LoA 9 Chromatic Scale
David Hi with the holiday break for our FG I have started to tackel LoA9. Is there anywhere on the site where you deal with and play the Chromatic scale. I need to hear it to help learn the high end 10 10' 10". In the submition what key harp am I required to play the chromatic scale in. Thank you in advance.
Rob hi thanks for the comment. I actually felt embaresed asking David if he had a lesson on the chromatic scale. Like you the chromatic scale for me is one I can't "hear". It does not have the melodic flow for me. Whilst the 10+10+' 10+" I find playable but not comfortably and smoothly. Very stilted rendition going back and forth. Regrettably no fretted instrument so will try a recording that I can play back to myself. Interesting I find the D harp the most controllable at that high end. Wow 135. I was hoping to get to it by 95. That leaves me with 13 years of practice. As David says. "You will get it you just don't know when"
Hello John (and Rob). I'm sorry, I don't have a recording of this. As Rob mentioned, most will use a pitch reference (typically piano/keyboard) for this.
Do you have/use HarpNinja? This works well to monitor your pitch. You can also click on the hole/bend within the app to sound the pitch.
Most players will purchase a cheap keyboard for bending practice. You can also use a virtual piano (do a search online)... that's what I do now that I no longer have a piano in my teaching room.
With all this said, if none of these work for you, let me know and I'll record something for you and send it your way.
Hey David thanks. Yes didn't think about HarpNinja but found a easier option I found. I have recorded the scale on my chromatic harp. This allows me to play over a recording of it. I learn quicker with both visual and audio. Appologies I should have been able to work this out myself.
No worries John, and that was a great solution... well done.
John: Great you have a chromatic for reference. Also, in addition to HarpNinja, iStoboSoft is a great tuning app for checking pitch on your notes.
Appreciate your suggestions Rob
Appreciate your suggestions Rob
John:
I'm sure David will have a great and practical answer for you, but in the meantime, I've found it interesting that - at least for me - the chromatic scale is NOT intuitive. E.g., I have difficulty hearing a chromatic scale in my head. If you ask me to sing a major, melodic minor, or blues scale out loud off the top of my head, no problem. But if I were asked to sing a chromatic scale, I'd be lost (just tried it and failed).
Do you have a keyboard or a fretted instrument at home that you can use - or borrow? E.g., fretted bass, guitar, ukulele, or banjo? Each fret is a half step. Play 12 frets, and viola, chromatic scale.
Good luck with it. Given the right time of day, on most lower-keyed harps I can hit that flatted 7th note with a blow-bend (i.e., 10+"), but going back and forth between the flatted 7th, major 7th, and root (i.e., 10+", 10+' and 10+) is still only a future posibility!
David continually assures me that it just takes time. So I'm looking forward to hitting all of those blow-bend intervals cleanly, about the time I turn ... 135.
Ukulele Rob plays Hohner™ harmonicas customized by Kinya Pollard, The Harpsmith™