Chromatic harmonica lesson: Harmonica tuning - can you hear a difference between A442 or A441?
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- Опубликовано: 26 фев 2023
- Hello everybody!
OK - this is nerdy stuff, but for me, very interesting stuff.
Can you hear and feel a difference if the harmonica is tuned to A441 instead of A442 when playing to a backing track? That is a difference of 1 hertz.
I often tune my instrument to A442 but I have recently experimented with both lower and higher pitch references.
Welcome to write your thoughts in the comments section.
Best regards,
Filip
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Amazing, I was looking for another thing and stopped by, wow.
Thanks for your kind words! 🎶🌞🎶
441 feels like sunset, 442 more like sunrise.
A442はキラキラした音色。A441は落ち着いた感じの音色ですね。
Filipの演奏で聴くと、どちらのチューニングでも、とても素敵です！
私はA442でチューニングしています。
When you have such great intonation either one sounds great! Here I prefer the 441 though probably because it's a bossa 😉 It is a real shame my first Suzuki SCX 48 I have just bought a few weeks ago comes in 444. It sounds so pitchy but I am really hesitant to retune all the reeds by hand. It makes me feel sad.
I have to wonder if playing 441 makes you blow differently because your ears force you to correct the tone - if that makes any sense. Like perhaps you play it lighter to compensate the lower frequency. I’d go for 442 since I feel more comfortable with the idea of the tone being a bit ‘tight’ rather ‘loose’ - just as I like it with my shoe laces.
Interesting thoughts - is my tone different on the 441?
@@FilipJersMusic I couldn’t tell but I only went through it once. Plus, the youtube compression might be a factor. I realized mine are all 443 since that is the default from Seydel.
Maybe the wood versus metal covers has more impact than thought, too? Materials will impact I guess, maybe there are just too many variables?
Very interesting, thank you...I have a question (and you don't need to answer)...What is the relation beetwen blow notes and draw notes on chromatic harp? I mean, I play mostly draw notes, with some accents on blows, and I realised that playing draw notes intuitively leads me into some kind of jazzy sound (of course with a proper use of slider), while,vice versa, focusing on blow notes gives some other impression, maybe more in ethnic way...I actualy often play diatonic harp and chromatic harp in a same way, focusing mainly on draw notes and I was wondering if there is some connection between diatonic harp and chromatic harp in sense of a physical approach...But of course I am talking here about pure improvised playing, not about playing songs or positions, that's other thing...
Muito obrigado 😃
Thanks for watching Nelson!
Salu Filip
Thanks for this very interesting topic. For me, A1 441Hz sounds more harmonious and warmer.
Have you already made experiences with the "old", original A1 432Hz concert pitch?
Kind regards
Leander
Hi, thanks for watching!
No, I have not gone lower than 441.
Dear Filip,
Thank you for sharing with us your harmonica virtuosity, incredible talent and priceless expertise. In most, if not all of your videos on chromatics your choice of the instrument is Suzuki brand chromatics. I'm quite sure if you'd try C# on most of your Suzuki chroms all you'd hear would be hiss, or nothing. Exception will be your Fabulous F-48. That what my experience is. I have ALL Suzuki chromatic models, including Fabulous. All of them have impaired C#, except Fabulous. I purchased replacement reed plates for Sirius, SCX, G-models.. same result. Not an issue with Hohner or Seydel chromatics. In fact I was watching all your videos and on non of them you touched that miserable C#. I'm wondering if you aware of it, or it's just unlucky me.. thank you for your advice.
Hi Bobcat,
Thanks for your kind words!
C# - in which hole? Is it the C# in hole 12? I can play them on my harmonicas, but I just don't use the notes in hole 12 so much, I find it hard often to put them in a musical context. It is so high, I like lower notes. But I tried now on 5 different chromatics and the note is there. Try having the position of your tongue like saying wiiii or wyyy when playing it. And don't play hard - the short reeds up there are very sensible.
In general playing in the third octave of the chromatic requires a lot of technique, it is like playing the flute, it requires different embouchures and air control in the different registers. The Suzuki reeds are also very different from the Hohner, phosphor bronze is a lot than brass.
Thank you Filip. I'll try to follow your advice. You are right, C# is seldom required, but for example, Stevie Wonder's "isn't she lovely " one of the part of harmonica solo requires C#.
There are few, but only few tunes that it's desirable, but avoidable. I'll try to find that mysterious position following your advice, but if not.. Fabulous or Seydel are to the rescue.
@@Svidge_123_ yes, true. With the right embouche and air pressure it will come. You could also try sending the reed plates to a harp tech and see if they can find anything wrong.
@Filip Jers Music
Filip,
I can't appreciate enough your advice. I actually sent my Sirius S-56s to a former Suzuki technician who now lives in Arizona to adjust gapping and playability. Specifically mentioned that C#. Unfortunately he shipped harmonica back with apologies. He did some additional work, including flattening ABS comb, but C# was too stubborn. I believe it's same when people win lottery few times in a lifetime, or struck by the lightning few times... my luck was to stuck with bunch of "lemons" from Suzuki. But meanwhile, following your advice I gradually started to squeeze that C# out of my SCX. I'll work in both directions: first - is to find specific projection dealing with top notes and second to get rid of obsession about missing note on the very top and avoiding by taking little freedom to rearrange some tunes to avoid that highest blow note and forget about it. Please be safe and inspired. Nobody is playing chromatic like you. Clarity, sweetness and smoothness of technically very challenging transitions and phrasing. No matter how intense passage is, your level of technique allows to introduce it in calm, flawless way. Like it's not a big deal. But many of us know what's behind it. Talent and work.. work and more work..
I agree. I like the color , flavor, and sparkle of 442 better. It just makes me curious how 443 would sound.
Me too, will tune 443 reed plates soon!
Seydel's are tuned to 443
Feels like this should be done with the same model of harp. I heard a difference but I'm not sure if it was the tuning or the harmonica.
Yes will keep same model for next video. Then I will add 443 to the mix.
Couldn't hear the difference tbh.
Thanks so much, Filip. I always enjoy your playing and your lessons. Two questions:
Do you prefer a 48-hole chromatic harmonica or 64-hole instrument? Any advantage other than compactness? Also it appears that your 48-hole harmonica is in the key of G. Can you give me your perspective on that? Thank you. Best wishes from the San Francisco Bay Area. -Tim