[ Home | Contents | Search | Post | Reply | Next | Previous | Up ]
From: Nick H
Production: JHG2005
Date: 2/23/2006
Time: 5:07:43 AM
Bernard says that it is not necessary to tune a 'good' jews harp --- which is probably true in Europe where the harp is tuned to standard pitch by its maker, and musicians are in the habbit of playing to standard pitch! In India neither is the case! Wayland goes on to describe tuning the instrument 'in hardware' by filing the toungue. I find that this only works for small alterations, and I use it if a morsing is slightly below its nominal pitch. My ideal is a morsing which is slightly above its nominal pitch, which can then be tuned 'in software' --- by applying a small piece of beeswax to the tip of the tongue. Very precise tuning is possible and reasonably easy by this method, which the traditional means of tuning the morsing. This gives the flexibility needed when accompanying musicians who are not tuning to western standard pitch. Emergency tuning can be done by bending the tongue. Bending it outwards lowers the pitch, inwards increases it, but this should only be done when otherwise one just wouldn't have a suitable instrument to play, as the metal will only take a little bending before snapping.