Re: Subject: Re: [Harp-L] what key to play Casino?

[Joseph Leone <3N037@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Dec 12, 2013, at 2:43 PM, EGS1217@xxxxxxx wrote:

> Hey Smokey--re your mention of Hayman and Diamond liking and playing an A  
> Chromatic?

I like them too..BUT they are not as easy to transpose into other keys. (which is what I do). 
Examples: for me to play in F, I need to play an A chromo in Ab. To play in Eb, I would 
have to play in F#. 

> I can give you my personal insight into why they might. If  one 
> loves melody (and I believe both did), A is a very pleasant sounding key to  
> one's ear.

Well 'I' think so, but then I always suspected it had to do with my voice. My voice is baritone
so higher keys sound pinchy..to me. I don't even care for high pitched singers. 

> It also seems to be a very comfortable key to sing in or to 
> accompany  alto voices (works for MY voice anyway)...and I keep hearing from more 
> and  more people about how much they like the sound of an entire A chrom. 

Uh-huh, and the A that I like would be an octave below the one of which you speak. I used
to sing most of my country western tunes in A (or G  lol). 

But it turns out I was wrong. No biggie. I guess the Casino games are in the key of C. I thought 
otherwise. See, see what it's like getting old.  :)

> It works  for so many songs I'm very comfortable playing mine as my go-to  
> chromatic with C and Bb both running second. AND it seems to be the most  
> workable (and melodious) to accompany guitarists on folk, country and even  
> soft-rock music.
> 
> Elizabeth
> 
> Message: 8
> Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2013 09:03:04 -0500
> From: Joseph Leone  <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] what key to play  Casino?
> To: Robert Hale <robert@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Cc: Harp L Harp L _harp-l@xxxxxxxxxxx (mailto:harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx) 
> 
> 
> I believe the key is A. I remember checking that a long time ago. But I  
> could be off, and it might be Bb. A was known as 'the radio key' and was  
> supposed to have the most pleasant sound over the radio. And may be why music  
> pitch was geared to A 440? Both Leo Diamond and Richard Hayman were known to  
> have used A chromatics a lot. Though I never found a definitive reason for 
> that.  
> 
> smokey joe
> 
> On Dec 11, 2013, at 12:25 PM, Robert Hale  wrote:
> 
>> Each Casino I've been in sounds like all the machine sounds  are in the 
> same
>> key. I think I hear tones of a Major 6th chord. (Like  wind chimes)
>> 
>> Probably a good idea, since a room full of  non-coordinated machines would
>> make someone crazy in minutes. So, the  blend.
>> 
>> What KEY is that? and how did they get makers to unify  the bell sounds of
>> slots?
>> 
>> Someone could record, on  their next visit?
>> 
>> Robert Hale
>> Spiral Advocate  (Fanatic!)
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>