The tuning process

Pulling reeds

First of all you need a tool to easily extract the reeds. Every reed has a notch. This makes it possible to pull them out

With a simple bicycle spoke, you can make a reed puller.

With a file, you can shape the head so that it perfectly fits in the notch of the reed.

Soldering extra material

Slide the postcard under the reed tongue

• With the soldering iron add some solder at the tip of the tongue. Assure that no material cross the edges of the tongue.
• mark the reed at the front with an alcohol marker, so that it's easy to find it back when it's back in its position
• Slide the reed back into its position
• Open the harmonicity Tuner app on your smartphone
• Play the note
• Read the note detected by the app
• When the note is too low, remove the reed
• With a small triangular file, remove some solder
• Repeat the process until the note is correct
• Remove the reed
• With a file, clean up the front so it blinks. This is a good way to see which reeds are already tuned
• Choose to tune the notes that are part of chords.
• Choose lower octave notes, since the bass coupler also plays them.
• Check if chords and octaves sound in harmony with pleasant beats