Determining Key of recording

[KPGraham@xxxxxxx]

The tape play in my car (1992 Taurus) is one and 1/4 notes off
which is a bitch. I do most of my practicing in the car during
my commute. (My wife doesn't like me playing in the house.)
I have to play a song or phrase on the tape player, turn it off,
play a few notes on the harp to get the tape key out of me head
and then try and play the riff I am working on. This has been
going on for about a year. New tape players are expensive so
I haven't replaced it.

Question: Does anyone have any experience adjusting the
speed on car tape decks?  Honestly, I don't even see how 
to pull the thing out.

I have a borrowed "Rock and Play" but I find that the quality is so 
poor that I can hardly hear the part I'm trying to copy.
I am very dissapointed with the Rock and Play.

As far as key determination (for blues players), what I find works
is to wait for the turn around and play the 1 draw as the band 
hits the 5 chord. It seems to be easier to find the 5 chord. You 
can tell right away if you have to try a lower or higher harp.
Also the 1 draw is low and quiet and no one knows that you 
don't know the key.

If you are with a band, it pays to keep yelling at them and get it
through their heads that it is not as easy for you to change keys
as it is for them. Also look at the Piano Players thumbs during the
1, they tend to bang on the tonic note. Watch the bass player 
and see what he's hitting on the 1 chord.

As far as there being natural sounding notes that you can't play:
many harp players are able to hit a bend with great clarity and 
such good tone that it sounds like it's not bent at all. I feel that this
sort of defeats the purpose of playing a harmonica and makes
the harp sound like a clarinet. (I also can't do it very well
so there is an element of sour grapes here).

       Keith