How does each 24 holes in a tremolo harmonica can be used in diatonic tabs? What I mean is which holes correspond to a single number of a diatonic tabs? Do you get what I mean? Please help me,,

The basic answer is that you would play one note higher than listed on the diatonic tab, I got your PM and sent you a more detailed answer to your question there.

I too, am trying with a tremelo harp I have one of 16 holes double layer and the other is 20 hole double layer, Yukon, could you also give me a more detailed answer of how to play them and the use of diatonic tabbing. Would be much obliged. Thanks

OK Cliff, yours are a little different than eatheone's, your 20 hole harp is has 2 holes for each one hole on a diatonic, the first hole (top and bottom) is a blow hole and the second hole (top and bottom) is a draw hole. The top and bottom holes are just off from each other and that is what makes the vibration, for example if your first hole is a C, then the top hole would be a C flat and the bottom a C sharp (or the other way around), therefore what you have with a 20 hole harp is the same as having a 10 hole diatonic. Your 20 hole harp should be set up identical to a regular diatonic (if it is a standard tuning), so all you would have to do is play the same as the tab shows for a diatonic, to get some of the notes you would have to bend as you would on a diatonic, there is debate on that, as it is usually easy to do a bend on a tremolo, but the reeds on a tremolo are thinner than the ones on a diatonic and therefore are easier to damage, this is why some say that you should not do bends with a tremolo, I guess you can form your own opinion on that, also you wouldn't have much of a choice if you needed to get those notes. I play an Echo Celeste 24, it covers all the notes so that you have no need to bend. Your 16 hole one would be pretty much the same as your 20 hole, except you lose a couple holes so it would be like playing on a diatonic harp that started on the 2 hole and ended on the 9 hole. So if you were playing diatonic tabs for a key of C, the blow 4 on a diatonic would be a C and on your 16 hole tremolo the blow 3 would be the same C, so you would want to play one hole lower than what it shows on a diatonic tab, you just lose the notes that would be played on the 1 or 10 hole of a diatonic. Now all that said, there are a couple of different tunings that can be used (although the one I listed is the standard one) which would throw all of this off, you would just have to compare it to a diatonic in the same key to find out if it is the same setup. Hope this makes a little bit of sense to you, if you need anything else or if you need something here cleared up let me know and I will try to help you through it.

Well thanks for all that, Yukon, Yes it all makes sense and following your explanation through with the Tremelo at my mouth I have now worked it out and I now understand why I have been able to get some form of a recognisable tune out of these tremelo's by using the tabs of Diatonic tabbings. I find that the movement up and down the line is greater than when using Diatonic, obviously as draw then blow holes are set side by side one is to miss out a hole when going consecutively up or down as playing a blow 4 5 6 7 so it will take some getting used to after playing Diatonic. One more thing I have found that you can eradicate the tremelo sound by jutting the lower jaw forward this blocks of the lower level holes and directs air flow only through the upper level holes, just as you say. I'll keep working on it and am sure it will be a pleasureable sound when I become more proficient. Thanks again.

Although very similiar to each other, there is enough difference between the tremolo and diatonic to keep you thinking as you play. Also they say the tremolo is mainly for Eastern style music, folk and gospel songs, I play all types of songs on mine, and think that the only limitation of songs played on a tremolo is the limitation that the player puts on the harp itself.

Yukon, I'm finding that I can get a tune out of these Tremelo's playing by ear, as it is called, far easier than my Diatonics. Something simple like "Auld Lang-Syne" just materialised out of nothing but a memory, while I was playing. Could it be that the Tremelo sound covers up ones mistakes more and one keeps on going just playing. Beginning to think I will be moving on to a more precisely built model.

i need a little help please figuring how to play diatonic tabs on a tremolo harmonica. can anyone please help? thanks.

wenv98,

Let's start with what brand and model of tremolo you have and how many holes does it have so that we can figure out how you will need to adjust the tabs.

hey thanks for the reply, its brand is something called (swan) its the only brand i found in my country.
but it has 24 holes up and down = 48 holes total
(C) key
sometimes when i play diatonic tabs i skip the first hole in the harmonica and sometimes i don't. its really confusing.

I did not find a layout for your brand, but the common layout is as follows,
of the 24 holes 12 are blow and 12 are draw, the odd number holes are the blow holes and the even number holes are draw, so for tab purposes you have 12 holes (hole 1 and 2 would be hole number 1, holes 3and 4 would be hole number 2 and so on), here is the layout,

I can't get the letters to line up exactly under the numbers but you get the idea.

Blow holes
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23
G C E G C E G C E G C E
Draw holes
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
D F A B D F A B D F A B

In the following the top row is a diatonic layout
and the bottom row is the 24 hole tremolo equivalant.
1 -1 2 -2" 3 -3" -3 4 -4 5 -5 6 -6 7 -7 8 -8 9 -9 10 -10
2 -1 3 -2 4 -3 -4 5 -5 6 -6 7 -7 8 -8 9 -9 10 -10 11 -11

So for the most part you would be able to play a diatonic tab on a 24 hole tremolo by playing one hole higher than listed in the tab with a few exceptions on the lower end.
If yours is one of the several other tunings that are used instead of the common one, we will have to figure out which one you have and go from there.



Post Edited (2011-02-18 03:25:54)

thanks for your help i'll try it and tell you how it goes

yup one way is to convert it to diatonic to tremolo...with the key u get if they have same note it more easy u only find witch note have same as your tremolo..

tremolo tune...
tremolo tuned
but so far it work one my suzuki tremolo, Hero
diatonic tuned..
diatonic tuned
if they have some key like C tremolo with c diatonic...u only find with hole have same tone if it write 4 blow( it's c) u can find c on your tremolo it have same position 4 blow too