Which Key of A Harmonica
I just bought the MS Series Blues Harp in the key of C. All the lessons by David Barrett are in the Key of A. I know that there are some lessons for the key of C harmonicas but I want to do all the other lessons as well.
I'm looking to buy either one of these harmonicas in the key of A: The Marine Band Crossover or the Marine Band 1896 Classic.
Which do you recommend to get?
Thanks for stepping in! :) I'm a beginner and I'm just starting to learn. I feel overwhelmed with the info out there on harmonicas and in particular, the lessons but I'm determined to get half way decent.
Thanks for the information. I will be definitely looking up all that info. Also, it sounds like the Crossover is the way to go mainly just for the ease of cleaning.
Thanks!
Schultz:
There's a lot to absorb, but Winslow is always the greatest source for information that's comprehensive, but at the same time concise and easy to understand. If you're just starting, this website, David's posts, videos and lessons, and Winslow's book Blues Harmonica for Dummies are great ways to start!
I will take it all in! Thanks again!
Crossover is definitely an upgrade from the original Marine Band. And so is the Marine Band Deluxe, which is a little less expensive than the Crossover at Rockin' Ron's, while retaining the traditional pearwood comb (sealed against swelling) and with fine tuning a little closer to the classic Marine Band as well.https://rockinronsmusic.com/products/hohner-marine-band-deluxe-m2005?_po...
I hope Winslow will forgive me for stepping in, and I'll be interested in his take on 1896 vs. Crossover.
In the meantime: If you start getting deep into David's lessons (and blues harp playing in general, hopefully one day in public at jams, etc.) the A is the "next step," but there are also lessons and study songs using G, Low F, Bb, D, etc. A great subject to Google-search (especially if you include bluesharmonica in the search terms, to get to David's Forum posts over the years) is what harps to carry if you only have three, e.g., or four, or five, or six. I.e., what are the most commonly-used keys? (By searching you'll also see links to the thinking of other greats, like Lee Oskar, Adam Gussow, etc.)
In the meantime, having owned and played both the 1896 and the Crossover, each has it's high-points (and neither has any negatives); however, if you need to take off the cover plates to clear lunch debris out of a reed, etc., the 1896 still uses nails, which present a real service challenge, where a Posidrive PZ1x60 screwdriver works quite nicely on the screws on the Crossover.