Re: [Harp-L] Middle C question

[George Miklas <harmonicat@xxxxxxxxx>]

I'm with Winslow on this "...My take is that the best approach is to notate
everything on a standard C-harp at actual pitch..."

George


On Fri, Dec 18, 2009 at 6:53 PM, Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>wrote:

> Unfortunately, many harmonica books have muddied the waters about which
> note is Middle C on the harmonica.
>
> One a standard 10-hole diatonic or 12-hole chromatic in C, Middle C is Hole
> 1 blow.
>
> That's the actual pitch.
>
> However, it's easier to start students one octave higher, in Blow 4 (on
> diatonic) or Blow 5 (chromatic), partly because that's where the melody
> octave starts on diatonic, and because students have trouble with
> unintentionally bending notes on the first 2 holes on both diatonic and
> chromatic.
>
> That's fine, of course, but some books will notate that C as middle C
> instead of the real pitch: C on the third space up. This avoids having to
> write leger lines above the five-line staff when you play any note above
> Blow 6. But then when you need notes in the first octave, you start needing
> leger lines *below* the staff, so these books switch to actual pitch, often
> without saying anything. The student then is confused.
>
> My take is that the best approach is to notate everything on a standard
> C-harp at actual pitch, with the exception of the notes above Hole 7 for
> beginners. At that point you're into two leger lines, and anything beyond
> that is hard for beginners. Instead, you can write an "8va" with a dotted
> line above any passage you transpose down an octave, to make it clear that
> the notes are not showing actual pitch.
>
> Winslow
>
> Winslow Yerxa
>
> Author, Harmonica For Dummies ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5
>
> --- On Fri, 12/18/09, michael rubin <michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx>
> wrote:
>
> From: michael rubin <michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx>
>
> <snip>
>
> Then, when you read treble clef, middle C is the C in the third space
> up from the bottom of the staff, correct?
>
> Thanks,
> Michael Rubin
> Michaelrubinharmonica.com
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