[Harp-L] Colored Harp Tab.

["jazmaan@xxxxxxxxxxx" <dmf273@xxxxxxxxx>]

I'd like to share my own system of harmonica tab.  Maybe someone else can benefit from it.   I'm using Melody Assistant (inexpensive shareware).   Right now I'm using it with an Eb Bebop Tuned Chromatic, but it can be adapted for almost any tuning diatonic or chromatic.   It has several tab options where you can choose different graphic symbols (arrows, triangles or + signs) to indicate blow, draw and slide position.   I use the symbolic tab, but what really helps me is a colored note system.   I designate all the blow notes as blue, draw notes as green, slide in blow as purple and slide in draw as orange.   Notes that can be played in different enharmonic positions I leave black (temporarily.)   

Next step is to input a midi file.  There are plenty of midi jazz exercises available free online.  Or you can generate a midi file from whatever source you want (I use Band-in-A-Box.)

Melody Assistant takes the midi file and automatically generates the symbolic tab and the colored notes.
   
Melody Assistant chooses among enharmonic duplicates either to minimize breath direction changes or to minimize slide pushes.   (Mike Polesky says NOT to minimize slide pushes!)

But there will always be situations where it's particular enharmonic choice is not the way you might think is best.   That's why I leave the enharmonic notes black, making them easy to identify.   Then I go back and and play the exercise on a harp selecting my own enharmonic choices and changing the color of the notes accordingly until I have a score with no black notes left that lays as best as possible on the harp!

I find that my colored note system really helps me to correlate standard music notation with the harmonica.   Although the graphic tab symbols are shown along the bottom of the notes,  I rarely refer to them.   But the tab symbols themselves are also colored according to the same system.

I set Melody Assistant to transposes the score - so that on my Eb harmonica, it shows a "C" but it plays an "Eb".   Of course, most people reading this won't need that feature because you'll be playing standard C chromatics.   

I also use a similar colored note system for diatonic harmonicas, using different colors to indicate different bends and overbends.

If anyone wants to try this and needs help setting it up on Melody Assistant (or its big brother Harmony Assistant), just ask me!