The scale setting used on the 10-hole harmonica, also known as the blues harp, is called tuning.
The most common scale setting is called Richter tuning, which is the default tuning for most 10-hole harmonicas. Generally, most songs can be played using this tuning and a technique called bending, which lowers the pitch. However, some songs require the use plenty of more advanced techniques, including bending.
For this reason, various special tunings with scale settings have been devised that allow certain songs to be played without requiring the use of advanced playing techniques. However, even if you want to try playing in a special tuning, it is often difficult to obtain a harmonica that is already tuned in this way.
The harmonica app for iPhone called “CC Harp” has various tunings built in, as listed below, so you can quickly try out the usability of each tuning with a variety of songs.
Most of the tuning names listed are popular names, but some are unique to the app.
B.P represents the blowing and drawing pattern of each hole.
R (Richter): Holes 1-6 Blow->Draw, Holes 7-10 Draw->Blow
C (Chromatic): Holes 1-3 Blow->Draw, Hole 4: Draw->Blow, Holes 5-7: Blow->Draw, Hole 8: Draw->Blow, Holes 9-10: Blow->Draw
U (Unified): All Holes: Blow->Draw
| Tuning Name | B.P | Alteration | Characteristic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major | R | – |
The most common regular 10 hole diatonic harmonica tuning. 2nd position is Mixolydian mode: a great scale for blues and rock music. |
| Natural Minor | R | 3rd, 6th and 7th notes of Major tuning are lowered 1 semitone. | 1st position is Aeolian mode; this allows you to play minor tune intuitively. |
| Harmonic Minor | R | 3rd and 6th notes of Major tuning are lowered 1 semitone. |
A variant of Natural Minor: 7th note is raised 1 semitone to work as a leading note; suited for playing minor folk melodies. |
| Jazz Minor | R | 3rd note of Major tuning is lowered 1 semitone. | A variant of Harmonic Minor: 6th note is raised 1 semitone to resolve the gap between 6th and 7th notes. |
| Country | R | Hole 5 drawing (lower side) note of Major tuning is raised 1 semitone. |
In 2nd position, major scale containing major 7th note is available along the middle octave: suitable for playing melodies, especially country music styles. |
| Major-7th | R | Hole 5 and 9 drawing (lower side) notes of Major tuning are raised 1 semitone. |
In 2nd position, major scale containing major 7th note is available along the middle and upper octaves: more suitable for playing melodies. |
| Major-7th Melody | R | Hole 3 blowing (upper side) note of Major-7th tuning is raised by 1 tone. |
The tuning called Melody Maker™: complete major diatonic scale is available in 2nd position; this makes it very suitable for playing melodies and several main diatonic chords. |
| Solo | C | A typical tuning for chromatic harmonica. | Tip: You can play this instrument as a tiny chromatic harmonica with this tuning and the “Slide” feature. | High-tuned Solo | C | Octave higher than Solo tuning. | It can be used for play like a whistling with the sound close to a sine-wave. | Bebop | U | Spare root note of Solo tuning is changed to minor 7th. |
It makes a chromatic harmonica to have unified breath pattern and to get a consecutive chromatic sequence from 6th to root, including minor 7th: suitable for jazz playing. |
| Spiral | U | The diatonic scale is assigned in sequence from blow to draw along all holes. |
Also called “Circular”: there is no missing note in the major scale, and you can play all diatonic chords of the scale. |
| Spiral Minor7th | U | 7th note of Spiral tuning is lowered 1 semitone | One position off compared to Spiral tuning: 1st position is Mixolydian mode; major scale is in 12th position. |
| Dorian | R | Hole 3 and 7 drawing (lowe side) notes of Major tuning are lowered 1 semitone. | 2nd position is Dorian mode which the player familiar with the 2nd position can easily play with. |
| Easy Third | R | Hole 2 and 3 drawing (lower side) notes of Major tuning are lowered 1 tone. |
In 3rd position, scale and chord of the minor tonic in lower scale are available with no bending; very suitable for minor melodies and chord play. |
| Paddy Richter | R | Hole 3 blowing (upper side) note of Major tuning is raised 1 tone. | 6th note changed from 5th makes it easier to play the pentatonic scale. Great for melodic music such as Irish and Celtic music. |
| PowerBender | U | The layout higher than hole 5 has been changed. | Repositioning important notes to drawing side where is easy to bend, so that it reduces the need to use difficult over-blows and gets fluent breath pattern. |
| PowerDraw | U | Restored the allocation of hole 5 and 6 of PowerBender to Richter tuning. | A combination of the good parts of standard Richter tuning and PowerBender tuning. |
| Diminished | U | Eight notes per octave are regularly arranged by the parts of 1W-1H. | Combining the 1 semitone draw bending, it is possible to make all notes of the chromatic scale. |