My Marine Band harps in C and A are sharp by 20 cents. How to get them so I can play with instruments in standard tune? One harp’s new and the other I’ve had for years. What to do?
Hi John
Most manufacturers tune harmonicas sharp because many players unintentionally flatten the pitch, usually due to adopting a vocal tract form which doesn’t fit to the wavelength of the note they’re playing. And sometimes the pitch will also rise with time. So if you need to correct this then you’ll have to tune down.
Here’s a link to the video on tuning from the Hohner website:
These videos cover many aspects of harmonica maintenance and mainly refer to chromatics, but tuning is no different on a diatonic except that there are no windsaver valves, so it’s simpler. The tools you’ll need are detailed in the first vid in the series and there are a number of other helpful tips here.
Good luck!
Steve