Fwd: RE: [Harp-L] MISS YOU--what key?

["Winslow Yerxa" <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

Listening to the chords on a clip of the Stones' version, I hear the 
main riff being sung over an A minor chord, landing (then vamping) on 
D minor, which has a feeling of finality and rest.

This tells me that the tune is in D minor, despite everyone saying 
it's in A.

The fact that both the melody and the harmonica part are centered 
around the note A and the chord preogression begins with an A chord 
may help to create that impression. But everthing lands solidly on D 
minor and when it does, that feels to me like home plate.

D minor. My final answer.

The harp is also D. The lick feels like it's a second position lick, 
but the key of the backing music puts it in first position:

(b = bend, 3= hole #, B=blow, D=draw)

b2D 2D 4B b3d 2D b2D 2D,  b2D 2D 4B b3d 2D b2D 2D,  

b2D 2D b3d 2D--------------------------(b2D 2D) etc. 

If you listen to the extended 12" single, Sugar Blue takes an 
extended solo, still on the D harp, still playing second position 
licks. But the tune itself is still in D minor. The fact that he's 
playing second position licks in first position and the fact that 
he's playing a D major harmonica over a D minor progression (Am Am, 
Dm Dm) gives it a weird, floating feeling.

Sugar Blue himself claims that he plays the song in second position. 
But if you listen to his recording of it, the band sounds like it's 
in a different key from the Stones' recording, even while he uses the 
same signature lick. 

Winslow

--- In harp-l-archives@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Jimbeau Harp" 
<jimbeauharp@xxxx> wrote:
Randy,

I do this song regularly with my band, and like Rob says, the song is 
in the 
key of A minor. The main riff of the song lays out nicely in 2nd 
position, 
which means you'd use a D harp.

The notes of the riff are:

G - A - D - C - A - G - A
G - A - D - C - A - G - A
G - A - C - A

I play it in 2nd position on a D harp. Obviously the 2nd draw and 3rd 
draw 
notes have to be bent to the correct pitches (G and C).

However, as Rob implies, there are other ways to play the song, based 
on 
your familiarity with different harp positions. Two alternative 
positions 
that leap to me are using a G harp in 3rd position and an F harp in 
5th 
position.

But judging on what Sugar Blue is doing in his solo, the octaves he's 
playing in, and the tone quality he's getting, I believe he plays 
most if 
not all of his solo in 2nd position.

Jimbeau


>From: randysinger <randy@xxxx>
>To: harp-l@xxxx
>Subject: [Harp-L] MISS YOU--what key?
>Date: Sun, 12 Sep 2004 15:46:40 -0400
>
>does anyone know the exact key used on MISS YOU with Sugar Blue?
>
>Here is Rob's comment
>
>Begin forwarded message:
>
>>From: "robert paparozzi" <paparozzi1@xxxx>
>>Date: September 12, 2004 3:02:25 AM EDT
>>To: "randysinger" <randy@xxxx>
>>Subject: Re: miss you harp
>>
>>off the cuff, I believe it was a D harp in Am.......but I think at 
the end
>>of the the tune he might switch to a G for some 3rd pos. riffs....I 
have
>>listened to it in a bit....hope that helps..................r
>>
>>-----