Tom Arnold © 2002
A project exploring the history and future of the Diatonic Harmonica.
By Tom Arnold.
Introduction
The harmonica: a small simple instrument which, despite having been invented less than two hundred years ago has become arguably one of the most popular instruments in the world. First introduced in primitive form to the buying public around 1821 by Christian Buschmann, the mouth organ rapidly gained world-wide popularity. In 1826 a Bohemian man named Richter developed Buschmann’s instrument and the result was the diatonic harmonica – a design which has remained almost unchanged.
The popularity of the ten-hole Richter-tuned diatonic harmonica grew and grew, and the instrument quickly attained near cult status. Affordable to virtually anybody, and conveniently pocket-sized, it reached parts of the world which no other instrument could. The harmonica has travelled to the North and South Poles, and even into outer space in the pocket of astronaut Wally Schirra. Blues musicians adopted the little instrument, immediately recognising the potential of its vocal qualities and the bending capabilities which were so perfectly suited to their music.
Over the years, harmonicists began to develop increasingly advanced techniques in order to make their instrument more versatile. People began to realise that the ten-hole diatonic harmonica was capable of much more than the simple folk tunes for which it was originally intended. Using new playing techniques, new note layouts, and new structural designs, the harmonica is developing into an ever more versatile instrument.
I have studied the work of many professionals in the world of the harmonica, including ‘harmonica technicians’, harmonica players, and the authors of websites and books on the subject. This project is a presentation of my research into this instrument and the quest to find the most versatile version of the ten-hole diatonic harmonica.
Chapter One:
An Introduction to The Diatonic
Harmonica
Although the harmonica as we know it is less than two hundred
years old, its predecessors date back nearly five thousand years. The free-reed
is the animating principle in the harmonica’s family of instruments. As opposed
to fixed-reed instruments such as the saxophone and clarinet, the free-reed
produces a tone independent of any other surface when air is blown over it or
when it is plucked: the pitch of the note depends on the dimensions of the reed
itself. The free-reed is an Asian invention. Chinese folklore points to Empress
Nyu-kwa as the inventor of the Asian mouth organ sometime around 3000 B.C. Among many
variations, the ‘Sheng’[1]
has proved to be the most popular. Typically, the Sheng consists of a number of
hollow pipes which project vertically from a bowl-shaped resonator. Inside the
pipes are metal tongues which serve as the reeds which make the sound when air
is blown through the pipes. The player holds the resonator in both hands and
inhales (draws) air through a mouthpiece attached to it. Different pitches are
played by covering finger-holes on the pipes.
The Asian free-reed differs from that of European instruments. On
the whole, the Asian version is …”idioglottal (reed and reedplate cut from a
single piece of material)…[whereas the European version is]…heteroglottal
(reed attached over a slot in a plate made from a separate piece of material)”[2].
The harmonica falls into the latter category.
The term ‘harmonica’ was first used in Europe and North America in
the late eighteenth century in reference to many different instruments. For
example, Benjamin Franklin’s ‘glass harmonica’; and the glockenspiel was widely
known for a time as the ‘metal harmonica’. ‘Mouth organ’ (originating from the
German ‘mundharmonika’) was an equally all-purpose term, used to refer to many
instruments including the modern harmonica. Currently it is most commonly
referred to among harmonicists as the ‘harp’. This term most likely originates
from mouth organs introduced to the USA during the early twentieth century
which bore the legend ‘French Harp’.
The development of European free-reed instruments began between
the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century. The modern harmonica
owes a debt to Christian Friedrich Buschmann. In 1821 he produced the ‘Aura’, “…a
horizontal arrangement of fifteen steel reeds placed in small channels arranged
side by side.”[3]. It was
awkward to play as it had only blow notes arranged chromatically – similar in
playing style to Andean Pan Pipes. However, it proved to be popular and soon
many competitors began to produce their own versions.
Arguably the most important advance in early mouth organ design
after Buschmann’s initial developments was made by a Bohemian man named Richter
around 1825. Richter’s version of Buschmann’s design involved ten channels in a
cedar comb, and mounted over either side of each channel was a metal reed. His
instrument was specifically for playing simple melodies such as those of
Bavarian folk songs. It had a range of three octaves, with gapped scales in the
lowest and highest octave and a complete diatonic major scale in the middle
octave. The notes were arranged so that a tonic chord was available on the blow
reeds and a dominant seventh chord on the draw reeds. The diagram below shows
the layout of notes over the ten holes:
Figure 1. A
Richter-tuned 10-hole diatonic harmonica in C major.[4]
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BLOW |
C |
E |
G |
C |
E |
G |
C |
E |
G |
C |
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HOLE |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
|
DRAW |
D |
G |
B |
D |
F |
A |
B |
D |
F |
A |
This note layout has remained the most popular to the present day.
Mass production of the harmonica began in Vienna around 1829. “The European mouth organ was still a novelty, but it was an extremely popular one.”[5]. Its popularity spread rapidly across Europe, and in the 1840’s a German clockmaker named Matthias Hohner took a brief lesson in the manufacture of harmonicas, and in 1857 he launched into full-time production, yielding 650 instruments in the first year. His business gained status very quickly, and he was soon renowned as being the ‘Stradivarius of the harmonica’. Hohner decided to be the first to export the instrument to the USA in 1862, and the demand immediately grew to formerly unheard of levels. This proved to be the catalyst for world-wide exports for Hohner harmonicas. During World War II, the government provided every British soldier with a harmonica. Hohner produced many special edition harmonicas in order to market their products across the world, including instruments on chains for pocketless Africans, and the King George harp for the British.
Sometime in the early part of the twentieth century somebody or several people (it is not known who) in the USA discovered that it was possible that by altering the embouchure and therefore the direction of the airflow over the reed, one could ‘bend’ the pitch of the upper note in each channel down to a pitch just above that of the lower note. Due to this bending ability and wider scope for tonal effects on draw notes in the first two octaves, many players grew to favour the draw-note scale. This approach became known as the ‘cross-harp’ position, or second position. With the ability to play minor thirds, fifths, and sevenths, the cross-harp position became very popular with blues players, and in the 1960’s there was a huge boom in popularity for the harmonica as a blues instrument. This association of the harmonica with the blues has stuck with it to the present day.
As ‘bending’ notes caught on, it became apparent that as well as providing a way to play bends and ‘wailing notes’ in the blues, it was possible to play bent notes as pitches in their own right. With a bit of practice to master playing these bent notes, it is possible to play many more pitches on the Richter harmonica than Richter himself originally intended.
Figure 2.[6]
Blow Bends
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Bb |
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Eb |
F# |
B |
C |
E |
G |
C |
E |
G |
C |
E |
G |
C |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
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D |
G |
B |
D |
F |
A |
B |
D |
F |
A |
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Db |
F# |
Bb |
Db |
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Ab |
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F |
A |
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Ab |
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Draw Bends
As can be seen in Fig. 2, by playing the bent notes as notes in their own right all of the gaps in the lower and upper octave scales can be filled. Also, several chromatic notes become available. In fact, most of the notes of the chromatic scale are available over all three octaves. Only five notes are missing: Eb in the low and middle octaves; F# in the high and middle octaves; Bb in the middle octave; C# in the high and middle octaves; and Ab in the high octave.
The chromatic harmonica was introduced to the public in 1930 by Hohner. It is basically two diatonic harmonicas tuned a semitone apart (typically C and C#) and housed in one body with a slide mechanism with which the player can select which reeds sound. With its easily attainable chromaticism, it attracted many frustrated diatonic harmonica players. However, many harmonicists determined to persevere with the diatonic harmonica. This is because the chromatic harmonica – despite being capable of sounding very refined and beautiful – lacks the earthy, soulful sound of the diatonic harmonica with its bends and very vocal sound. “Where the chromatic loses out to the diatonic is in sheer gutsy tone and expressiveness, and this is the reason many players prefer the blues harp and are willing to go to extraordinary lengths to improve its chromatic abilities.”[7] Among the more persistent of the diatonic harmonicists, a Chicagoan named Howard Levy was trouble by the missing notes. He was convinced that they were available somehow and set out to find them. He stumbled upon overbends[8] (overblows and overdraws). Howard Levy discovered that by further minute alterations to the embouchure – not unlike the techniques used when bending – it was possible to make certain notes ‘break’ upwards in pitch to sound a note approximately a semitone above the other reed in the channel.
Figure 3.[9]
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Bb |
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Eb |
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Eb |
F# |
Bb |
|
Eb |
F# |
B |
C |
E |
G |
C |
E |
G |
C |
E |
G |
C |
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
|
D |
G |
B |
D |
F |
A |
B |
D |
F |
A |
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Db |
F# |
Bb |
Db |
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Ab |
C# |
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Ab |
C# |
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F |
A |
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Ab |
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Howard Levy was not the first to play overbends, but he was certainly the first to master using them in his music just as one would play any other note. With these overbends and regular bends it is possible to play all of the notes of the chromatic scale over all three octaves. Although originally intended to be a diatonic instrument, the ‘diatonic’ harmonica has always had this fully chromatic potential waiting to be uncovered. It takes a lot of practice and dedication to learn how to play chromatically on the diatonic harmonica, just as one must practice any instrument to become proficient.
The diatonic harmonica is making a comeback with an increasing number of people taking it more seriously and no longer regarding it as the lesser cousin of the chromatic harmonica. Pioneers such as Howard Levy are inspiring people to persevere with the diatonic harmonica and
play not just the blues, but jazz, rock ’n’ roll, and any other genre. As more and more harmonicists are turning back to the diatonic harp, there is an ever-growing demand for higher quality instruments. In response to this, harmonica manufacturers have been coming up with many new designs and ideas. The original design by Richter back in the early nineteenth century is now being improved and developed by a select few harmonicists who have come to be known as ‘harmonica technicians’. These people are constantly researching how the harmonica works and how it can be made easier to play. Professional (and some amateur) harmonicists have their instruments made to suit their own playing style. For example, Howard Levy has his harmonicas customised by Joe Filisko specifically for the purpose of playing chromatically using overbends.
Along with optimising the performance of standard harmonicas such as the ‘Special 20’ and the ‘Marine Band’[10], there is some movement towards modifying and changing the various components of diatonic harmonicas to various ends. For example, amongst Suzuki’s range of harmonicas is one called the ‘MR300 Overdrive’. Instead of having the standard open-back coverplates, here each channel is sealed off individually and the air is allowed out only through individual holes above (or below) each reed. This radical new design was invented to facilitate the use of overbends. This is just one example of many new developments in harmonica design: more detail on this subject can be found in chapter four.
The other main development in the world of the diatonic harmonica is that of altering the layout of notes. The ‘Richter’ tuning has its limitations, and it is not difficult to change the reeds (or simply alter the pitch of the existing reeds) to produce a completely different configuration. The possibilities for different note patterns in the ten holes of a diatonic harmonica are almost infinite. There are only a small number of tunings available in the shops. These are made by ‘Lee Oskar’ harmonicas, and include ‘Melody MakerTM’, ‘Natural Minor’, and ‘Harmonic Minor’. For example, a harmonica tuned to the harmonic minor scale is ideally suited to playing Eastern-European style folk music. It is also possible to arrange the notes so that all of the notes of the chromatic scale are available over all three octaves just by bending without the need to use advanced techniques such as overbends. More information can be found in chapter three.
With a huge following across the world, the diatonic harmonica is becoming ever more popular and gaining respect in the world of music as an increasing number of harmonicists and technicians take the instrument to new levels. Developments and discoveries are constantly being made in this exciting time of innovation and invention, and we wait in eager anticipation of what will come next.
Chapter Two:
How The Harmonica Works and How It Can Be Altered and
Improved
The diatonic harmonica produces sound by the vibrations of free reeds. In the previous chapter we looked at the differences between the Western and the Eastern versions of the free reed - the Eastern version found in instruments such as the Sheng, and the Western one in instruments such as the Accordion and the Harmonica. This chapter will illustrate how the free reed works in the context of the diatonic harmonica and how the instrument can be improved and altered to various ends such as easier overbends, easier bends, and different sound qualities.
Basic Principles
Although there are free-reed instruments which are designed to be played by plucking (such as the African ‘thumb piano’), generally the free reed is played by blowing air over it. The reed is pushed in one direction by the airflow, and the sound is then made by the action of it springing back and forth thus making the air around it vibrate. The pitch depends on the dimensions and materials of the reed - the longer and wider and heavier the reed, the lower the pitch (and vice versa).
The picture below shows the typical construction of a 10-hole diatonic harmonica:
Figure 4. An
exploded diagram of a ‘Hering Blues’ 10-hole diatonic harmonica. [11]
The tone qualities of the instrument depend largely on the materials used in the construction of the harmonica and the manner in which they are fitted together. For example, a wooden-bodied harp with covers made of thick metal will give a more mellow, soft tone than a metal-bodied harp with thin metal covers. The dimensions of the instrument also have a great bearing on the sound that it makes. The affecting factors here include the width of the aperture at the back of the harmonica, and the size of the air channels. For example, a wider opening at the back of the harmonica generally gives a louder but less directional sound, whereas a narrower aperture tends to give a quieter but more directional, focussed sound.
Note Bending
Principles
Bending is the technique by which a harmonica player ‘bends’ the pitch of a note down to that of another note. The effect is achieved by altering the direction of the airflow over the reeds This can be used to create a glissando effect, or to play extra individual notes.[12] As can be seen from the diagram on page 5, one can bend the pitch of a reed down to around a semitone above the lower note in the hole. This effect is produced through an interaction between the two reeds vibrating in the same airflow. As the angle of the airflow over the reed changes, the lower (in pitch) of the two reeds begins to vibrate ‘in sympathy’ with the higher reed, and by the time the lowest point of the bend is reached almost all of the sound is coming from the lower pitched reed. For example, in the third channel of a C major Richter diatonic harmonica the reeds are tuned to G (blow) and B (draw). This gives three bent notes - Bb, A, and Ab. If the harmonicist plays the lowest of these three pitches and simultaneously stops the draw reed from vibrating with his finger, the note continues to sound, thus proving that the sound is being produced by the vibrations of the blow reed. “The further down the higher reed is bent, the more the lower reed starts to vibrate in sympathy, until finally the higher reed virtually stops vibrating, and the tone is coming almost entirely from the lower reed.” [13]
Opening and Closing Reed Theory[14]
When air is blown (or drawn) through one of the holes in the mouthpiece of a harmonica, it pushes the reed (which is set at a slight angle away from the reedplate) down towards the reedplate and through the gap in the comb before its elasticity causes it to spring back up thus producing the audible tone. This is what is commonly referred to as a ‘closing reed’.
When a note is ‘bent’, the air flows through the channel in the opposite direction, pushing the reed up through the gap in the comb before it springs back, thus producing the bent note: this is referred to as an ‘opening reed’.
Overbends work on the same basic ‘opening reed’ principle as bends. To produce an overblow (for example), the player must accurately alter their embouchure so as to completely prevent the blow reed from sounding: the overblown pitch comes completely from the draw reed (and vice versa for overdraws) which sounds at a pitch roughly a minor third above its natural resonance frequency.
The precise movements of the vocal tract in order to make these notes sound are related directly to the natural resonance frequencies of the desired notes. The dimensions of the vocal tract must be changed in accordance with the resonance frequency of the desired pitch: the same is true of many wind instruments. Robert B. Johnston undertook a study of ‘Pitch Control in Harmonica Playing’[15]. His paper explores in depth the scientific theory behind the techniques of bends and overbends. Johnston makes use of a machine which he designed specifically to replicate the effects of changing the dimensions of the oral cavity.[16] His studies serve as reliable proof of the theories of sound production in the diatonic harmonica. Using his mechanically blown instrument, Johnston provides us with valuable evidence that the pitch bending effect can be produced by varying the resonance frequency of the chamber through which the instrument is blown.
Optimising the performance of a diatonic harmonica
There are many aspects of the instrument itself which can be customised in order to optimise its performance in terms of ease of use. A factory-made harmonica can be improved vastly by concentrating on a few key areas which I shall discuss below. Professional harmonicists (and an increasing number of amateurs) generally turn to ‘harmonica technicians’ to carry out the work necessary to set up their instruments before they buy them. Some of the most well-known technicians in the harmonica world have a long list of clientele waiting as long as two years for their goods.[17]
Reed Set-up
The reed, being the sound-producing element of the instrument, has the greatest effect on the characteristics of any given harmonica. Reeds are almost always made of brass, pressed and cut from a large sheet of metal. They are attached by a rivet at one end to the reedplate, and the other end is free to vibrate[18]. The distance between the top of the reedplate and the reed (the ‘gap’) determines how easy/difficult it is to make the reed respond to a breath. Generally, the reeds are best set at a gap roughly equivalent to the thickness of the reed itself.
However, factory-produced harmonicas are rarely perfectly ‘gapped’ as different players have very different demands, and this is where the harmonica technicians come in. One of their jobs is to set the reeds at the optimum gap to suit the harmonicists’ playing techniques. For example, a harmonicist who plays in a rock band and needs to be able to play very loudly most of the time would want their gaps set wider than normal so that the reed has more area over which to move. However, a jazz musician who generally plays precisely and lyrically would prefer the reeds set closer to the reedplate as this gives a quick, smooth reed response to very much less breath. So we see that the harmonica technician must gap the reeds to suit the playing style of each individual player.
Modifications Necessary For Overbends
Another factor which has an influence on the reed gapping is whether or not the harpist (a popular name for harmonica players) makes use of overbends. The gaps make a huge difference to the ease of overbend playing. To play an overblow, the blow reed must first be ‘choked’[19] and then the player must encourage the draw reed to vibrate at the desired pitch (a minor third above its natural resonance frequency). Tinus explains: “When playing an overblow only the draw reed sounds while the blow reed is choked”…“Getting the draw reed to sound is the easy part of the overblow, all you need to do is resonate the right pitch”[20]. This is done by shaping the vocal tract in such a way as to allow it to resonate at said pitch. It is very difficult to ‘choke’ a reed if it is set at a normal gap size. To make it easier, a few modifications can be made[21]. Firstly, the reed gap is set so that the reed is closer to the reedplate so that it doesn’t take so much breath just to hold it in the necessary position. This is a job which demands a great deal of precision, as too small a gap results in the reed choking when playing unbent notes, whereas too large a gap makes the reed difficult (if not impossible) to choke at all.
Secondly, the slots in the reedplates are narrowed so that air loss around the choked reed is minimised, resulting in more air passing over the sounding reed. This can be done in many ways, but the most common and simple way of doing this is to press along the sides of the slot with a rounded object causing them to bend in slightly.
Thirdly, the reeds can be treated with wax, nail varnish, glue, or similar substance, to reduce the torsional vibrations[22] that inevitably occur when playing overbends. This has been found to be most necessary with thinner reeds such as those found in harmonicas made in the Far-East (including manufacturers Huang, Tombo, and Suzuki). It has been found that putting a small blob of wax or nail varnish in the area where the reed is attached to the reedplate (the rivet end) helps to reduce these vibrations.
Figure 5. An illustration of three reeds treated with wax.[23]
An alternative treatment with the same effect is to place a small piece of adhesive tape on the surface of the reed in order to damp the unwanted vibrations.[24]
Fourthly, the reed needs to be as straight as possible to reduce air leakage when it is choked. Factory-produced instruments have a natural arc on their reeds - arcing upwards from the rivet end towards the free end. This means that the reed cannot lie flat over the slot thus allowing excess air to escape when playing overbends, so the arc needs to be removed to result in as straight a reed as possible. The fact that air-leakage needs to be minimised as much as possible has become very clear. This applies not just to overbends, but it helps in general playing too.
The Problem of Air Leakage
The more air that leaks from the harmonica without passing over the reeds, the less response the reeds give in relation to how much air is blown/drawn through the holes. This poses a problem to the player particularly when playing bends, overbends, and quiet passages. Air can leak from many places, the most common being through the material of the comb (only in the case of wooden combs), either side of the reeds, and also where the reedplates meet the comb. All of these problems are relatively easy to solve. This is one of the principle jobs of the harmonica technician – to make the harmonica as airtight as possible.
1. Air leakeage through the comb material.
This is only really a problem for wooden-combed harmonicas such as the Hohner ‘Marine Band’. This harp is the most popular model in the world, having been introduced in 1896 and remained almost totally unchanged ever since. Many say that it is the wooden comb which accounts for the warm, mellow sound which is so popular with blues and country players. This school of thought also claims that plastic combs give a clearer sound than wood, and metal combs sound the brightest. However, research carried out by technicians such as Pat Missin[25] suggests that these claims do not hold true. It is the combination of all of the components of the harmonica which make different models sound ‘warmer’ or ‘brighter’: a ‘Marine Band’ harmonica with a plastic comb sounds almost exactly the same as the instrument with the standard wooden comb. However, many people insist that they prefer wooden combs, and much work has been put in to finding ways of reducing their tendency to leak air. The most popular of these methods is to seal the comb with beeswax. The comb is soaked in the wax and the excess is then removed from the surface, resulting in a completely airtight comb.
However, I would have to agree with Pat Missin’s findings. I have experimented with my own instruments: I fitted the plastic comb from a ‘Special 20’ harp (also made by Hohner) to a ‘Marine Band’ in place of the standard wooden comb and found that it was very difficult to tell the difference between the resulting combination and a standard ‘Marine Band’ harmonica of the same key (C major). Therefore I suggest that it would be wise to try swapping the comb with one made from a different (non porous) material before going to the lengths of attempting to seal the wooden comb. Another advantage of plastic and metal combs over wood is that the surface of the comb is flatter and therefore the reedplates can have a closer contact with it, thus providing a better, more airtight seal.
2. Around the reeds.
Air leakage around the reeds can be reduced by narrowing the size of the slots in the same way as setting up the slots for easier overblowing. Refer to Page 18.
3. Where the reedplates are attached to the comb.
This is probably the biggest factor affecting the airtightness of the instrument. Generally the reedplate is screwed onto the comb with five or more (occassionally fewer) screws. The more screws are used, the more airtight the instrument is as the reedplates are held tighter to the comb. One of the most common upgrades made to diatonic harmonicas is to add more screws to hold the reedplates more tightly to the comb.
Chromatic harmonicas are even less airtight than diatonic harps, largely due to their greater size and the slide mechanism. However, they solve the problem by adding ‘windsavers’ to the reedslots. These have the effect of closing off the draw reed slot when the blow reed is played, and vice versa. Therefore it is not possible to use bends[26] and overblows as on the unvalved diatonic harp. Also the resulting sound is much clearer and less breathy and ‘earthy’, which is one of the main reasons why people choose to play the diatonic rather than the chromatic. More detailed information about valved diatonic harmonicas can be found in the next chapter.
Other ways of optimising the perfomance of a
diatonic harmonica
The setup of the reeds and making the instrument as airtight as possible are the two main jobs of the harmonica technician. There are a few other jobs which can be done to improve the standard harmonica.
Firstly, the lifespan of the reeds can be greatly increased by using better tuning methods than those used by the factories. Commercially-produced harmonicas are tuned by filing the reeds. By removing metal (by filing it down) from the tip of a reed, it is made lighter at the free end; it vibrates faster thus sounding at a higher pitch. Therefore by filing metal from the rivetted end of the reed, a lower pitch results. However, filing the reed leaves scratches in the metal which become areas of high fatigue when it vibrates. By removing metal with sandpaper (or similar method) as opposed to a file, the weak areas of the reed are greatly reduced and therefore the reed responds better and lasts longer.
Secondly, harmonica technicians tune the harmonicas (using their alternative tuning techniques) to suit their customers’ playing styles. Apart from tuning instruments to completely different note layouts[27], the main issue here is the choice between just intonation and equal temperament. As a basic rule, equal temperament tuning best suits single-note (melody) players, whereas just intonation tuning best is more suited to harmonicists who use more chords (i.e. in rhythm-harp playing). However, there are not many (if any) harmonica players who play melodies and never play chords, and vice versa. Therefore manufacturers of harmonicas generally use a compromise between the two. Neither the chords nor the single notes will then be perfectly in tune, but instead it is down to the player to intonate them. However, the issue of tuning systems for the harmonica is so complex as to require a separate in-depth discussion such as that written by Pat Missin in ‘Altered States’.[28]
So we have seen many ways in which the standard diatonic harmonica can be improved and customised to suit various players’ playing styles. Although these various methods of improvement can help a great deal in the quest to make the diatonic harmonica more versatile, it still takes a lot of work to reach the stage where one can play chromatically with ease on one instrument. However, there are other ways of working towards this aim. These include changing the pitches of the reeds (alternative note layouts) and changing the design of the instrument itself. So I decided to make it my task to find the most versatile version of the diatonic harmonica.
Chapter Three:
Alternative Note Layouts and the Chromatic Potential of the ‘Diatonic’ Harmonica.
As we have already seen, the humble ten-hole diatonic harmonica has turned out to be capable of much more than just the Bavarian folk tunes for which it was originally intended. With the use of various techniques including bends and overbends, all of the notes of the chromatic scale are available over each of the three octaves[29]. It has been proved by people such as Howard Levy that by practicing these techniques as one would practice any other instrument, it is possible for the diatonic harmonica to be used in many more contexts than just folk and blues music. With complete chromatic ability it is possible to play in all twelve keys on one harmonica. A wonderful example of this can be seen in Howard Levy’s instructional video[30], at the end of which he plays a tune during which he modulates seamlessly up through all of the major keys, and all on one Richter-tuned ten-hole diatonic harmonica (a Hohner ‘Golden Melody’) in the key of C major. However, this kind of ability takes many years of dedicated practice and hard work: most people do not have the required time (not to speak of the patience) to put in this amount of time. Also, the further one strays from the actual key of the harmonica, the less scope there is for double-stop playing and fast passages: the more overbends and bends one has to play, the more difficult it is. For example, to play in the key of C# major on a C major harp, one would have to play more bent notes than ‘natural’[31] notes, making it very hard to play fluidly, especially when playing fast. Of course, when playing relatively simple structures (such as the twelve-bar blues) which only use chords closely related to a single tonic key, one can play everything on one diatonic harmonica of that key using just the available notes and bent notes. However, when playing more complex musical structures (such as those found in jazz music) where the music uses many chords which are not so closely related to the ‘home’ key - and sometimes modulates to another key altogether - it becomes very difficult to play on just one harp. It is possible to quickly swap harmonicas when the music modulates, but this is not practical when, for example, playing a solo over fast complex chord changes. Therefore, the harmonicist needs a way of playing in different keys and modes with ease – preferably without having to resort to overbends which are very difficult to play as fluently as bent notes. This can be achieved by changing the pitches of the reeds, with the end result of a different note layout. By either tuning the reeds to different pitches or by replacing the individual reeds it is possible to create a diatonic harmonica in any key and there are a near-infinite number of possible variations.
There are a few diatonic harmonicas in alternative tunings available from the mainstream manufacturers (such as Hohner and Lee Oskar). At the time of writing there are five variations:
Country Tuning.
|
C |
E |
G |
C |
E |
G |
C |
E |
G |
C |
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
|
D |
G |
B |
D |
F# |
A |
B |
D |
F |
A |
The only difference between this and the Richter tuning is hole 5 draw which is raised from F to F#. This transforms the 2nd position (cross harp) from a mixolydian scale to the major diatonic scale. The F is still available, as the F# can be bent down a semitone. This layout of notes also makes available the tonic, subdominant, and dominant chords of the 2nd position key.
The Melody MakerTM.
|
C |
E |
A |
C |
E |
G |
C |
E |
G |
C |
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
|
D |
G |
B |
D |
F# |
A |
B |
D |
F# |
A |
This tuning comes exclusively from Lee Oskar harmonicas. It is specifically for playing 2nd position (‘cross harp’)[32] melodies. The advantage is that the supertonic in hole 3 is available as a natural note whereas in the Richter tuning it is only available as a bent note.
The other three tunings which are readily availble are melodic minor, harmonic minor[33], and soloist. The latter of the three is tuned to the same configuration as a chromatic harmonica with the slide out:
|
C |
E |
G |
C |
C |
E |
G |
C |
C |
E |
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
|
D |
F |
A |
B |
D |
F |
A |
B |
D |
F |
The soloist tuning has the advantage of having all of the notes of the major scale available without the need for bends, which makes it easier to play simple melodies very smoothly and without problems of intonation.
The advantages of the above tunings are as follows:
· They make it easier to play melodies without having to learn how to control bent notes to the extent necessary with the standard Richter major diatonic tuning.
· They open up new possibilities for playing harmonies. With the reeds tuned to different notes there are different chords available.
· They give harmonicists an easy way to explore a ‘new sound’. For example, it is much easier to play a blues in a minor key on a harmonica tuned to a melodic minor scale than on a major diatonic instrument.
However, there are also a few disadvantages with these tunings:
· They don’t allow so many bent notes (particularly on the solo tuning) as the standard Richter major diatonic tuning.
· For advanced players for whom bending and overbending notes is easy, it is possible to play in more keys and modes on a Richter-tuned major diatonic harmonica than with any of the above tunings.
Therefore, although these note layouts are of some use - particularly in terms of playing more than just single-note melodies - they are overall less versatile than the Richter major diatonic tuning as they give less scope for chromaticism. Intrigued by this, I set about trying to find the most versatile configuration of reeds by tuning some of my own harmonicas. I decided that to be versatile it had to be chromatic, and it would be easier to use if I could find a tuning that was chromatic without the need for overbends. The results of my experiments are as follows:
Experiment 1.
I drew a chart of a Richter-tuned major diatonic harmonica. I then worked out which pitches were missing from the chromatic scale, and altered the pitches of the reeds so that every chromatic note was made available by bending.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
F# |
Bb |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
C |
Eb |
G |
B |
C |
E |
G |
C |
E |
G |
C# |
E |
Ab |
C |
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
|
Eb |
G |
B |
D# |
F# |
Bb |
B |
D |
F |
A |
|
D |
F# |
Bb |
D |
F |
A |
|
|
|
|
|
Db |
F |
A |
Db |
|
Ab |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ab |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This tuning gives access to a complete chromatic scale over all three octaves through natural notes and bends only, without the need to play any overbends. However, because the natural notes are laid out in such a random manner – not comforming to any kind of useful scale – this tuning is very difficult to use. For example, just to play a scale of C major over the middle octave, four bends must be used. Also, I found that playing and controlling the blow bends in the top octave were much harder than the draw bends in the lower two octaves. So although this tuning has chromatic potential, it is rather difficult to use.
Experiment
2.
Bearing the previous experiment in mind, I set about designing a tuning which would allow the player access to chromaticism using just natural notes and draw bends (no blow bends). An important consideration here was that it is much more difficult to control the bent notes in hole three of a standard Richter major diatonic harmonica, as there are three available bent notes. Also, it can be confusing having different numbers of available pitches in each hole when using a tuning which doesn’t conform to a recognisable scale. So I decided that I needed to find a tuning which had an equal number of available bends per hole, only used draw bends, and would be easy to navigate. Here is my result:
C |
E |
G# |
C |
E |
G# |
C |
E |
G# |
C |
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
|
Eb |
G |
B |
Eb |
G |
B |
Eb |
G |
B |
Eb |
|
D |
F |
A |
D |
F |
A |
D |
F |
A |
D |
|
Db |
F# |
Bb |
Db |
F# |
Bb |
Db |
F# |
Bb |
Db |
This tuning is fully chromatic, only utilises draw bends, and every hole has four available pitches. I found that it was too difficult to tune a normal Richter-tuned major diatonic harmonica to this note layout, so instead I combined the reedplate of blow-reeds from a C major harp with the blow-reeds of an Eb major harp, and then I only had to re-tune six reeds to achieve the above configuration. I have found that this harmonica is very easy to play chromatic scales on, and it is much easier to play melodies on than the result of my first experiment. The only problem I found was that the bends in the highest octave were rather difficult to control due to their high pitch. This I solved by using the blow reeds from a ‘tenor E’ harmonica and the blow reeds from a G major harmonica, and then tuning them to the same pitch relations as the above tuning.
E |
G# |
C |
E |
G# |
C |
E |
G# |
C |
E |
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
|
G |
B |
D# |
G |
B |
D# |
G |
B |
D# |
G |
|
F |
A |
C# |
F |
A |
C# |
F |
A |
C# |
F |
|
F# |
Bb |
D |
F# |
Bb |
D |
F# |
Bb |
D |
F# |
This harmonica was much easier to play, as the bends in the highest octave were not so difficult to control.
Having constructed these new note layouts, I conducted further research into similar work by professional harmonica technicians, only to find that the configuration illustrated above had already been invented. It is available from several technicians under the names of ‘Spanish Spiral Tuning’ and ‘Augmented Spanish Tuning’.[34] A handful of harmonicists are known to use this tuning to great effect, particularly in the world of jazz music, where chromaticism is a definite advantage. A good example of a master of this tuning is Eric Chafer, who has undisputably mastered the Augmented Spanish tuning.[35]
The problem I found with playing these harmonicas is that not only did I have to learn a whole new note layout, but also there was not much scope for any more than single-note playing. The latter point is particularly significant, as the ability to play more than one note at once is an integral part of the harmonica’s sound. So although I found a very versatile (chromatic) and easy-to-use alternative to the Richter tuning, I still had the problem of finding a way of altering the harmonica so that it is as easy to achieve chromaticism as with the above tuning, while at the same time having some scope for playing harmonies. It appears that apart from either learning to overblow consistently or using alternative tunings, the route to finding the most versatile harmonica while keeping the tone and familiarity of the ten-hole diatonic harmonica is through changing the design of the instrument itself.
Chapter Four:
Recent Developments
Harmonica enthusiasts (amateurs and professionals alike) are constantly striving to find ways of improving and changing their instrument. There are many ways in which this can be done, the most common of which are detailed in the previous chapters. However, in order to find the most versatile diatonic harmonica, it has become evident that it is necessary to alter the construction of the instrument. Many people have spent time experimenting with subtle and not-so-subtle changes to the assembly and design of their diatonic harmonicas, and the most useful results so far include the following five innovations.
1. The Bahnson Overblow Harp
Dr. Henry Bahnson is a retired heart specialist at the University of Pittsburgh (USA) with an interest in the harmonica. He wanted to find a way to make it easier for every harmonica player to achieve the same overbends as Howard Levy was playing with such facility. Along with his colleague Dr. Antaki, he studied Levy’s techniques closely: the result of these studies was published by the Acoustical Society of America[36]. After coming to the conclusion that the overbend could be made so much easier to play simply by stopping the vibrations of the non-sounding reed, Bahnson set about re-designing the harmonica. The result of his work is basically a modified Hohner ‘Golden Melody’ (the model of choice for Howard Levy). Bahnson simply added a slide mechanism (not unlike that on a chromatic harmonica) which closed off the appropriate reed to facilitate the overbend. This design was patented in 1990, but as each instrument was hand-made, they were very expensive to buy. Only recently has the idea been taken on by the aforementioned Dr. Antaki (alias ‘TurboDog’), who has applied an improved version of the mechanism to his ‘Bahnson Overblow – II’.
Figure 6. The Bahnson Overblow – II.[37]
This harmonica is almost exactly the same as the original one made by Dr. Bahnson, but this one is a modified Hohner Special 20 as opposed to a Hohner Golden Melody.
By using the slide mechanism the overblow is made significantly easier to play. The sound produced is much more stable and powerful than the un-assisted overbend, and it can be bent in pitch and vibrato can be added (both very difficult without the slide mechanism). The disadvantage of this system, as pointed out by Pat Missin is that “…if you pushed the button whilst a reed was moving, it was very easy to snag the reed, or knock it completely off-centre.”[38]. However, this instrument is certainly an excellent training aid for learning how to overbend, as the player must still provide the appropriate resonance frequency for the overbends to sound.
2. The Suzuki Overdrive MR-300
This harmonica is a different way of approaching the same idea as Bahnson’s design, and its distinguishing feature is its coverplates.
Figure 7. Suzuki Overdrive MR-300.[39]
Instead of the sound projecting from a single aperture at the back of the instrument, the coverplates on the MR300 are closed at the back. Each reed is closed off from the others in its own individual air channel, and the sound is emitted through holes in the coverplates corresponding to each reed. This not only has the advantage of better sound projection due to the instrument being more airtight, but it makes it possible to manipulate the airflow of each reed in a similar way to the Bahnson Overblow. To perform an overbend, the player can simply place his finger over the appropriate hole to stop that reed from vibrating:
Figure 8. Illustration of facilitated overbend technique using the Suzuki Overdrive MR-300.[40]
Using
this technique of blocking the appropriate holes, this design also makes it
possible to bend down the lower-pitched reed in each hole to a certain
extent. However, this design has its disadvantages too. It is notoriously
difficult to hold it in such a way as to make it possible to cover the required
holes quickly and easily while playing. Also, due to the isolation of the reeds
in individual channels, overbends are not possible without covering the
appropriate hole. This can be solved[41]
by breaking off the partitions on the underside of the coverplates over the
holes corresponding to 1-6 draw and 7-10 blow. This leaves airtight divisions
for 1-6 blow and 7-10 draw, allowing the choice between playing ‘normal’
overbends or facilitated overbends by covering the holes. Making this
modification comes with the disadvantage of no longer being able to bend the
lower pitched notes. However, this means that the player can choose between
playing overbends (both facilitated and otherwise) or bends to achieve
chromaticism. I would suggest that, unless one is a particularly compentent
player of overbends, it would be best not to carry out the above modification,
leaving the option of both techniques.
3. Half
- Valved Harmonicas
As mentioned above, if the harmonicist has a way of isolating just the single reed that he is playing, it is possible to bend that note down. It is possible to add valves[42] (like the ones used on chromatic harmonicas – refer to page 6) to the lower pitched note in each channel so that every reed can be bent. A ‘valved bend’ has a little less power than a ‘normal’ bend (involving reed interaction), but it is every bit as expressive. More to the point, by adding valves over the draw-reed slots in holes 1-6 and the blow-reed slots in holes 7-10, it is possible to play a complete chromatic scale over all three octaves without overbends. It is significantly easier to play valved bends than overbends. There is no need to change the construction of the instrument in any way other than adding the valves – a job which takes less than an hour. The half-valved diatonic harmonica is becoming ever more popular, and is strongly advocated by Brendan Power[43]. Another advantage of this modification is that any harmonica can be modified, so the harmonicist does not have to get used to playing a whole new instrument; they can simply add valves to the one they currently play. The only disadvantage of the half-valved diatonic is that overbends can no longer be played at all. This is one area in which the Suzuki Overdrive MR-300 wins over the half-valved harmonica – one can play both ‘valved bends’ (or rather their equivalent) and facilitated overbends.
4. The
Discrete Comb
Winslow Yerxa has developed another idea similar to the basis of the Suzuki Overdrive MR-300. His ‘discrete comb’[44] also allows the player to isolate individual reeds at will and therefore play both facilitated overbends and the equivalent of ‘valved bends’. Yerxa’s invention consists of a replacement comb which incorporates partitions in every channel to isolate the blow and the draw reeds into their own individual (‘discrete’) cellls. This comb can be added to Hohner and Lee Oskar harmonicas. The harmonica can be played in the same way as an unmodified instrument, but by tilting it up or down in the mouth, the player can isolate the desired partition and play facilitated overbends and ‘valve-style’ bends on any reed.
Figure 9. The Discrete Comb.[45]
The disadvantage of this innovation is that the discrete comb is roughly 50% thicker than the standard comb, and some players find it uncomfortable in the mouth for this reason. However, many would say that this is a small sacrifice to make considering the potential benefits, and the player should soon become accustomed to the comb.
5. Enabler
Reeds
Not much is yet known by the general harmonica-playing public about this recent development by Rick Epping. It is a diatonic harmonica which incorporates ‘enabler reeds’ – extra reeds are added to each channel in order to enable every note to be bent down through reed interaction.[46] This gives the potential for a draw-bend or over-bend on every reed. No extra techniques need to be learnt in order to play chromatically on this instrument, and there is no need to sacrifice tone quality for chromaticism (as is the case with overbends and valved bends). Until this design is released to the public, I cannot comment further on the functionality of it. A potential disadvantage is that it will be complex to make and to repair, which also means that it will most probably be expensive to produce. However, if it works as well as the prototypes suggest, the advantages mentioned above will be worth paying the extra cost.
With all of these new designs on the market, there is much for the harmonicist to experiment with. Of course there is no need to make a definitive choice, but it currently looks like the discrete comb holds a lot of promise: the disadvantages are much less prohibiting than those of the other designs, and there are many advantages. In the search for a more versatile diatonic harmonica, the market for innovations in instrument design is ever-growing and I am sure there will be many more inventions to come.
The Future
With so many different ways of making the simple ten-hole diatonic harmonica more versatile, it is very difficult to find the most versatile option. It seems that each alternative customisation, note layout, and design modification will suit certain situations and individual harmonicists to varying degrees. For example, although it is relatively easy to play chromatically on a half-valved Richter-tuned diatonic harmonica, if playing a traditional unaccompanied minor-key blues piece the harmonicist would most probably prefer to play a harp tuned to the melodic minor. Similarly, if playing a fast jazz piece with lots of chromatic modulations, one might well choose a harmonica fitted with the ‘Discrete Comb’ over a standard model.
One of the wonderful things about the diatonic harmonica is that there are so many options to choose from, and of course one is not forced to make a definitive choice between them. The harmonicist is free to experiment with customised harmonicas, different note layouts, and new innovations, and to make their own decisions about which ones to persevere with. In terms of the question of the single most versatile harmonica, I would say that it is down to the player. One harmonicist (for example Howard Levy) might choose to perfect overbends on a customised Richter-tuned diatonic harp, whereas another (for example Brendan Power) may prefer to play half-valved instruments. Because the harmonica is not (usually) an expensive instrument, most players can afford to experiment with the various options and make their own decisions as to which ones suit them the best. I propose that if a harmonicist wanted to find one harmonica that could be used in every situation, they would be wise to get used to playing with a ‘discrete comb’. Although a little wider than standard combs, this innovation allows every technique to be utilised on every reed with ease: draw-bends, blow-bends, overblows, overdraws, and ‘valve-style’ bends. This replacement comb makes the standard diatonic harmonica an extremely versatile instrument with complete chromaticism within the reach of fairly inexperienced players.
In the hands of thousands of enthusiasts around the world, the diatonic harmonica is taking on many new guises and aquiring innovative playing techniques. It is moving from strength to strength, becoming increasingly versatile as it is developed by people driven by the love for the soulful sound and deceptive simplicity of this pocket-sized instrument. Perhaps it is time to rethink the title of ‘diatonic’ harmonica.
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){kind=link}
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Videography
New Directions For Harmonica: Expanding Your Technique (1992). Harmonica Instruction Video. Homespun Tapes, Ltd. New York.