Higgins' harp?

Amongst some of the tunes notated by Edward Bunting from Hugh Higgins in MS29, there are
diagrams representing a tuning system for the Gaelic harp gamut.  This tuning system caters
for a gamut which naturally exceeds the pitch dd at the higher end but which is noted as going
as far down as ΓΓ, that is, the G an octave below the crónán.

It does so not in the usual manner but by having yet another gap below the position of the
téad leagaidh.







Such a gap would be unnecessary should this gamut have continued down past ΓΓ, so it
appears that the lower range of this gamut matches that of the harps of Mooney and Bell.  
Owing to the position of the diagrams in the manuscript, it may be that this tuning system was
given to Bunting by Hugh Higgins, the blind harper of Tír Amhlaidh (Tirawley), co. Mayo.
The harps of 'Ixion' and Murney
FF/EE
DD
CC/BB
AA
ΓΓ
Bell
(34)



eee
↕
ee

dd
↕
g

f
↕
↕
G

G
↕
B

A
Γ
FF/EE

DD
CC
BB
AA
ΓΓ
Fanning
(35)



eee










G

G





FF/EE

DD
CC
BB
AA
ΓΓ
FFF
Black
(34)

ggg












G

G





FF/EE

DD
CC/BB

AA
Mooney
(33)




ddd









G

G





FF/EE

DD
CC
BB
AA
ΓΓ
Hampsey
(30)




ddd









G

G





FF/EE

DD
CC
Talbot
(36)

ggg










c
c








FF
EE
DD
CC
BB
AA
ΓΓ
Higgins?




?










G

G





FF/EE

DD
CC/BB

AA
ΓΓ