[Harp-L] Chromatics and keys

["Michael Polesky" <m.polesky@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi All,

Phil, very realistically, wrote:

> > In theory, we should all learn to play in all 12 keys -- especially  on
> > the
> > chromatic where we don't have to worry about bends and overblows.  But
> > most of
> > us  don't have that kind of time.

To which Robert B. replied

> As I have taught many people to play chromatic, I disagree highly.   If
> you don't try to bite off more than you can chew, you could  practice one
> scale, AND ONLY ONE SCALE, for a whole week with it's  arpeggio and in 24
> weeks you would know all major and minor scales.

I think Robert B. has a great point here.  When I started learning scales on
the clarinet, this is the way they were taught.  The process was repeated,
essentially, over and over again through a period of years until the scales
and arpeggios became second nature.  I learned to play the chromatic by
repeating my clarinet studies and I find it relatively to play in "all
keys" -although there are some I prefer more than others ;-).

I don't really like to play in C - for jazz imporvosation - because the
breath changes are demanding.  I prefer the flat keys - F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, &
Gb and their related minors to the sharp ones (all though B [Cb] is also
good).  One of the main reasons is that these keys all have both F natural
and C natural in them so I have plenty of choices between blow and draw
notes.  Another reason is that the cast majority of Jazz tunes are in flat
keys and I have become more efficient with them as a result.  Another reason
is that, with the exception of Eb they all have draw thirds on the third of
the major chord (minor 5th).  There are a lot of little things I like about
the flat keys for improvisation, but I actually read sharp keys better than
flat ;-).  That's because when I was taught my major scales, we went through
the sharp ones first!

Robert B. goes on to say

> the chromatic is no piano, the  harmonica can crescendo, have vibrato,
> change tonal colors, bend  notes and do all kinds of things the piano
> can't.  It CAN play it all  the keys and depending on the piece, very odd
> keys may lie better  with a certain piece than others, well, just like the
> piano.
>
> As Winslow already astutely pointed out, a key like B Major might  have
> some really cool advantages for a certain piece, like playing  the 2nd and
> the 7th, B and A together.

I want to add to that statement that, aside from playing single note lines
in all keys, the traditional chromatic tuning allows you to play 2 part
harmony (double stops) in all keys as well.  I will concede here that the
flat keys are the best - specifically because to the  choices between
blow/draw F/C.  E major (C# minor) and A major (F# minor) seem to have the
fewest 2 part harmony choices while the keys around them are much better.
Still, double stops on the chromatic have yet to be fully explored and there
are some cool sounds out there to discover.  "Chords" (three notes or more
together) are harder to find and less subtle than double stops.

Michael