Subject: [Harp-L] finding the right key

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

Exactly right Tom and nothing remotely to apologize for...in fact I've seen 
 Jason do this when playing with other bands or musicians onstage. Always  
trust 'the ear'.
 
The problem as I see it is that some are asking the question purely as an  
intellectual exercise because they've never personally played diatonic  
blues or been onstage in that particular situation, so cannot know what it  
actually entails. 
 
I'm also one who doesn't play blues on diatonic and have never been there  
onstage or taken part in a blues jam but have certainly  witnessed/been 
present for sufficient playing of it to see and  appreciate what the good play
ers do. They can usually tell within a note or two  whether they're in the 
right key..then quickly switch out to another harp if  not. I've seen players 
go through several in an especially loud  onstage environment - but we're 
talking seconds for each which comes with solid  practice (woodshedding). There 
IS no fasttrack to great harmonica playing. One  has to put in the solid 
years of practice. That and being a talented musician  will make you an 
'overnight success'.<G> 
 
Elizabeth
 
PS: I like SmoJoe's likening it to unlocking the 'key'. 
Well said:
 
"Message: 12
Date: Sat, 7 May 2011 15:23:00 -0400
From: Joe Leone  <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] What's a "key"?
To: _harp-l@xxxxxxxxxxx (mailto:harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx) 

A key is what's needed to open a lock. Music is locked unless you have the  
key. You can search your parts drawer FOR the correct key, or you can ask  
someone to hand it to you. Simple as that. :)
smo-joe"
 
*************
"Message: 3
Date: Sat, 07 May 2011 10:36:45  +0100
From: Tom Skailes <tom.skailes@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L]  finding the right key
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx

Sorry to add to this long  thread.

When I don't know or have forgotten what the key of a tune is,  and I'm 
on stage with a loud band, I'll discreetly work my way through a few  
harps out of my case, playing 2nd position riffs until I find the one  
that works. I do all this off mic - I find that holding the harp in my  
left hand, playing the harp at the right side of my mouth and holding my  
right hand slightly cupped in front of the harp, with the heel of my  
right hand against the left hand end of the harp, the right hand in line  
with the length of the harp and my fingers curved towards my  right ear  
(you can almost touch the far edge of you ear with the fingers of the  
right hand) gives me enough foldback monitoring to hear the harp above  
the band. As your playing hours increase, you will start to find that  
you will choose the right harp out of the box after one or two tries, at  
least for the more common use blues/rock keys, probably first time if  
the band is playing in A.

I've given up asking the guitarist or  keyboard player for the key of the 
song as their perspective on what the  home key is will often be very 
different from how I see it.

Of course  this all works great until the band shifts the key coming into 
your solo -  that's when you get the chance to put your well rehearsed 
9th position  playing into action. In the words of the Hitchhiker's guide 
to the galaxy -  'Don't panic'  ;)

Regards
Tom"