Fwd: [Harp-L] Re:Questions for Chromatic Players






On Jan 16, 2010, at 2:53 PM, Rex Platner wrote:

Very interesting! I don't quite understand playing in C and using a a G
played in F. Is it because the G is the 5 of the Cmajor scale and F would be
the 7th of G so you are playing in the Mixolidian mode? Hmmmmm I'm confused
but that happens alot :)

Sure Rex, I have a transposition chart somewhere in the archives. From (maybe 2000a). I makes it fairly simple. I carry a copy because even 'I' can't remember 144 combinations for majors and another 144 for minors. lolol. So here's the deal. Chromos have home keys that can (arguably) be thought of as sharps or flats. Sooo, A Bb chromo is already 2 flats. If you play it in D, the D's 2 sharps cancel out the Bb chromos 2 flats and you wind up with neutral..or 'C'. Same for an F chromo (which is 1 flat). If you play it in 1 sharp, they cancel each other out and you get 'C'. If you play a G (1 sharp) in the key of F, they also cancel each other out and you get C. Of course, since there are 12 keys and almost as many standard chromos these days (especially with the button pushed IN), the combinations are mind boggling.


Ergo, I play 4 different chromos in about 4 different majors and 2 minors. That gives me a range of 16 majors and 8 minors. I NEVER needed all that, so I'm pretty much covered. I do this because singers are always changing the keys that tunes were originally written in and, to be perfectly honest, I can't have the patience to even try to re-learn on the spot. I adjust at the chromo, and keep playing.

When singers AREN't involved and changing the keys, I switch chromos to get a different sound or maybe feel. I use the draw keys predominately, and like to 'pull' on the last notes of the phrases. Pushing a blow note doesn't sound as laconic nor haunting.

smo-joe

-----Original Message----- From: joe leone [mailto:3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx] Sent: Saturday, January 16, 2010 11:32 AM To: Rex Platner Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Re:Questions for Chromatic Players



On Jan 16, 2010, at 1:26 PM, Rex Platner wrote:

Hello,
Haven't been on the list for while but...I play everything on my "C"
Chromatic (When I'm playing the Chromatic) in all keys. Praticing
the circle
of 4ths/5ths is a good way to open the possibilities. It seems many
people
on the list don't. I played with a big band last night and they seemed
surprised I didn't change harps between "Girl From Ipanema" and "Satin
Doll". I guess they have a guy that has a whole case of
chromatics. It is a
challenge at first but in MHO it opens many musical doors and also
seems
more like a real instrument and not a toy. Which is the way most
people
think of our wonderful instrument. I haven't used the other keys so
maybe I
should try them before I put my 2 cents worth in :) Just my
opinion. Rex P



What I think happened here is that the band was used to players who were in the home key of whatever chromo they picked up. So, if they wanted to play in F, they needed an F chromo, and if they were in Bb, they used a Bb chromo. However there are a few players who DO carry various keys but not for that reason. I, for example will use an F IN F..resultant key Bb..but THAT Bb sound won't be quite the same as Bb played on a C. For C I may use a G played in F OR an F played in G. The one I use the most is a Bb played in F (for Eb) or D (for C). I find this especially interesting for minors. Example: Dm on a C sounds like Dm, BUT Em on a Bb ALSO sounds Dm...BUT it won't sound the same. One is a draw key and the other is not. Same key, different sound. It gets's pretty involved. But then I was always a crazy kid. .

smo-joe







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