[Harp-L] Reading Music, Different Key Harps (was "Re: A couple questions from a beginner")

["John F. Potts" <hvyj@xxxxxxx>]

Elizabeth,

I'm not a professional, I'm self taught, have no formal music  
training and I don't sight read, although I can make sense of sheet  
music if given a little time to look at it.

When i've had to work from a chart, I get the sheet music ahead of  
time.  I determine what key the music is in (from the key signature)  
and then i convert each note to the corresponding degree of the  
scale  (1, flat 3, 5, flat 7, etc.) and i write that above each  
note.  Then i select a position that gives me a mode where i can play  
those notes on that harmonica  using the available bends as necessary  
(i don't OB). Sometimes i need to use more than one harmonica for  
different parts of a particular tune.

So...thinking in terms of how the notes on the staff correspond to  
the degrees of the scale is how I do it.  This is also how i learn  
different positions (by figuring out which hole of the harmonica  
corresponds to which degree of the scale in which position).  If, for  
some reason, i want to transpose (change keys), i just change which  
harmonica i use, but I play it in the same position as I was using to  
play in the key in which the music is written.

I'm sure this is not what they teach a Juilliard or Berklee, but it  
works for me.

FWIW,

JP