Subject: [Harp-L] During practice - Play along with that tune .. Keys?

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

What I do (since I play primarily chromatics)is pick up the nearest  
chromatic which I 'think' might be in the right key - and attempt to play along.  
As an ear player I'm getting much better at narrowing down which instrument  
I need (I play different keyed chromatics much as diatonic players play  
multi-keyed diatonics). 
 
 
For this particular song I picked up my Bb and realized almost  immediately 
the entire song 'fit' with the button held in. Worked perfectly for  me. 
YMMV. I think if you play by ear it does simply come with practice. 
 
 
 
I almost always began with a C instrument first, but as my ear has improved 
 I'm able to zero in faster but have absolutely no idea how it works or how 
to  explain it, anymore than I can explain how one can play any instrument 
by  ear.
 
 
Those who play by reading music approach this (I imagine) from an entirely  
different angle, but I have absolutely no idea how they'd figure out the 
tune  from an audio or video source without first having to obtain the sheet  
music.
 
 
Elizabeth
 
 
Please vote for Winslow Yerxa for President of SPAH:
Who is Winslow Yerxa?
 
_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7aerMhaRqU&feature=results_main&playnext=1&;
list=PL5EB9D8DE499A46C1_ 
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7aerMhaRqU&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL5EB9D8DE499A46C1) 
 
 
 
"Message: 2
Date: Thu, 9 Feb 2012 13:08:03 -0400
From: Mw Fitz  <tidewalk@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] During practice - Play along  with that tune .. Keys?
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>


This has  probably been asked and answered a good many times before? 
Anyway, since I'm new  here I
thought I would ask. Say I hear some tune being played and I want to  play 
along. How do
I find out what key they are playing in? Thank You! Just a  song for an 
example."
_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qerg0LyLi6c&feature=fvst_ 
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qerg0LyLi6c&feature=fvst)