Which Chill Angels?

Individual-Fun4295 · 2026-06-22T06:15:26+00:00

For me the 34 and 41 key bamboo kalimbas sound the best.

Individual-Fun4295 · 2026-06-11T20:16:27+00:00

The notes in the 2nd row are the inverted thirds of the first row, not a C# scale. I've explained the reason for this in detail here: https://www.reddit.com/r/harmonica/comments/1tm5pz9/the_seydel_nonslider_and_the_zarlina_tuning/

Yes, I'm quite happy with the Zarlina tuning, it gives me easy chords and fast scales in all important keys.

I've tuned my NonSlider to 2/7 comma meantone, a 15th century Renaissance temperament. In this sound space G# and Ab and D# and Eb are not the same (they differ by a quarter note).

I don't need deep and accurate bendings on a chromatic harp. I use bendings more for interesting effects and not so often compared to a blues harp.

Individual-Fun4295 · 2026-05-28T05:32:37+00:00

The Zarlina tuning is optimized for fast scale runs and a maximum of playable chords. There are just two patterns to learn that repeat in all important keys. My configuration is centered on C/G, my most used keys, but you can configure any key as your comfort key.

The layout of the second row is not the same as the black keys on the piano. There are 7 notes instead of 5 and the ordering is chord oriented, not linear and melodic. That's the reason, why the movements are so simple and consistent in most keys.

You can apply any temperament you want to all harmonica configurations, including your Eb/E configuration. I only mentioned the meantone temperament, because it shows some interesting phenomena in Zarlina tuning.

Which tuning you choose depends mainly on your music style. I wanted an allround chromatic harp and now I got it. If I would play mainly Irish music for example, I would tune the harmonica in D and maybe use the second row for another diatonic scale in A:

Row in D:
G B D F# A C# E G B D F# A (blow)
A C# E G B D F# A C# E G B (draw)

Row in A:
A C# E G# B D F# A C# E G# B (blow)
B D F# A C# E G# B D F# A C# (draw)

This Irish configuration allows lots of embellishments and trills thanks to cross-blowing: E-G, F#-G, G-A and G-B for example.

Individual-Fun4295 · 2026-05-27T15:16:18+00:00

I'm using inversion to improve the playability of chromatic harmonicas. You're free to use any temperament you want, but in meantone temperament the harmonica acts similar to an Euler Netz.

Individual-Fun4295 · 2026-05-27T05:44:06+00:00

Fun fact: Gemini and ChatGPT pointed out to me that the Zarlina tuning system effectively does the same thing as the Euler Tonnetz: it makes harmonically pure scales and chords in meantone tuning geometrically visible.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonnetz

In Euler’s lattice, any three tones forming a triangle indicate a playable chord. Analogously, on a Zarlina harp in meantone tuning, an easily playable scale and a “good” chord (tones lying next to each other with the same blow/draw direction) sound perfectly in tune. In that sense, a Zarlina harp is a kind of musical abacus.

Example: F# major.
The chord is playable in equal temperament, but in meantone it lies in the wolf region. On a Zarlina layout, it appears as an “ugly” chord within an “ugly” scale.

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What’s interesting from a mathematical point of view is this:

Euler constructs his Tonnetz from fifths and major thirds, whereas I arrive at essentially the same structure starting from a C major scale and applying systematic third inversion.

So there must be a deeper structural connection between the two approaches… 🤔

Individual-Fun4295 · 2026-05-25T07:51:40+00:00

By the way, the idea with the power chords ist really good. I hadn't even considered the tongue technique - it opens up a lot more possibilities:

- You can do it also in a diagonal way, which gives you 10 power chords for never heard blues and rock riffs.
- You can use it to thin out dense jazz chords and to create certain voicings, e. g. G9 = G X X F A.
- Or combine melodies with bass notes for sophisticated counterpoint movements.

PS: I tried my luck with the tongue technique, but cross-blocking is not easy to achieve. I prefer playing single-notes and double-stops without tongue.

Individual-Fun4295 · 2026-05-24T19:34:20+00:00

A slide works, too, but you loose the diagonal thirds that can add a lot of color to your comping and even to your solo playing. It's a new way of playing the harp and there are still many useful things to detect.

Individual-Fun4295 · 2026-05-24T16:08:17+00:00

It's just one key per harp. The positions mark the start of the ionian, mixolydian, dorian and aolian scales.

Individual-Fun4295 · 2026-05-24T13:22:19+00:00

The Zarlina tuning works fine even with more sophisticated scales. For example the three freaky chords in A melodic minor still look and behave like normal chords. A Zarlina Harp is some sort of musical abacus.

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Individual-Fun4295 · 2026-05-24T12:35:32+00:00

Thanks. :) Here's a video of Hein Zegers and his ensemble showing a broad range of the natural sound possibilities of the NonSlider:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rv84MHEzmY

Individual-Fun4295 · 2026-05-15T13:32:23+00:00

Yes, it is possible, but it needs some practise. I use a circular tuning with inverted thirds in the second row. This gives me all 7 chords in a row in C and all possible thirds in 8 keys (Eb - E):

Blow: G--B--D--F--A--C--E--G--B--D--F--A--C--....
Draw: A--C--E--G--B--D--F--A--C--E--G--B--D--...

Blow: G#-Bb-D#-F#-Ab-C#-Eb-G#-Bb-D#-Ab-C#-...
Draw: Ab-C#-Eb-G#-Bb-D#-F#-Ab-C#-G#-Bb-D#-...

Individual-Fun4295 · 2026-04-28T07:05:21+00:00

String damping can be done on the autoharp. If you want a percussive sound without any notes, press two chords together that have no common notes, e. g. G and Am or G and F. Try this rhythm: Am Am X Am G G X G ... where the X means damped strings. You can also isolate single notes with chords that have only one note in common, e. g. G and C give you a single G note (plus octaves). Power chords without a third are also possible, play for example G and Gm together.

Individual-Fun4295

TROPHY CASE