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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! > tuning the harp survey(it)
tuning the harp survey(it)
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Django
35 posts
Sep 29, 2017
2:56 PM
Hey everybody. I was just wondering if everyone tuned their harmonica's with a tuner and just each reed at a time to A+442 and call it a day or do you tune one note and then by ear adjust it's octave note.

If you do the more complex method of -tune a note and then do most of the rest in octaves and 4ths and 5ths- did you always do it that way or did you just tune each reed individually with a tuner at first and as you got accustomed to that , progress to a more detailed system?

Just wondering because I always have difficulties tuning my harmonicas and was curious as to hear some others points of view.
I find it especially hard to tune the draw reeds because it's a little harder to get a constant tone with the reed covers off.
Any tips would be appreciated.
**Note** The title was supposed to say Survey-ish)

Last Edited by Django on Sep 29, 2017 2:57 PM
Harp Study
251 posts
Sep 29, 2017
4:48 PM
For some reason I hate tuning harps. I don't mind tweaking harps but I dislike tuning for some reason. Brass reeds seem to need tuned more often to me so I have pretty much switched to other material. I do really like the shape of golden melody harps but I dislike ET tuning so I don't buy them anyone more. I just find it easier to buy a harp with the tuning I like that stays in tune.
Chris L
169 posts
Sep 29, 2017
7:12 PM
I use Andrew Zajak's method, chromatic guitar tuner and French Tuner which you can find here:
http://harp.andrewzajac.ca/Tune
Rather than just aim for A=442, I do an overall check to see the harp's overall tuning, which sometimes might be as high as A=445. No point retuning 20 reeds when 15 of them are already in tune with each other.
So far I keep it pretty simple and try to get the beats out of the octaves, but don't worry too much about the 3rds and 5ths unless the chords are really wonky. Andrew has some advanced tuning methods, but the basic level is working for me so far.
Re: Did I start this way or progress? I never tried to tune a harmonica before I found this method, so I have always done it this way, but I have progressed becoming quicker, more sensitive and diligent.
Django
36 posts
Sep 30, 2017
8:34 PM
Thanks guys for your input. I spent more time today researching and trying to tune my harp. I think I may have made a breakthrough when I checked out some tuning charts with how some different model harps are tuned. I didn't realize that some notes were actually 10-14 cents away from A-442 in either direction(flat or sharp).
That helps to get the picture into my head better now.
Still tricky but I can see how over time one might improve at this.
I have a couple of Hohner Blues Harps that I really like the tuning of that I will use as my template for tuning my harps.
I think they are tuned similar to Marine Bands but with some slight compromises.
Gnarly
2315 posts
Sep 30, 2017
9:08 PM
You can get the perfect intervals to sound in tune and then tune the imperfect ones (at least the thirds!) as close as you like to just--but to tune to ET, a tuner is easier. I personally have stopped playing ET diatonics (for now).

So lots of times, I will check blow 4, then 3 and 4, then match draw 2 with blow three--
From there, you tune draw 1 so it sounds in tune with draw 2, then tune draw 3 (this where you start making choices about intonation).


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