Simon,

As always it is well explained...thank you for taking the time...

Will go check out scoil pics! : )

JP


>
> Hi JP, this is a slow reply but that's the speed of my brain these
> days... our Man with the Modes is conspicious by his absence so I'll
> put in my penny worth..
>
> > Is it correct to say the 'standard' tuning is with F sharp...which
> > can be changed to F natural on occassion as needs be?
>
> This is what Bunting observed from the 18th century harpers such as
> O'Hampsey, but...
>
> Ann makes an interesting point... and its complicated so hang on...
>
> On a big 18th century harp i.e. the Downhill which goes below your
> bass G, the next string down is either F or E - there is one string
> for those 2 places. Now when the rest of the harp has F#, that string
> goes to E and there is no low F# on the harp... but when the f#s up
> the harp are retuned to f natural, that low E comes up to F. Now it
> has 2 Gaelic names, when it is E it is called Tead leagtha - The
> string fallen, and when it is F it is called Tead leagaidh - Falling
> string.
>
> Now Ann says, surely this implies that when these names were created,
> the "normal" position was F, "falling", and the "changed" position
> would be E, "Fallen". And this then implies that the original
> "normal" tuning had F in the bass, and therefore f natural all the
> way up, and so was the opposite of Bunting's, i.e. all naturals, f
> natural, or (thinking of the harp starting on G and sisters on g), G
> mixolydian.
>
> As for B flat, that is a further step away, no reason why the
> medieval Irish harps might not have used it... but the way I am
> thinking, what people mean really when they say B flat is not so much
> the actual pitch, but more the idea of a flattened 7th(if youre
> starting on C). Translate that onto a Gaelic harp starting on G and
> the flattened 7th is F natural... so maybe that is the same thing
> from a different point of view?
>
> How does That sound???
>
> Simon
>
> PS if you have not seen, the Scoil 2006 photos are now up... go to
> www.irishharpschool.com and click "photos"
>