Re: [Harp-L] Harlem Nocturne -- fakebook search

Philharpn@xxxxxxx · Sun, 1 Jun 2008 15:08:10 EDT

Somebody asked recently about harmonica tab for Harlem Nocturne. I don't have 
one but I can tell you how you can make your own with the aid of a fakebook.

A fakebook is simply the cheapest legal way to get the largest collection of 
tunes. It has a one-note melody line, chord names and lyrics. 

For example, The Ultimate Fakebook (1200 tunes, 3rd edition) is $45 (the 
mini-size version $35). Look for the edition for "keyboard, vocal, guitar, all C 
instruments" but the music is not limited to the key of C. (Also note, there 
are also Eb and Bb editions.)   

If you are looking for copy of Harlem Nocturne, it is available in the 
following fakebooks:
 10 results.
Harlem Nocturne
Ultimate Jazz Fakebook

 Harlem Nocturne
Real Book Volume 3
Page: 104

 Harlem Nocturne
New Real Book Volume 2
Page: 127
 Composer/Artist: Earle Hagen

 Harlem Nocturne
Ultimate Fake Book

 Harlem Nocturne
TV Fake Book

 Harlem Nocturne
Jazz of the '50s

 Harlem Nocturne
Real Chord Changes For 54 Standards

 Harlem Nocturne
The Best Chord Changes for the Best Standards Ever

 Harlem Nocturne
The Easy Forties Fake Book

 Harlem Nocturne
The Real Book (legal edition) - Volume 3

FYI: In the previous century, fakebooks were bootleg collections of the 
melody line and chords of songs that were still under copyright control (meaning 
that if you legally wanted to print the sheet music you had to pay the 
owner/publisher of the music.)

Professional musicians discovered that if they had only the melody line and 
chords, they could "fake" a song during a live gig or studio session that they 
didn't otherwise "know." (have memorized).

These original fakebooks were available "under the counter" at the music 
store and were often handdrafted copies of the sheet music. Since there was no 
control, some fakebooks were better than
 others -- and often the chords were simplified or just plain wrong.

Over the years (don't know exactly when this started) legitimate publishers 
realized that they could reach additional sheet music customers by selling 
their own version of fakebooks containing the music they controlled. Again, some 
were better than others.

Nowadays, there are categories of fakebooks: Beatles, Gershwin, Broadway, 
Country, Jazz, Blues, R&B, Soul, Standards and even Classical.

The great thing about a fakebook is that they contain that universal language 
-- music notation -- so they work with all instruments: piano, guitar and 
even harmonica.

But they don't come in harmonica tablature; they only come in music notation.

Is that a brick wall? What if you don't read music?

Simple. Any intermediate level harmonica player already owns at least one 
harmonica book that includes both music notation and harmonica tablature. 

How do you double check to make sure you are playing the right note (the one 
in the music notation)? Simple, buy yourself a chromatic tuner that will give 
you a readout for the harmonica note you play. (DO NOT buy a guitar 
tuner--they tend to recognize notes like C as really flat D strings.) Also, unlike 
harmonicas, you can actually test a chromatic tuner in a store against your 
harmonica to see if it will read the low and high notes. Also, there are probably 
some Internet tuners. 

By comparing the blow-draw tablature with the notation you can match up the 
notes with the tablature so that you can tell and create your own tablature for 
a given song in the fakebook.

Is this tricky the first time you do it? Probably. But hey, Charlie 
Musselwhite did it with a trumpet instruction book. If you want to do it, so can you.

Besides, once you try making your own tab a few times, you will never have to 
waste your time looking for somebody else's harp tab. You'll have your own 
and know it's right.

Hope this helps.

Phil Lloyd

In a message dated 5/30/08 7:44:29 AM, Chromboy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:

> 
> 
> Earle Hagan, 88 dies...he was the composer of this great song.....great harp
> tune!
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
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> 
> 

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