Not sure if this question fits here… but I now have the Game Changer in G with paddy tuning, the Trochilus in C, and the Trochilus Solo-tuned in C. The hole layout diagram (Game Changer) has some small dots that I can’t figure the meaning. These are seen on blow notes for holes 1,2,3, and 7,8,9, 10. And also on draw notes 1,2,3, and 8,9,10. Any help in understanding these greatly appreciated….
@Ren_de : The little dots indicate notes that belong to the same octave. One dot (under the indicated note) is for the lowest octave. The middle octave does not have any dots, while one dot above a note shows that it belongs to the 3rd (upper) octave. The highest note has 2 dots above the note.
The Trochilus with the red comb is called “pop tuning” here in Europe. It is my favorite harp and I now have 4 of them (G, A, Bb and C).
Thanks, Carlos1! I am really loving the pop tuning too.
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I have been experimenting with querying the AI Perplexity to provide the tabs for the song “Alfy” as performed by Dione Warwick.
“Can you analyze a set of harmonica tabs for the song Alfy in the style of Dione Warwick on the Bushman Game Changer G harmonica (Pop tuning) with the purpose of adding the actual name of the note being played for each tab.” I think seeing the note each tab plays helps those of us who may play piano or other instruments. You can ask it to create similar tables and charts for other songs and if you play the notes on your other instrument you can hear if you are playing the right harp notes in the right sequence. Other AIs may not have the same response to the same query.
This is what it returned:
Bushman Game Changer G Paddy-Tuned Diatonic Harmonica
Legend:
• + = blow
• Number = hole (draw if no +)
Measures 1–8 (Intro / Verse)
| Measure | Tabs (with G Note Names) |
|---|---|
| 1 | +6 (B) 6 (D) +6 (B) +5 (A) 5 (C#) +5 (A) +4 (F#) 4 (A) |
| 2 | +6 (B) 6 (D) +6 (B) 5 (C#) - |
| 3 | +5 (A) 6 (D) +7 (F#) 7 (A) +7 (F#) +6 (B) 6 (D) +5 (A) |
| 4 | +6 (B) 6 (D) +6 (B) +5 (A) 5 (C#) +5 (A) +4 (F#) 4 (A) |
| 5 | +6 (B) +7 (F#) 6 (D) +5 (A) 5 (C#) - |
| 6 | +6 (B) +7 (F#) +7 (F#) +6 (B) 6 (D) +5 (A) 5 (C#) +4 (F#) |
| 7 | +4 (F#) 4 (A) 5 (C#) 5 (C#) +6 (B) +6 (B) +7 (F#) 7 (A) |
| 8 | +7 (F#) +6 (B) 6 (D) +5 (A) - |
Measures 9–12 (Chorus
| Measure | Tabs (with G Note Names) |
|---|---|
| 9 | +7 (F#) 7 (A) +7 (F#) +6 (B) 6 (D) +6 (B) +5 (A) 5 (C#) |
| 10 | +4 (F#) 4 (A) 5 (C#) 5 (C#) +6 (B) +6 (B) +7 (F#) 7 (A) |
| 11 | +7 (F#) +6 (B) 6 (D) +5 (A) |
| 12 | (hold +5) (A) - - - - - |
Measures 13–16 (Bridge)
| Measure | Tabs (with G Note Names) |
|---|---|
| 13 | 5 (C#) 6 (D) +7 (F#) 7 (A) +7 (F#) 6 (D) 6 (D) +5 (A) |
| 14 | +6 (B) 6 (D) +6 (B) +5 (A) 5 (C#) +5 (A) +4 (F#) 4 (A) |
| 15 | +6 (B) +7 (F#) +7 (F#) 6 (D) 6 (D) +5 (A) |
| 16 | (hold +5) (A) - - - - - |
Measures 17–20 (Final Chorus / Outro)
| Measure | Tabs (with G Note Names) |
|---|---|
| 17 | +7 (F#) 7 (A) +7 (F#) +6 (B) 6 (D) +6 (B) +5 (A) 5 (C#) |
| 18 | +4 (F#) 4 (A) 5 (C#) 5 (C#) +6 (B) +6 (B) +7 (F#) 7 (A) |
| 19 | +7 (F#) +6 (B) 6 (D) +5 (A) |
| 20 | +6 (B) 6 (D) +6 (B) 5 (C#) - |
@Ren_de this all appears to me to be incorrect: I think some notes indicated are the notes you get on the Trochilus Pop Tuning harp in A rather than the G harp. In fact, it all seems to be ridiculous.
I only looked at the first 6 or 8 lines, and I will check more carefully tomorrow. But just look at the beginning, where it says that +5 and -4 are both producing the note A, which is nonsense.
How embarrassing. I noticed a similar error earlier in which I had to insist that the notes I was getting were in fact from the C Trochilus while I had asked the AI to show me the Blow and Draw notes for the G harp which it was able to do. Later on I deleted the first attempts at this and apparently it cannot “remember” past answers… Sorry Carlos1 for such an obvious mistake. I will still try to find a way to structure the query so AI can correctly interpret it and respond with correct answers …. Thanks for pointing out these flaws.
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Are there any patent papers for GameChanger/Trochilus availabe on the Net ? Elsewhere ?
The design of the slide of the Trochilus with a button/knob at the end is of the classical type for chromatics (and for the Chordomonicas which I got) . There are very few exceptions …despite the common type hardly is ideal.
Probably ( only a guess of mine) most players do not manipulate the slide with the finger tip only but with the base of a finger or the thumb and sometimes with the palm of the hand.
The most common little “knob” is not very “user- friendly” then in practise…
Habits and preferences do vary of course but generally speaking my impression is that the slide arrangement might gain from being reformed. Firstly by a longer and broader key not sticking out like the knob at the end of the slide.
There are some historic alternatives but they seemingly have not convinced the “market” despite being well motivated from an “ergonomic” perspective.
Nice analogy on the driving test.
You can do the automatic test then the proper one (well, the test is the same but you do it in a manual car) to get the full license. All dates back to preceptions from the great and the good who wrote the regulations that automatic transmissions were only for the crippled or incompetent driver. My grandpa was driving before the UK had driving test or licensed, so he got “grandfatherd” the license when they came in.
It’s changed now but when I did motorbike license it was still a thing where you could take the test on a 125cc bike and be restricted to 33hp bikes for 2 years, or you could take the same test, on the same bike, for a lightweight motorcycle license where you were restricted to 125cc bikes forever (baffling, i know)