key

Most new musicians start out by learning scales on their instrument, and the first scale that’s commonly taught is the C Major Scale. The C major scale does not contain any sharps or flats (those notes represented by the black keys on the piano). This makes it an easy scale to start with and to remember and understand. As I pointed out earlier, harmonicas already come in specific keys and the learning of one key over the other has no merit for us... we play each harmonica the same. continue reading...

The A harmonica is by far the most common harmonica used in blues. If you were to go to a jam session or sit in at a buddy’s gig, the harmonica you would throw in your pocket would no doubt be the A harmonica.

The harmonica that you first learn will be the key of harmonica you’ll be most comfortable playing for a while, so it’s beneficial to have your “go-to harp” be the common A harmonica. continue reading...

Harmonica players who like to perform find that if they sing, they get to choose the song and lead the band at jam sessions. Singing is approached like the study of any instrument. There are exercises, such as scales to built range and intonation, and each song needs to be studied for its rhythm, melody and phrasing. Most new singers don't realize this and just start to sing the words and unknowingly start singing either on the wrong note of the chord or commonly in the wrong key.

There's an easy way to fix this... continue reading...

I hope you enjoyed the challenge of the first part of our transcription process. Here are the answers to Friday's questions...

1) Harmonica Key: A

2) Key you and the band are playing in: E

3) Where he starts in time: The 2" is on the "and" of 4, with the 2 draw on the downbeat of the next bar. So, he's playing a 1/2 beat pickup to Bar 1. continue reading...

It's now time to get to work. Take a listen to the first four bars of Little Walter's "Rocker." I would like you to figure out: the key of harmonica; the key Walter and the band are playing in; where he starts in time; and how you would count this song in.

I'll get you started...

1) He's playing in 2nd Position

2) He starts with a 2" (2 draw whole step bend) that quickly goes to 2 (2 draw)

Here are your challenges in regards to timing... continue reading...

Before we leave this subject of figuring out the key...

If you're trying to figure out the key of a song, and there's no harp playing on the recording you're copying/referencing, upon guessing what the key is, make sure to grab the corresponding harp and play a song you're familiar with to the music. This will confirm that you have chosen the correct key and position of harp. continue reading...

This is my process...

1) Transcribe everything at full tempo, without picking up the harmonica.

2) Slow the music down moderately (around 15-20%) and proofread my transcription carefully as I listen. This is very handy, I'll inevitably find little fixes (such as dips, slurs, pulls that were very soft, etc.).

3) If it's a very fast song, I'll do this again at around 40% slow. continue reading...