[Harp-L] need help on Blues harp

[Mike Holcomb <mholcomb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi R.J.

I'll try to answer your questions, but maybe not in the order they were
asked.

First question:  What key is the song in?
I don't know.  Blues music is played in all keys, just like every other
kind of music.	A lot of songs are done in the key of E, G, A, and D
because they are good keys for the guitarist (these are pretty easy chords
and scales to play).  F is a good key for many male vocalists, so even
though it's not as guitarist friendly, a lot of songs are in the key of F.

All other keys occur as well, but not as often.  The set of harps you have
pretty much covers the territory of 95% of all blues songs.  (I'm assuming
you meant Bb instead of B# since B# is C - refer to your nearest piano if
you don't believe me).

What do I mean when I say that a song is in a given key?  Two things.
First, the chord progression will be based on the I IV V of that key.
Here's a little table:

Key	I     IV     V
F	F     Bb     C
G	G      C     D
A	A      D     E
C	C      F     G
D	D      G     A
E	E      A     B

A typical 12-bar blues progression goes

I   I	I   I
IV  IV	I   I
V   IV	I   V

where each roman numeral indicates the chord for a 4-beat measure.

The other implication is that the soloing scale for that song will be the
blues scale based on that key.	The blues scale for the key of C is

C  Eb  F Gb G  Bb C

C is the root.	From the root, you go up 3 half steps to Eb, then 2 half
steps to F, 1 half step to Gb, 1 half step to G, 3 half steps to Bb, and
finally two half steps to C.  Look at this on a piano keyboard to see what
I mean.  The blues scale in any other key would be the same pattern of
intervals from the root note.  For example, the blues scale in F would be

F Ab Bb B C Eb F

which is the same pattern of root + 3 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 3 + 2.

Next question:	Which harmonica do I use?
You may have noticed that if you go through all of your harmonicas and try
playing them to a given song, some of them sound pretty good, some of them
sound almost right but not quite, and some of them sound awful against the
song.  Most blues harmonica is played in 2nd position, which is also
called cross-harp.  Here's another little table for 2nd position:

Song Key     Harmonica
F	     Bb    
G	     C	  
A	     D	  
C	     F	  
D	     G	  
E	     A	  

So using your box full of harmonicas, how do you simultaneously figure out
which key the song is in and which harp to use?  Easy.	While the song is
playing, go through your harps and chug on the 1234 draw chord.  If it
sounds good all the way through the chord progression, you've got the
right harp.

What's so great about 2nd position?  Well, let's take a song in G and play
to it with a C harmonica.  Here's the chord progression

G  G  G  G
C  C  G  G
D  C  G  D

Your 1234 draw is the G chord on a C harmonica.  Blow any mess of notes
anywhere and it makes a C chord on a C harmonica.  Draw on 456 and you
have a D minor chord, which is close enough to a D chord for the blues. 
So you can chug your way through a 12-bar progression like this

(1234)-  (1234)-  (1234)-  (1234)-
(1234)+  (1234)+  (1234)-  (1234)-
(456)-	 (456)+   (1234)-  (456)-

Where again, each grouping is a four-beat measure.  I've used a minus sign
to indicate draw and a plus sign to indicate blow.

In second position, you've got good chords to match all 3 chords in the I
IV V blues chord progression.  The other good thing about 2nd position is
that if you learn how to do some bending, you can play a complete blues
scale.	The blues scale in G is

G Bb C Db D F G

and on a C harmonica this is

2- 3'- 4+ 4'- 4- 5- 6+

where I've used an apostrophe to indicate a half-step bend on that note.

This is the scale you want to use to play a blues melody.  (This is only
one octave of the blues scale on the harmonica - obviously there are more
notes higher and lower that are part of the next higher and lower octave
of the blues scale).

Now, what bent note do you hear?  Well, you hear a lot of them in cross
harp.  Frequently you hear 2- bent all the way down.  This makes a very
bluesy sound.  3 draw bend is a real workhorse and 4 draw is bent a lot
too.  If you are just learning to bend, 4-draw is probably going to be the
easiest place to start.

Finally, Delta Blues vs Chicago Blues.	Let's see...  Thinking about it,
the big difference is in the arrangement.

Delta blues is often just one performer singing and playing an acoustic
guitar, sometimes with a slide.  Generally not electric, generally not
done with a 4-piece band.  Listen to Son House, Robert Johnson, Charlie
Patton, and Muddy Waters earliest recordings.

Chicago blues is Delta blues moved up north and plugged in.  Generally
electric with a bigger arrangement.  Muddy Waters had a lot of success
with a fairly big arrangement that pretty much defined the Chicago blues
sound - Drums, piano, amplified harmonica, one or two electric guitars,
and bass.  Again, try Muddy Waters post-1955, Howlin' Wolf, or Little
Walter.

Good luck with it!

Okay.. 
I am trying to figure out the blues note that is 
bended on a lot of songs I have heard on the Classic 
Blues channel at Sirius. 
It seems to be one certain note that is played alot.. 
its very blues sounding. That certain note is bended, 
and seems like the main note but goes off on 
variations but always returning to the same note. 
I play a Hohner Pro (black) Harp.. 10 holes, but what 
key are thoise notes played in i heard? What is it in, 
and the number on the harp? .. Is it a blow or draw 
that is bended? .. I'm sure if I can find it I can 
reproduce it with enough practice. 
Maybe I don't have the right key? I like to play 
cross harp, (I am assumimg that it means what ever the 
band plays in, I play a different note right (2nd 
position)? 
And the straight harp in back ground? On the same 
note the band is in? Can anyone help me clear this up? 
I can bend sure enough and wiggle it really nice. 
because I guess it just comes to me, without 
thinking, I just play to fit the music.. Strange 
isn't it? 

I don't think about it, I just play. But.. 
What are the keys for blues harp? I follow by ear only 
like I said, just self taught. 
Any help I would be very grateful! 
I have D.A.F.E.C.G.B# harps (hohner black pro) 

Another Question.. 
How can you tell the certain Difference or sound 
between Chicago Blues and MS Delta Blues? 
I'm thinking of taking up the Guitar, so I can learn 
slid blues ( I love the sound of a good Slide blues. 
(also harp) like Ry Cooder and Bonnie Raitt) those are 
all I can think of.. Anybody else I should be turned 
on to? I can sing some what good (At least I'm told) I 
just can't read music.. I just play it.. Grin. 

You can hear me on the Blues_Matrix and Memphis Blues 
list in the files section. 
I hope I have not confused you, and you get the point. 
If not ask me again.. 

Thanks! 

R.J. 

--
Best regards,
Mike Holcomb