Re: [Harp-L] What is a scale??..damn kid, what the heck's a position??

Joe and Cass Leone <leone@xxxxxxxx> · Thu, 7 Dec 2006 22:27:10 -0500

On Dec 7, 2006, at 8:38 PM, Winslow Yerxa wrote:
It may be good enough for the wind instrument family, but music
publishers and harmonica players have other preferences.
Publishers insist on writing everything out at actual pitch, or  
perhaps

octave displaced, regardless of the key of harmonica used. This is  
also

true of harmonica parts in BRoadway musicals, regardless of the key  
and

type of harmonica indicated on the score.
Players like the position idea. Nobody imposed it on them.
I once wrote out a Toots Thielemans solo that had been played in the

Theilmans uses a LOT of Db position. (So does Wonder)(So does Hayman) 
(So did Diamond). I used to choke on my false teeth any time someone  
said 'so & so ONLY plays a C chrom and never plays anything else.  
What a crock. While this may be true for a few accomplished players,  
why the he!! would you DO this. You're limiting yourself at a time  
when we have the advantage of HAVING various keyed chromos. Why would  
you row UP Niagara falls, when you can use a helicopter.
key of concert Ab but on a G harmonica (chromatic).
Now, if you're used to playing a C harmonica and pick up a G harp,
everything comes out 4 notes lower. Play what should be a C, and it
sounds a G. Play an F and it comes out C, and so on.
Now this particular solo was in the key of Ab. But on a G harmonica,

that plays as the key of Db. So I wrote it out in Db. This confused  
the

hell out of everyone, even though it was clearly labeled.

I don't understand why this would confuse anyone (BUT, I believe  
you). If the piece is a written piece, the player should READ the  
notes and play what's written. Notes are only notes. Why does  
everyone make a big deal out of them. What does it matter, for  
instance if I play Harlem Nocturne in Eb or Bb or whatever, Just play  
the notes. My writings 7 years ago about every note on an instrument  
being an 'address' and one had to be THE postman and deliver the  
'mail' AT the address in order to hold one's job seems to have gone  
unnoticed. This is the price I pay for not being famous and therefore  
getting no respect.
Other instruments have 'set' scales. ( I would go so far as to say  
that sop-sax, ten-sax, clar ALL have the same pattern). The notes are  
always in the same place. Chromo changes every time you change key.  
At least diatonics have the advantage of simply changing harps to  
change key. The breath patterns stay the same.

Harmonica players just don't have the idea of a transposing instrument
in their heads. It's a foreign concept to most. Even though they use
the idea all the time and call it a "position."

I will be forwarding a key transposition chart (which has been sent  
out about every year). If THAT chart doesn't make things clear, I  
don't what CAN. As always Wizard, your posts are quite enlightening.  
Keep up the good work. :
Smokey-Joe

Winslow
--- Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
It may be good enough for the wind instrument family, but music
publishers and harmonica players have other preferences.
Publishers insist on writing everything out at actual pitch, or
perhaps
octave displaced, regardless of the key of harmonica used. This is
also
true of harmonica parts in BRoadway musicals, regardless of the key
and
type of harmonica indicated on the score.
Players like the position idea. Nobody imposed it on them.
I once wrote out a Toots Thielemans solo that had been played in the
key of concert Ab but on a G harmonica (chromatic).
Now, if you're used to playing a C harmonica and pick up a G,
everything comes out 4 notes lower. Play what should be a C, and it
sounds a G. Play and F and it comes out C, and so on.
Now this particular solo was in the key of Ab. But on a G harmonica,
that plays as the key of Db. So I wrote it out in Db. This confused
the
hell out of everyone, even though it was clearly labeled.
Harmonica players just don't have the idea of a transposing
instrument
in their heads. It's a foreign concept to most. Even though they use
the idea all the time and call it a "position."
Winslow