called Richter tuning
So-called Richter tuning
Page:
1
OldGeezer
40 posts
Mar 15, 2017
7:12 AM
|
This is a continuation of the discussion started in the earlier 'Why No Early Hohner' topic.
The earliest example (that I've been able to find) of what we refer to as Richter Tuning can be found by going to
www.Concertina.com and clicking on Anglo Concertinas and then scrolling down to:
An Annotated Catalogue of Historic European Free-Reed Instruments from my Private Collection
by Stephen Chambers
Once there, find fig. 8 - a Viennese Accordion ca.1835. It has the same note layout as the modern diatonic harmonica. There's a lot of neat stuff in this collection, too.
Anyway, I've no idea where or when Herr Richter got his name attached to harmonicas, but this tuning was around for some time. Someone just borrowed the Accordion/concertina note layouts and used it for their harmonicas - and it worked, and still does.
Finally, in the Anglo section, scroll further down to the article about the earliest English language tutor for concertinas (1846). Find the fingering chart for 10 button concertinas. It's the same as the harmonica.
Hope this helps some.
Best,
Paul N.
|
WinslowYerxa
1270 posts
Mar 15, 2017
12:36 PM
|
The same 10-hole note layout used on diatonic harmonicas is used to this day on 10-button diatonic accordions (sometimes with the hole *before* Hole 1 ranging up to Hole 9).
The instrument in Figure 8 referenced above duplicates only Holes 4-7 of a diduce, and whether they correspond in any way to the notes below Hole 4 or above Hole 7 on a harmonica. (Perhaps each key produces only one note, either blow or draw.) But it is an early correspondence.
Interesting to find a date that early, though. I've always wondered whether this note layout originated in mouth-harps or in squeezeboxes. This info still doesn't answer that question. Squeezebox makers could just as easily have borrowed the note layout from early harmonicas, providing one does not cling to the unfounded belief that the mysterious Mr. Richter came up with this note layout at a later date.
Pat Missin argues that "Richter tuning" is a misnomer and that Richter (whoever he actually was) contributed not a note layout, but rather a type of construction:
--blow reeds on top reedplate
--draw reeds on bottom reedplate
--one hole to supply air to both a blow reed and a draw reed
Richter construction differs in these regards from the two other major construction types:
Wiener (Viennese) construction, used in tremolo harmonicas:
--blow and draw reeds side by side on the same reedplate
--lower reedplate used for tremolo (or sometimes octave) reeds
--each reed in its own hole, with vertical comb dividers separating neighboring blow and draw reeds and a horizontal divider between upper and lower reedplates.
Knittlinger construction (from the town of Knittlingen) used in the Hohner AutoValve and Marine Band Concert octave harps and in slide chromatic harmonicas:
--blow and draw reeds side by side on the same reedplate
--lower reedplate used for octave reeds or for second key on chromatic harmonicas
--horizontal comb divider between upper and lower reedplates, and vertical dividers isolating blow/draw pairs corresponding to the blow/draw pairs found in Richter-construction harmonicas, but not separating each individual reed.
A few years ago an effort was made to re-name the standard diatonic note layout from Richter to "German Major," but it didn't really catch on. I grit my teeth a little whenever I hear "Richter tuning," but it's simply the accepted term among harmonica players.
===========
Winslow
Check out my blog and other goodies at winslowyerxa.com
Harmonica For Dummies, Second Edition with tons of new stuff
Join us in 2017 for SPAH in Tulsa!
Last Edited by WinslowYerxa on Mar 17, 2017 12:11 AM
|
Gnarly
2134 posts
Mar 15, 2017
2:00 PM
|
Yeah, I usually try to say, "Standard tuning", and I get to say it a lot, since I enjoy changing the tuning on harps.
This is an interesting discussion, thanks for posting.
|
Tom585
24 posts
Mar 15, 2017
6:04 PM
|
Thanks, guys. This is all great information.
|
ValleyDuke
132 posts
Mar 16, 2017
8:50 PM
|
Thanks for the accordion tip @Winslow. I have a toy accordion with 7 buttons. Found this page which describes how to convert harp tabs to accordion tabs. Just subtract 3:
Harp tab to accodion tab
|
Post a Message
|
