Exploring the Major Cross Harmonica
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Major Cross, to the best of my knowledge, is a tuning from Tony Eyers1,
created for playing fiddle tunes. There are a number of altered tunings2,
this article specifically explores the Major Cross tuning.
This tuning incorporates the Paddy Richter alteration which raises the 3 blow two semitones, and the country
tuning modification which raises the 5 draw one semitone (the 9 draw is also raised one semitone) like the
Lee Oskar3
Melody Maker harmonica.
In addition, it raises the 1 blow, 2 blow, and 1 draw two semitones each, and it lowers the 10 blow
one semitone. This creates a continuous diatonic modal interval without a need to bend a note. The tuning does indeed shine
for fiddle tunes, actually any modal music.
Mapping the Major Cross tuned Harmonica
Example Layout - D Harp (bends shown) mouseover notes for chords
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bb |
|
F |
| A |
C# |
E |
G |
B |
D |
G |
B |
D |
F# |
| 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
| B |
D |
F# |
A |
C# |
E |
F# |
A |
C# |
E |
| Bb |
|
F |
Ab |
C |
Eb |
|
|
|
|
How To Make One - Altering a Tuning In a Nutshell
It is easy to ruin a reed. If you are attempting this for the first time, use an old/cheap harp that is not precious to you.
It is likely that you will make a mistake and ruin the first harp you try something like this on. Don't come whining to
me about it. You've been warned, I accept no responsibility for harps that you ruin.
In the chart above, the magenta holes are the ones that need to be altered. Here's a
spread sheet that you can set up for any key harp to help you make one if you want to make
it in a different key. The method stays the same.
I wanted to play mine along with mountain dulcimers so the key of D seemed to be the right choice for my first major cross harp.
I started with a G Richter tuned harp (1st position marking). Starting with a Melody Maker would have saved me a bit of work
but I had the extra Richter harp in G so that's what I used.
I used my Lee Oskar tool kit. You only need to remove the covers, there's no need to remove the reed plates from the comb.
If using a rotary tool, make sure the rotation of the part touching the reed is toward the tip so as not to crinkle the
reed. The reeds are quite fragile so if you are not experienced in altering tunings on a harmonica, use the file and/or
chisel and be patient. Mistakes will ruin a reed instantly! You may cause metal to extend past the tip or side
of the reed and not be able to see it. When you try to blow or draw that reed it will stick and choke. Carefully file the
thin edge of the tip or side to free it from touching the reed plate. Easy does it, it doesn't take much.
The process is to remove some metal, then check the tuning against a reference like a tuner or match the tone to a piano
or tuning fork. Repeat as needed. I use an electronic tuner. Start slowly. Removing too much will cause you to have to
remove metal from the opposite end to correct the error. It is best to not send yourself down that path. Be patient!
To raise the pitch of a reed you must remove some metal near the tip of the reed (the free moving end opposite the rivet).
The reeds on the bottom plate are on the outside so it is easy to slip a feeler gauge under the end to support it while
removing metal with a file or low speed rotary tool. Raise hole 1 two semitones. Raise holes 5 and 9 one semitone each.
The reeds are under the plate on the top. You can use a little bent tip tool to carefully poke the reed through the hole
and then catch/support it with a feeler gauge. Remove metal from the free moving end of the reed to raise the pitch of
the note. Raise holes 1, 2, and 3 two semitones each.
To lower the pitch of a note you must remove metal from the captive end of the reed. You can hold the reed steady with a
small screwdriver inserted into the hole and then use a small tip chisel to scrape the reed. The 10 blow is a small reed
and it doesn't take much metal to make a big difference. Lower hole 10 one semitone.
If you like to play chords, be sure to consider them in your tuning adjustments. I used a harp that starts out in an
equal temperament. I may end up retuning to a just tuning to smooth out the chords since they sound a bit harsh at the
moment. There's such a nice set of them with this tuning that it seems a shame to not take advantage of them.
See Pat Missin's web page referenced at the bottom for information on just tuning.
Playing The Major Cross Harp
If you often ask people on internet discussion groups; "Does anyone have tab for ...", this may not be the harp for you.
I have no idea where you could find tab for a harp in this tuning. The good news is, this may well be as easy an instrument
to play by ear as there is. A little bit of music theory goes a long way with this tuning. Don't get scared off, it
doesn't take much. It looks like too much to think about at first, but if you work play with it a bit it becomes clear and easy.
The most useful thing to know about is the circle of fifths. That's true for any harmonica, but especially this one.
There is and article with more detail than I'll give here at square circle. The circle
moves clockwise in 5ths, counterclockwise in 4ths. Looking at the circle, for the key of D you can see that the IV
chord is G (next to the D counterclockwise) and the V chord is A (next to the D clockwise). The other thing that the circle
of fifths tells you about is harmonica positions and the modes4
associated with them. A position is not a mode, but it's a good way to find it since the modes are what follow the circle
of fifths. The claim to fame for the Major Cross tuning is that you have two full octaves with no skipped notes or
requirements to bend a note so it is a great instrument for playing modal music.
The Country tuning alteration raises the Mixolydian flat 7s a semitone to make an Ionian Major interval in 2nd position. It is
the easiest aspect of the tuning to get used to. Anyone who already plays country or Melody Maker harps has no change in
thinking or playing to deal with here.
The Paddy tuning alteration raises the 3 blow two semitones so that it becomes the second note of the Major scale.
This eliminates the need for bending for the note and therefore makes playing easier. For people who normally play
Richter tuned harps it is a big adjustment to make since you normally bend for the note and the bent note is not there.
It's not like you get a choice; to bend or not to bend, you must play the harp as it's tuned. For people who already play
Paddy tuned, or Melody Maker harps, you already have come to grips with this adjustment.
The Major Cross tuning alteration at the high end (10 blow) is not so difficult to adjust to except for the loss of
blowing the 7 - 10 octave. The low end alteration is the most profound. It is a bit disorienting for the 1 blow and draw to
not match the 4 blow and draw. If you are a rhythm chugger the 1 draw is not the natural 7 for the 2 3 4 draw chord any more
and must be avoided as it poisons the chord. The 1 2 3 blow is now the 2nd position V chord, rather than the IV. This is
also disorienting, but could be useful. If you want to use the 1 2 3 blow chord, the task of retuning these reeds becomes
more critical. I need to do some more tuning adjustment on the harp that I altered for this,
Harp keys and positions
Mode
(no bends) |
Position
(Richter) |
Position
(Major Cross) |
Tonic at (major cross) |
Key |
Key |
Key |
Key |
Key |
Key |
Key |
Key |
Key |
Key |
Key |
Key |
| Lydian |
12th |
1st |
4 blow |
F |
C |
G |
D |
A |
E |
B |
F# |
Db |
Ab |
Eb |
Bb |
| Ionian |
1st |
2nd |
2 draw |
C |
G |
D |
A |
E |
B |
F# |
Db |
Ab |
Eb |
Bb |
F |
| Mixolydian |
2nd |
3rd |
1 blow |
G |
D |
A |
E |
B |
F# |
Db |
Ab |
Eb |
Bb |
F |
C |
| Dorian |
3rd |
4th |
3 blow |
D |
A |
E |
B |
F# |
Db |
Ab |
Eb |
Bb |
F |
C |
G |
| Aeolian |
4th |
5th |
1 draw |
A |
E |
B |
F# |
Db |
Ab |
Eb |
Bb |
F |
C |
G |
D |
| Phrygian |
5th |
6th |
3 draw |
E |
B |
F# |
Db |
Ab |
Eb |
Bb |
F |
C |
G |
D |
A |
| Locrian |
6th |
12th |
2 blow |
B |
F# |
Db |
Ab |
Eb |
Bb |
F |
C |
G |
D |
A |
E |
Knowing where the octave notes are, along with the 5ths (circle of 5ths) normally tells you where to start since most tunes
start on the tonic or the 5th. Start there and then go with your ear. This is very useful when you consider that the
pentatonic scales can be found in three adjacent modes. The Major pentatonic is naturally in the Lydian, Ionian, and
Mixolydian. The Blues Minor pentatonic is naturally in the Dorian, Aeolian, and Phrygian.
To play the Major pentatonic song "Amazing Grace" in three keys you consider that it starts on the 5th below the tonic.
Therefore, with a D Major Cross harp you start on the 2 draw (D) to play it in the key of G. Start on the 1 blow (A)
to play it in the key of D. Start on the 3 blow (E) to play it in the key of A. The Major pentatonic tune "Liza Jane"
starts on the tonic and never goes below it, so you start playing on the tonic; 4 blow for the key of G, 2 draw for the
key of D, and 1 blow for the key of A. Go with the flow.
It isn't a blues harp, but the Blues Minor pentatonic interval is available starting at the 3 blow (key of E on the D harp).
It is available starting at the 1 draw (key of B on the D harp) and the 3 draw is bendable so you can get the flat 5 for
the traditional blues scale. It is also available starting at the 3 draw (key of F# on the D harp) and the 5 draw is
bendable so you can get the flat 5 for the traditional blues scale.
Tonic notes for modes, a note layout (non-circle of 5ths) mode relationship to the Major Cross harp
| Mixolydian |
Aeolian |
Locrian |
Ionian |
Dorian |
Phrygian |
Lydian |
1 blow
4 draw
8 draw |
1 draw
5 blow
8 blow |
2 blow
5 draw
9 draw |
2 draw
6 blow
9 blow |
3 blow
6 draw
10 draw |
3 draw
7 draw
10 blow |
4 blow
7 blow
missing |
Chords
The surprise bonus is that in addition to the major V draw chords that raising the 5 and 9 draw (country tuning) give you,
there is a low V chord at the 123 blow. Avoid the 10 blow and the 1 and 7 draw notes, the natural 7 chords are gone with
this tuning. If you like to throw in rhythm chugs at the low end the 1 draw must be avoided and the 123 blow is now the V
chord, not the IV chord. This can be used to advantage, but can cause problems for your automatic techniques.
Major I-IV-V chords for 2nd position
| I |
2 3 3 draw |
|
|
| IV |
4 5 6 blow |
7 8 9 blow |
|
| V |
1 2 3 blow |
4 5 6 draw |
8 9 10 draw |
Bending Notes
While it's true that the purpose of this tuning is to give two easy to play Major octaves in the diatonic modes,
there are a limited number of bends available (see the map at the top of the article). The flat 5 blue note
is an example. Bending the 5 draw down while playing 2nd position to resurrect the flat 7 note is another.
Conclusion
This is a useful tuning that can add to what you can do while playing bluegrass, old-time, fiddle tunes, and folk music.
It provides Major I-IV-V chords, two octaves that can be played quickly without a need for bent notes, and for the player
who can bend notes, some popular modal tunes, and even blues fills can be accomplished. It's worth a look.
Footnotes & References
1. Tony Eyers plays bluegrass and Irish harmonica. You can read about him at
www.harmonicatunes.com.
2. Altered tunings: An excellent source of information about many altered tunings can be found at
Pat Missin's web page - www.patmissin.com.
3. Lee Oskar is a noted harmonica player who also markets a line of good quality harmonica that
bear his name. You can read about Lee Oskar and his harmonicas at www.leeoskar.com.
4. Modes: Diatonic instruments change modes as you play them in different keys. Some harp players
insist that they are not modal because they can play out of those modes with bent notes and/or overblows and underdraws.
But that's talking about what they can do with their set of playing skills, rather than what
the harp provides without skilled technique. You can learn more about modes here and
here. There is some discussion about playing out of mode with bends (but not overblows)
on this page.
Last update 11-Jul-2009
