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Author Topic: Right Hand Harmonics on different boxes.  (Read 662 times)

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pbsalt

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Right Hand Harmonics on different boxes.
« on: June 13, 2020, 05:32:12 PM »

I'd like to know from any physicists amongst you why the harmonics when playing  2 notes together on the Right hand ( 5ths or 3rds) sound so much better on my wetter tuned boxes ( Hohner Pokerwork  > Rees Wesson 1 row > Saltarelle Nuage) than my drier tuned Lukinnen.  It is probably one of the reasons I prefer the sound of my Saltarelle to all the Castignaris I've heard.

Is this just a question of reed- tuning  and you could get a Castignari with the harmonics of a Pokerwork or are other factors involved ?
Of course this could just be my personal preference -  but to my ears the harmonies produced when  ( trying) to emulate Tony Halls playing of the Flowers of Edinburgh,  or when playing one of my favourite Australian tunes, Sally Sloane's mazurka sound so much better on the boxes mentioned.       
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Paul
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Eshed

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Re: Right Hand Harmonics on different boxes.
« Reply #1 on: June 13, 2020, 06:54:03 PM »

This is exactly due to the dry/wet tuning, and less a matter of the box (AFAIK).

Pleasing harmonies occur when the frequencies of two notes have a nice greatest common divisor (gcd). The best example is a note and the exact same note an octave above.
The frequency of the higher note is exactly twice the frequency of the lower note - which makes the frequency of the lower one the gcd. That's why two notes an octave apart sound so well together.
If we had two notes that had a ratio of two thirds or three quarters between them, they'd have very pleasing harmony as well.
Unfortunately our notes are just a tad bit offset from that due to equal temperament.
That means that any two notes you'd pick (which aren't a whole number of octaves apart) have a nasty irrational ratio between them and they don't sound as good together as they would if you gave them a nudge to the right direction.
In comes wet tuning - instead of being exactly on point we have two notes that are slightly apart - this makes the note a bit "wider" so while it still doesn't fit exactly with other notes it does so less offensively to the ear and if you remember that all notes are "wider" they do manage to cooperate a bit instead of not at all.
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Do you have a Hohner from 1934-1945 with a serial number on?
Send me a private message or comment on the German Accordion Problem spreadsheet to improve the statistics of the project and get an estimate of the production date of the box if it is not known.

Dick Rees

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Re: Right Hand Harmonics on different boxes.
« Reply #2 on: June 13, 2020, 09:25:06 PM »

"Better" is not a recognized term in physics...
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"You're making the wrong mistakes."
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Chris Ryall

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Re: Right Hand Harmonics on different boxes.
« Reply #3 on: June 14, 2020, 09:32:54 AM »

"Better" is not a recognized term in physics...

What about the famous Stephen Hawkins / Kip Thorne bet? 😉
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Rob2Hook

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Re: Right Hand Harmonics on different boxes.
« Reply #4 on: June 14, 2020, 11:45:14 AM »

It's not that famous, Chris!

If you want to prove the point (and have a musical ear, as you obviously do) try playing single red such as a Lilly or a concertina.  They demonstrate absolutely the problems of chord playing within the context of equal temperament tuning - really harsh with some true dissonance in places.  It doesn't do to dwell on any of these notes, they best suit a lively almost staccato style if you must have the harmonies.

Rob.
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