major scale folk songs melodies first position straight harp

The scale we've been focusing on is the Major Scale. Let's change our though process a little bit and think of it as a movement pattern, representing the next higher or lower note available to us on our instrument without bending (a technique unknown to the designer). With that said, let's go ahead and access the missing notes of the lower octave with bending. continue reading...

I hope this focus on the major scale has helped to open up the entire range of the harmonica for you. I recommend you take a folk song, or a blues song that doesn't use a lot of bending, and move from octave to octave to practice this. The more you do this in the practice room the higher the probability octave substitution will happen spontaneously in your improvising.

Major Scale
Low Octave: 1+ 1 2+ 2" 2 3" 3 4+
Mid Octave: 4+ 4 5+ 5 6+ 6 7 7+
High Octave: 7+ 8 8+ 9 9+ 10 10' 10+

With your increasing knowledge of the major scale, move "When the Saints Go Marching In" to the lower octave now...

When the Saints Go Marching In (Low Octave)

When the Saints Go Marching In (Mid Octave)
4+ 5+ 5 6+, 4+ 5+ 5 6+, 4+ 5+ 5 6+ 5+ 4+ 5+ 4, 5+ 5+ 4 4+, 4+ 5+ 6+ 6+ 5, 5 5+ 5 6+ 5+ 4+ 4 4+

When the Saints Go Marching In (High Octave)
7+ 8+ 9 9+, 7+ 8+ 9 9+, 7+ 8+ 9 9+ 8+ 7+ 8+ 8, 8+ 8+ 8 7+, 7+ 8+ 9+ 9+ 9, 9 8+ 9 9+ 8+ 7+ 8 7+

Major Scale
Low Octave: 1+ 1 2+ 2" 2 3" 3 4+
Mid Octave: 4+ 4 5+ 5 6+ 6 7 7+
High Octave: 7+ 8 8+ 9 9+ 10 10' 10+

With your increasing knowledge of the major scale, move "When the Saints Go Marching In" to the lower octave now...

When the Saints Go Marching In (Low Octave)

When the Saints Go Marching In (Mid Octave)
4+ 5+ 5 6+, 4+ 5+ 5 6+, 4+ 5+ 5 6+ 5+ 4+ 5+ 4, 5+ 5+ 4 4+, 4+ 5+ 6+ 6+ 5, 5 5+ 5 6+ 5+ 4+ 4 4+

When the Saints Go Marching In (High Octave)
7+ 8+ 9 9+, 7+ 8+ 9 9+, 7+ 8+ 9 9+ 8+ 7+ 8+ 8, 8+ 8+ 8 7+, 7+ 8+ 9+ 9+ 9, 9 8+ 9 9+ 8+ 7+ 8 7+

Major Scale
Low Octave: 1+ 1 2+ 2" 2 3" 3 4+
Mid Octave: 4+ 4 5+ 5 6+ 6 7 7+
High Octave: 7+ 8 8+ 9 9+ 10 10' 10+

Note that blows are still blows and draws are still draws (5+ = E, 8+ = E / 5 = F, 9 = F)... this is a great piece of knowledge to have... it makes the high-end a bit more approachable.

Do note that your movement is different though...

In the original line of "When the Saints Go Marching In" you played 4+ 5+ 5 6+ and in the upper octave you played 7+ 8+ 9 9+... for the F (referencing a C Harmonica here) you stayed on the same hole (5+ E) and drew (5 F) to get the next note... for the high end you played the 8+ (E) and had to move up for the 9 (F) to get the next note. continue reading...

Transposing "When the Saints Go Marching In" up an octave we get...

High Octave
7+ 8+ 9 9+, 7+ 8+ 9 9+, 7+ 8+ 9 9+ 8+ 7+ 8+ 8, 8+ 8+ 8 7+, 7+ 8+ 9+ 9+ 9, 9 8+ 9 9+ 8+ 7+ 8 7+

Mid Octave
4+ 5+ 5 6+, 4+ 5+ 5 6+, 4+ 5+ 5 6+ 5+ 4+ 5+ 4, 5+ 5+ 4 4+, 4+ 5+ 6+ 6+ 5, 5 5+ 5 6+ 5+ 4+ 4 4+

Analyze what changed from the mid octave to the high octave and we'll discuss this more tomorrow.

Transpose "When the Saints Go Marching In" up an octave.

4+ 5+ 5 6+, 4+ 5+ 5 6+, 4+ 5+ 5 6+ 5+ 4+ 5+ 4, 5+ 5+ 4 4+, 4+ 5+ 6+ 6+ 5, 5 5+ 5 6+ 5+ 4+ 4 4+

Mid Octave: 4+ 4 5+ 5 6+ 6 7 7+

High Octave: 7+ 8 8+ 9 9+ 10 10' 10+

Playing folk songs can be a great way to build facility on your instrument. Folk songs commonly use the Major Scale, and the Major Scale is the scale our harmonica uses for its tuning. Here's a simplistic way to think of this scale... each note of the scale represents the next higher or lower note available on your harmonica. When you're copying another harmonica player's solo and you hear the next note go up, you know where that next higher note is. This also happens when improvising... continue reading...