Re: [Harp-L] Playing in majors/minors

[michael rubin <michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx>]

Todd,
There are many minor scales, but they all have one thing in common.
They take the third note, the mi note,  in the do re mi fa so la ti do
scale (where do is the name of the key, for example in D minor, D is
do) and lower it by one note on the piano keyboard.  They would then
never play the mi note.  It is called playing the flat third.  For
example, the C major scale is C D E F G A B C.  The third note is E.
If you lowered E by one note on the piano keyboard, you would get an
Eb.  If someone wanted to play in the key of C minor, you would need
to find a harp that has an Eb note and avoid the E note.

Third position is a great example of this.  If you wanted to play in C
minor, third position is on a Bb harp.  Eb is in holes 2 draw double
bend,
5 draw and 9 draw.  Those are all fairly easy notes to play.  The E
note is in 2 draw single bend, 5 overblow and 9 blow bend.  All fairly
difficult notes to play and therefore easy to avoid.

The reason it is called third position is because if you know the name
of the harp key you could use the circle of fifths and go to the fifth
note in the do re mi fa so la ti do scale, the so note, and that note
would be the name of the second position key.  Go to the so note of
that key's do re mi etc. scale and get the name on the 3rd position
key.  For example:

Bb harp:

Bb do re mi scale:  Bb C D Eb F G A Bb

So note is F.  F is the second position key.

F do re mi scale: F G A Bb C D E F

So note is C.  C is the third position key on a Bb harmonica.

The So note can also be thought of as the fifth note.  If you know the
circle of fifths, find the harp key you are using and moving clockwise
two times to find the third position key.

But what if the band tells you the key and you need  to find the right harp?

Take the key the tell you and go to the Fa note in Do re mi.  That
would tell you the second position harp.  Take that harp key and go to
the fa note of that do re mi scale.  That is the third position key.

For example, the band says they are in C major  or C minor.

C do re mi scale: C D E F G A B C

Fa note: F.  To play in second position in the key of C, major or
minor, get an F harp.

F do re mi scale: F G A Bb C D E F

Fa note: Bb.  To play in third position in the key of Bb, major or
minor, get a Bb harp.

The Fa note can also be thought of as the fourth note.  If you move
counterclockwise in the circle of fifths, the next key would be the
name of the fourth note of the previous key.  Find the key of the song
in the circle, move counterclockwise two times to find the third
position harp.

If you know your twelve do re mi scales or a way to find out the
fourth and fifth notes in your twelve major scales, you can always
find third position.  But there is another method that might be
easier.

Here are the notes on a keyboard.  For this example I am calling all
the black keys by their flat name. For example, I call C# by the name
Db.

C Db D Eb E F Gb G Ab A Bb B

After B the next note would be the next highest C, it repeats.

If you have a Bb harp, C is third position.  C is two notes higher than Bb.

Whenever you know the harp key, move two notes higher to find the
third position playing key.  If you know the playing key, move two
notes lower to find the harp key.

However, third position is not the only option for playing in minor.
Remember I said there are many minor scales.  Some sound better in
different songs than others.  Each position can play each scale, but
some lay out easier than others.  The main starting point is finding
the flat third note and avoiding the do re mi scale's mi note.  To do
this, you have to know the twelve major scales and you have to know
where the notes are on your harp.

It can be complex or easy depending on the way your mind works, but
you can learn it.
Michael Rubin
Michaelrubinharmonica.com
On Sat, Jul 17, 2010 at 9:51 AM, todd allen <soundguyaudition@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around what harp to use when the
> band calls out a song in minor's or major's.For example Ohio by Neil Young in D
> minor, or Dancing in the moon light by Van the man in F minor. I typically go
> right to cross harp (2nd position) for most everything we do, if that doesn't
> sound right I just go through every harp in my case until I find the key that's
> least offensive. I have looked at circles of fifths and other charts but don't
> get why  they just don't include majors and minors in the typical harmonica
> position charts, I guess I just don't get it. do they even relate to the key of
> harp or is it more about the notes you play?
> Todd
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