Sympathetic Harp Tuning

Tuning for The Sympathetic Harp Guitar
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Three suggested tunings for the Sympathetic Harp Guitar:

1) With the main strings of a regular fretted 6 string guitar tuned: EADGBE, the 14 string harp can be tuned chromatically with the Equal Temperament (ET) intervals from low A to high A#: A A# B C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A#.
This tuning can be used with chords in any key for Jazz, Rock, or world music.

2) You can change that tuning slightly to play a fretted modal style around a tonic. Some of the notes of the harp can be tuned away from the ET scale, and include some of the pure tuning intervals to give a sweeter sound.
You can exclude some of the ET non-tonic related intervals. For the tonic of "A":
A B C D D# E F# G G# A B C C# D. The tonic "A" related chords: A, D, E7, F#m, BM, will sound fine, but other unrelated chords wont sound in tune: Eb Bb Ab etc.
Tuning the harp with a the tonic of "C": G A B C D D# E F G A B C D E "C" related chords will be OK.

3) Suggested tuning for the Sympathetic Harp using the unfretted slide set-up for Indian raga style guitar. Starting with the tonic of C, the 6th main string is replaced with a .012" steel string and is used as a Chicari (rhythm string). This set up requires a Chicari post to be mounted on the rail near the upper bout. Once this string is mounted on the Chicari post it is tuned to High C. The remainder of the main playing strings, the 5th to 1st strings are tuned: G C G C F. In this instance, the Harp is tuned to the pure tuning intervals of Bilawal THAT - which is the pure tuning C major scale. For variety you can include any other interval. In the following example we have included an F# accidental : F G A B C D E F F# G A B C D E.

There are 10 Indian THATS from which come all the Classical Indian Music ragas. These THATS need to have the pure tuning 22 note scale to make the raga mood come alive.

We have devised a system for tuning to the pure tuning 12 note octave. The 12 note pure tune intervals come from the 22 Shrutis used in North Indian Classical Music Ragas. Equal Temperament tuning moves the pure tuning intervals variously from 2 cents to 28 cents away from their pure tuning positions. In Equal Temperament tuning there are 100 cents in every semitone (halftone), and 1200 cents in one octave.
Using this system to tune 12 of the 22 Shrutis shown in the charts below, you will need an electronic guitar tuner which has a needle dial. Such tuners have the Equal Temperament Scale as the default tuning. (See the pictures of tuner dials below) You can tune the strings of a Sympathetic Harp chromatically to the pure tuning intervals by doing the following:

Below is the pure tuning 12 note scale from the tonic A 440hz. Tune the string so the needle registers the specified cents away from the ET in-tune 0 needle
position. Concert Pitch A440hz

Below is the pure tuning 12 note scale from a tonic of C 523.252hz. Tune the string so the needle registers the specified cents away from the ET in-tune 0 needle
position. Concert Pitch C 523.252hz (A.440)

Photo of a Guitar Tuner dial (ET)

1) A The tonic will be 0 cents - A440hz

2b) A# The minor second will be + 11 cents = 466hz

2) B The major second will be +3 cents = 495hz

3b) C The minor third will be +15 cents = 528hz

3) C# The major third will be -14 cents = 550hz

4) D The fourth will be -2 cents = 586hz

4#) D# The tri-tone will be -10cents = 618hz

5) E The fifth will be +2 cents = 660hz

6b) F The minor sixth will be +14 cents = 704hz

6) F# The major sixth will be -16cents = 733hz

7b) G The minor seventh will be +17 cents = 792hz

7) G# The major seventh will be -12 cents = 825hz

8) A/2 The octave will be 0 cents = 880hz

Photo of a Guitar Tuner dial (ET)

1) C the tonic will be 0 cents - Approx 523hz

2b) C# the minor second will be +11 cents = 558hz

2) D the major second will be + 3 cents = 588hz

3b) D# the minor third will be + 15 cents = 627hz

3) E The major Third will be -14 cents = 654hz

4) F The fourth will be -2 cents = 697hz

4#) F# The tri-tone will be -10 cents = 735hz

5) G The fifth will be +2 cents = 784hz

6b) G# The minor sixth will be + 14 cents = 836hz

6) A The major sixth will be -16 cents = 871hz

7b) A# The minor seventh will be +17 cents = 941hz

7) B The major seventh will be -12 cents = 980hz

8) C The octave will be 0 cents = 1046hz

Try this online freeware NCH tuner that reads frequency:
Download PitchPerfect Musical Instrument Tuner
or
http://www.nch.com.au/tuner/index.html

Try this freeware sine-wave generator capable of sounding any frequency in Hz..
Sinegen Sine Wave Generatorhttp:

The intervals above are the simplest fractions in the 22 Shrutis (microtones). Some of the more extreme intervals are as much as 28 cents (a quarter tone) away from the ET intervals. Within the 22 Shrutis there are three flatted seconds, two major seconds, 2 minor thirds, and so on. Which of these to use depends on the tonal center of the particular THAT selected. I have not included all 22 intervals as they are specific to the more advanced ragas and cannot be discerned by electronic tuners. A study of the Ten THATS will be necessary to understand the more obscure Shrutis. The exact cents are not given above as guitar tuners cannot accurately resolve such fine frequencies.

For a fuller explanation of the Shrutis and the
ten THATS visit: Perfect Third

EQUAL TEMPERAMENT

Equal Temperament (ET) uses a 12 note octave which has been gradually adopted by western music to replace the pure tuning 22 note octave, (called Just Intonation or JI) Just Intonation revolves around a fixed tonal center and limits the modern concept of modulation. The 12 ET notes are based on a mathematical formula that makes each of the 12 intervals the same distance apart on a decreasing scale. The formula is:

This system of tuning allows each note to act as any interval within the octave, giving modern music the ability to have sequential chord structures. Bach was one of the first to realize the potential of this system, and a full exploration of these principles is found in Bach's 12 Tone Inventions. Bebop to the Beatles, Beethoven to the Bangles all use the ET system. The 22 Pure Tuning intervals are still used as passing tones which function as sweetening sounds in order to overcome the slightly sour sounds of some of the intervals of Equal Temperament.

Sympathetic string resonance

Sympathetic Resonance is the energy transference from a plucked main string attached to a bridge mounted on a resonant diaphragm, such as a guitar face. The vibrations transfer into the harmonically related intervals of the sympathetic strings.

The Sympathetic Harp strings are similar to the sympathetic strings found on Indian stringed instruments, such as sitar and sarod. They are not played directly, but are instead driven or activated in response to the plucked main playing strings. These sympathetic vibrations activate the Jawari bridge and feed back into the guitar face, as well as generating an electric current in the micro-phonic elements within the Jawari bridge, which can then be amplified

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