HI all,
I recently picked up a few cheap harmonicas in C so I could start teaching my kids some music (they are young and their fingers are not yet capable of dealing with the whistle). Anyway, while I originally was only going for the most basic stuff (Mary Had a Little Lamb, Twinkle, Twinkle, etc.) I have found that I really enjoy playing the instrument and my wife appreciates the fact that it has significantly less volume than the concertina and button accordion (and is less piercing than a whistle in the upper octaves). So, I want to start learning to play some Irish tunes.
As I was looking around, it seemed like Solo Tuned Chromatics and Paddy-Richter Tuned diatonics were the most common (outside of Tremolo instruments at least). So, before I made the leap, I was wondering what the relative advantages and disadvantages of each approach were? Not since Sydel actually sells a solo tuned tremolo, I am interested in only the relative advantages/disadvantages of the tuning system, not the chromatic vs. diatonic. Thanks,
--
Bill
Harmonica Question: Paddy-Richter vs. Solo Tuned for Irish?
-
- Posts: 213
- Joined: Sun Oct 06, 2002 6:00 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Tell us something.: Been playing Irish music for years, now I want to learn more about whistles to help teach my kids. Currently I play the Anglo Concertina and B/C accordion.
- Location: Bowie, Maryland
- crookedtune
- Posts: 4255
- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2006 7:02 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Location: Raleigh, NC / Cape Cod, MA
Re: Harmonica Question: Paddy-Richter vs. Solo Tuned for Irish?
I've wondered the same, and don't have a clear answer for you. You can play Irish trad on either just fine.
I'm not too into the tremolo sound, so my only solo-tuned harmonica is a chromatic. It's fine for playing Irish music. But I've really come to love the Seydel harps in Paddy Richter tuning better. They're small, comfortable, very air-tight, and just sound warmer than the chrom. I have three (G, A, D), with the stainless steel reeds. Great harps.
The other advantage is that they're easier to come by than the solo-tuned diatonic harmonicas, which don't seem to be very commonly sold or used.
I'm not too into the tremolo sound, so my only solo-tuned harmonica is a chromatic. It's fine for playing Irish music. But I've really come to love the Seydel harps in Paddy Richter tuning better. They're small, comfortable, very air-tight, and just sound warmer than the chrom. I have three (G, A, D), with the stainless steel reeds. Great harps.
The other advantage is that they're easier to come by than the solo-tuned diatonic harmonicas, which don't seem to be very commonly sold or used.
Charlie Gravel
“I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying.”
― Oscar Wilde
“I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying.”
― Oscar Wilde
- Pekkos
- Posts: 58
- Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2004 3:07 pm
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 1
- Contact:
Re: Harmonica Question: Paddy-Richter vs. Solo Tuned for Irish?
Hi
I really like Paddy Richter, my favourite is a G Marine band that i retuned myself, it's actually very easy! I also have two suzuki promaster that i bought from Brendan Power, but i like the warmth from the Marine band. When i started to play harmonica i played a C chromatic, and then got a G chromatic, but then i got confused with having a transposing chromatic instrument.
/Anders
I really like Paddy Richter, my favourite is a G Marine band that i retuned myself, it's actually very easy! I also have two suzuki promaster that i bought from Brendan Power, but i like the warmth from the Marine band. When i started to play harmonica i played a C chromatic, and then got a G chromatic, but then i got confused with having a transposing chromatic instrument.
/Anders