RE: Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Figuring Sharps in Keys - Why A minor is is different from C major

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

A minor and C major may use the same notes, but that doesn't make them play or sound the same.

Even though the notes are all the same, and even though they're in the same palces on the harmonica and take the same actions to get from one to another, they're still completely different.

Different how?

As soon as you shift the tonal center from C to A, you hear A as the tonic, or the 1. The place everything starts from and returns to , the tonal center of the universe.

So you now hear your tonal center in a place that is (on chromatic harmonica in C)  Draw 3 or Draw 7 or Draw 11 instead of Blow 1, 5, and 9. The second degree of the scale is now Draw 4 or 8 or 12 instead of Draw 1, 5, or 9. and so on.

When a note sounds different because of its context, it also feels different to play. Your ear plays a part, not just the muscles that are executing the actions. Your ears have to get used to hearing these notes as having a different meaning in a different tonal context.

Not only do the scale degrees change locations (and the actions to move between those locations) they also change quality. The 3rd, 6th, and 7th degrees of the scale all sound different because they're minor.

And that's just using the A natural minor scale, with all notes being the same as C major. Then you can start altering the 6th and 7th degrees of the scale to get other types of minor.

Any exercise that you did in C major starting on the first note of the scale can be transposed from C major to A minor. let's say you start on C and play 1-2-3-1 (C-D-E-C). When you play this in A minor, you start on A and play 1-2-3-1 but it comes out A-B-C-A.

I could go on and on but I think you get the picture

When you practice

Winslow Yerxa

Author, Harmonica For Dummies ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5

--- On Tue, 10/6/09, Clayton Gary Lehmann <hqr@xxxxxxx> wrote:

From: Clayton Gary Lehmann <hqr@xxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Figuring Sharps in Keys
To: "'Rob Paparozzi'" <Chromboy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: "'Harp L Harp L'" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2009, 8:12 AM

With all due respect--
Isn't practicing C major the same as practicing Am?
Unless you are playing some mode of Am other than the normal one?
Gary

-----Original Message-----
From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Rob Paparozzi
Sent: Tuesday, October 06, 2009 7:21 AM
To: Steve Merola; harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Figuring Sharps in Keys

Steve...

Great advice from both you and Mr. Morgan!!!!!!!!!! I concur....

best,
Rob P

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Merola" <stevemerola@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, October 05, 2009 5:40 PM
Subject: Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Figuring Sharps in Keys


> Hello Harp-l
> Try practicing one scale a week. For 1 week only play the C scale. Don't
> play any other scales. Next week the relative minor, Am, and so on. This
> method was described to me by Tommy Morgan.
> In 3 months you WILL know them all. It beats the heck out of guessing for
> years.
> Steve Merola
> _______________________________________________
> Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
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