Re: [Harp-L] diatonic tablature for the chromatic scale
Vern is right about this. There are a few things "that everybody knows" who
reads music. And you need to know these things to make sense out of notation.
The treble clef, also called the G clef because that cursive looking g wraps
around the G line on the five-line staff. The lines are EGBDF (Every Good Boy
Does Fine) and the spaces are FACE like the word face. Flats go down (like a
flat tire) and sharps (like a point) go up. The same note can a flat or sharp
depending where you start. An apartment ceiling is somebody else's floor.
Depends where you stand.
Key signature is that bunch of "b"s or ### at the beginning of each line (or
at least the first line of the tune). That tells you the key (which you can
deduce from your Circle of Fifths which adds a # (sharp) to each key clockwise
from C and adds a b (flat) to each key counter clockwise.
The key of C has no flats or sharps; this is why piano players and harmonica
players like it so much. What you see is what you get. Once they key changes,
the player has to remember which note is no longer what it seems. In the key
of G, every F is no longer an F, it's an F# (half step higher: push the button
in on the chrome). F is the first space inside the treble clef. On the piano,
the black key next to the white F is F#. This is a half-step higher, to the
right.
For flats, going counterclockwise from C on the Circle of Fifths is the key
of F which has Bb (B flat). This means every time you come to a note on the
third line (B) you have to play a note a half-step lower. On the piano, the Bb is
the black key below (left of) the white B.
You can tell what key the key signature stands for by knowing: One sharp (#)
is G, one flat (b) is F. From there, sharp keys: the next note above the far
right sharp. For flat keys, second b from right. (double check with your Circle
of Fifths).
Then the basic major scale: Just like the piano keyboard, start on a C and
every note is a full step (black key + white key) except the 3&4 (E&F) and 7&8
(B&C). This is helpful if your are trying to figure out the I, IV and V chords)
based on the 1st, 4th and 5th note of the scale.
Also, if you are trying to figure out a pentatonic scale or blues scale,
which are all based on the standard everyday major scale.
Why the piano? The piano is the absolutely best way to understand music
notation because it was designed after everybody decided how to write down music.
(oversimplification, but true).
If this all sounds complicated, it's really not. You can either forget about
it or buy a cheap paperback on How to Read Music for a couple of bucks at a
book store or music store.
Remember, confusion is the first step of learning.
Hope this helps.
Phil Lloyd
In a message dated 6/4/08 5:33:26 PM, jevern@xxxxxxx writes:
> To use any std-to-tab conversion system, the user must know some things
> about reading music to correctly interpret std notation. I refer to the
> rules for how sharp, flat, and natural signs in the key signature and in the
> same measure apply. For those that do not read music, there is no
> indication on the staff that the signs apply to other octaves or to
> non-adjacent notes in the same measure. For example, the non-reader may
> miss the # for C above and below the staff in the key of D...etc.
>
> I don't see any other way around this but for the user to memorize these
> rules. This is an unavoidable first step in the dreaded task of learning to
> read.
>
> Music-notation software makes it easy to transpose a song in any key to any
> other key. The diatonic player can choose among 11 keys of harmonicas. I
> propose that a person learn to read only on a C diatonic. Then he can
> choose a combination of keys for the sheet music and the diatonic harp that
> would use only a single pattern of . hole-blow/draw/bend. Thus learning to
> read for the diatonic would be about as easy as learning to read on a C
> chromatic. The advantage is that he can learn only one hole-blow/draw-bend
> pattern and use it on a harp of any key. It also handles playing in
> positions.
>
> In this way the diatonic player can avail himself of all the advantages of
> std notation such as timing and the analogy of altitude on the staff to
> pitch ....without having to learn separate hole-b/d/bend for each key of
> harp.
>
> Example: I have a piece in D that goes down to A3, below the range of my
> 12-hole C chromatic. I transposed it to G on paper, play it on a G
> chromatic (while thinking C chromatic) and the concert key is D. Thus I did
> not have to learn a different pattern of hole-blow/draw-slide actions for
> the G harp. Another way of saying this is that by transposing sheet music,
> I can think C-harp while playing a G-harp.
>
> This isn't rocket science. Arrangers do this kind of thing routinely for
> players of transposing wind instruments. The difference is that they don't
> have access to as many keys of transposing instruments as does the harmonica
> player.
>
> Vern
> Visit my harmonica website www.Hands-Free-Chromatic.7p.com
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <Philharpn@xxxxxxx>
> To: <mmolino54@xxxxxxxxxxx>; <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2008 11:05 AM
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] diatonic tablature for the chromatic scale
>
>
> > Remarkably well done job. Not only do they do the job, they look nice too.
> >
> > Now nobody has any excuse for being unable to convert musical notation
> > into
> > harmonica tablature. Diatonic or chromatic -- of chromatic diatonic.
> >
> > Takes all the busywork out of the task.
> >
> > Phil Lloyd
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > In a message dated 6/4/08 11:18:43 AM, mmolino54@xxxxxxxxxxx writes:
> >
> >
> >>
> >> When I first picked up the diatonic 2 years ago, I was trying to learn
> >> the
> >> layout and relearn how to read music, so I created some visuals/guides I
> >> thought might help me. I don't know if these are helpful to anyone else,
> >> but they
> >> don't do any good if no one sees them so here they are:
> >>
> >> Musical Notation and Diatonic Harmonica Tab for Natural Notes
> >> http://www.harptabs.com/displayfile.php?ID=21
> >>
> >> Chromatic Music Scale Diatonic Harmonica Tab (Key of
> >> C)http://www.harptabs.com/displayfile.php?ID=22
> >>
> >> Diatonic Harmonica Tab
> >> Rulershttp://www.harptabs.com/displayfile.php?ID=31
> >>
> >> -MarcThe RP Muse Blog ~ Highlighting local arts & culture. Submissions
> >> welcomed.http://therpmuse.blogspot.com
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> >>
> >
> >
> >
> >
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