Chromatic Harmonica - Alternate Tunings

Alternate Tunings

Like Diatonic, Chromatics are available in numerous tunings. However, there are three more popular versions: one is the Irish tuning, which is done by flattening (instead of sharpening) the notes when the slide is in. This makes playing Irish music, and to a certain extent, blues, easier, since Irish music is commonly played in either the key of D or key of G. The use of C, with no sharps or flats, and B, with all flats, allows common Irish modes to be played while the downward tuning slide allows ornamentation in keeping with the Irish tradition. The Irish Tuning can be done easily by reversing the slide (flipping the slide upside down) of a chromatic in the key of B major; alternatively, one can just use the B major as is, but use slide-in as the home position.

Key out: identical to solo tuning
`1 `2 `3 `4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 ----------------------------------------------- blow: |B |Eb|Gb|B |B |Eb|Gb|B |B |Eb|Gb|B |B |Eb|Gb|B | key in draw: |db|e |ab|bb|db|e |ab|bb|db|e |ab|bb|db|e |ab|bb| -----------------------------------------------

Another one is the bebop tuning, which is done by tuning the redundant C/C♯ in hole 4', 4, 8, and 12 blow into a B♭/B pair. This allows playing chords in the key of F, as well as playing a C7 chord.

`1 `2 `3 `4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 ----------------------------------------------- blow: |C |E |G |Bb|C |E |G |Bb|C |E |G |Bb|C |E |G |Bb| key out draw: |d |f |a |b |d |f |a |b |d |f |a |b |d |f |a |b | -----------------------------------------------
`1 `2 `3 `4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 ----------------------------------------------- blow: |C#|F |G#|B |C#|F |G#|B |C#|F |G#|B |C#|F |G#|B | key in draw: |d#|f#|a#|c |d#|f#|a#|c |d#|f#|a#|c |d#|f#|a#|c | -----------------------------------------------

Another popular version of alternate tuning is the classical tuning, which is done by switching between the blow and draw of the 4th hole of each octave:

`1 `2 `3 `4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 ----------------------------------------------- blow: |C |E |G |B |C |E |G |B |C |E |G |B |C |E |G |B | key out draw: |d |f |a |c |d |f |a |c |d |f |a |c |d |f |a |c | -----------------------------------------------
`1 `2 `3 `4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 ----------------------------------------------- blow: |C#|F |G#|C |C#|F |G#|C |C#|F |G#|C |C#|F |G#|C | key in draw: |d#|f#|a#|c#|d#|f#|a#|c#|d#|f#|a#|c#|d#|f#|a#|c#| -----------------------------------------------

This easily allow Imaj7 and iimajo7 chords, as well as many other chords, which are very beneficial for classical music playing.