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Forums :: Ask Instructor David Barrett

A or C harmonica needed

9 replies [Last post]
Wed, 10/06/2021 - 04:20
Trustyrusty
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Hi David

Complete novice here so sorry for dumb questions.

Gotta say I'm finding the Level 1 study pretty challenging to navigate. I'm starting with Prep Study but just finding it all a bit non-sequential. Okay, enough complaining...

Also a bit confused about which harmonica to use for these lessons. In your notation key PDF you say all your notation is written as if I was playing a C harmonica. But in Blues Harmonica Fundamentals you say I will need an A harmonica for "this study" (not sure what 'this study' means here).

Could you clarify please.

 

thanks

Jamie

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Wed, 10/06/2021 - 06:57
#1
David Barrett
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Welcome to the site Jamie.

Welcome to the site Jamie. You will play/hear the A Harmonica in your studies. We use the mental layout of the C Harmonica for our music theory studies (no flats or sharps to confuse things). Each harmonica is a direct transposition of the other (you will learn this in your Music Theory studies), so anything learned on one harmonica relates directly to the other.

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Tue, 10/19/2021 - 12:06
#2
dieaagui
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Allow me to jump in

Hi there,

I wanted to jump into this thread as I am also a newbie with the same question.

 

I got the Hohner crossover in the key of C because it was recommended in another site.

 

Can I use it to follow the lessons here?

 

I'll eventually get myself another harmonica in the key of A, I'll even get it sooner if that's what you recommend.

 

Hope to hear back

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Tue, 10/19/2021 - 12:25
#3
David Barrett
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Hello dieaagui. Yes, you can

Hello dieaagui. Yes, you can use it. There is an intro lesson for those with only the C Harmonica, and it's found here http://www.bluesharmonica.com/lessons/c_harmonica_intro_lesson. After this lesson, if you decide to continue, you'll need to pick up an A Harmonica (this C Harmonica study will keep you busy for 2-3 months, so there's no hurry). Best wishes on your studies.

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Thu, 10/21/2021 - 06:38
#4
dieaagui
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Thanks

Thanks a lot for pointing this to me.

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Fri, 10/22/2021 - 12:44
#5
Evets
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Free Chrome extension

Excuse me for butting in, but mmarquez posted a link to a Chrome extension that will change the pitch of audio in a streaming audio/video clip.

Wish I had this extension when I joined this site with a "C" harmonica.

Look here:

Forums :: General Discussion  Free Chrome extension

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Tue, 11/02/2021 - 09:15
#6
dieaagui
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All harmonicas needed for the whole course

I am about to purchase an A harmonica but due to shipping to my country, it's best if I buy everything I will need for this course and ship it all together.

Will a single A harmonica be enough (I already have a C harmonic)?

Because I can't remember where I heard that I will soon need a G harmonica too, correct me if I'm wrong.

But I see that apparently there is also a high G and low G option to purchase.

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Tue, 11/02/2021 - 09:17
#7
David Barrett
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Hello dieaagui. The A

Hello dieaagui. The A Harmonica will be used for all the beginning material. For the intermediate material you will use the G, then the D, and then the Bb.

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Thu, 11/11/2021 - 15:09
#8
dieaagui
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Is the G lower than the A?

Thanks for the reply, this definitely helps.

Just to confirm, is the G harmonica lower than the A harmonica?

 

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Thu, 11/11/2021 - 15:14
#9
David Barrett
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That's correct

That's correct

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