Circular Tuning enables the player to play all kinds of melodies easily. Difficulties occuring on a Richter Harp are circumvented by a "logical" order of tones. The major scale can be played simply by alternating draws and blows (no tone "bending" is needed).
On a Circular up to 12 different chords can be played depending what channels are played at a time.
Therefore it's not so easy to label this tuning correctly.
At Seydel's we follow the principle of usually taking the first note in Channel 1, blown for naming the key of the harmonica, although in this case it indicates C in the Mixolydian scale.
Hole 1 draw (note D1) however, is the basic note for D Natural Minor, and hole 2 draw (F1) is the basic note for parallel key F major, both are scales you will probably play (and be thinking in) for most of the time. Thus the major scale playable is 5 half-steps (a fourth) higher than the key the harp is labeled in!
Circular C
| blasen/blow |
G3 |
B3 |
D4 |
F4 |
A4 |
C5 |
E5 |
G5 |
B5 |
D6 |
| Kanal/channel |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
| ziehen/draw |
A3 |
C4 |
E4 |
G4 |
B4 |
D5 |
F5 |
A5 |
C6 |
E6 |
Possible Chords:
C, Dm, F, Gm, Am, Bb, C7, Dm7, Fmaj7,Gm7, Am7, Bbmaj7, Edim
played on a Blues Session Circular G
by Heiner Krüger
played on a Blues Session Zirkular A
by Heiner Krüger
