source file: mills2.txt Date: Fri, 30 Aug 1996 10:07:48 -0700 Subject: Re: The magnificent seventh... From: Pat Missin My 2c worth on this interesting and informative thread: The draw chord of the standard diatonic harmonica is traditionally tuned 4/5/6/7 and sounds lovely and smooth, the 7th harmonica accentuating the "tonicity" of the chord in blues/jazz/etc. (although my music teachers would scratch their heads in confusion over the concept of a "dominant tonic"!!), but can sound abslutely disgusting as a melodic note. On a standard C instument, the draw chord is G9th and when you play that F as part of the C major scale, most ears seem to percieve it as "out of tune". Moving to the key of Dm makes matters even worse. In G, the 7/4 is not so bad melodically, but in blues playing, there is a tendency to sharpen flat seventh, so the 7/4, whilst not sounding quite so "out of tune", can still sound a little uninteresting. I have tried using a seventh of 9/5 and it can dramatically enhance the bluesiness, but sounds rough as hell as part of the 7th chord (however, on the minor tuned harp as part of a m9th chord, 9/5 sounds very strong indeed). My usual compromise (and a compromise it most definitely is) is to use 16/9 or (horror of horrors!) 1000c. Just out of interest, does anyone out there know which seventh is used on a melodeon (diatonic accordion)? .and come to think of it, what about the 57th and 29th harmonics? Or maybe even the 59th - this might make a very bluesy seventh? Pat Missin - patm@globalnet.co.uk "...my music's a lot better than it sounds!" (with apologies to Mark Twain) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Received: from ns.ezh.nl [137.174.112.59] by vbv40.ezh.nl with SMTP-OpenVMS via TCP/IP; Sat, 31 Aug 1996 01:01 +0200 Received: by ns.ezh.nl; (5.65v3.2/1.3/10May95) id AA10155; Sat, 31 Aug 1996 01:02:52 +0200 Received: from eartha.mills.edu by ns (smtpxd); id XA10368 Received: from by eartha.mills.edu via SMTP (940816.SGI.8.6.9/930416.SGI) for id QAA15988; Fri, 30 Aug 1996 16:02:49 -0700 Date: Fri, 30 Aug 1996 16:02:49 -0700 Message-Id: Errors-To: madole@ella.mills.edu Reply-To: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Originator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Sender: tuning@eartha.mills.edu