RE: [Harp-L] How we learn Blues Harp

[Jérôme P. <peyrelevade@xxxxxxx>]

I do agree, one of the main reasons of not reading music is probably that
most of harp players change instrument often, which makes reading a
complicated task, if not impossible.
Comparing this difficulty with the fact that most of harp players play Blues
or "Blues derivated music", where music sheet is not so important, it
renders reading a useless task.

I've begin reading music when I've decided to play tunes with complex chord
changes (the word "complex" being totally relative ...), complex rhythm
changes, and tonality changes.
At a certain point of complexity (for me this has been very quick in fact,
as I used to consider Autumn Leaves as a complex tune :-)), it becomes
extremely useful being able to read. Apart from reading and playing more
easily, it also enables to better understand what's going on musically, and
to better analyze and prepare the theme and a solo.

I play on a C harp on 99% of the tunes I work. Once in a while, I try to
play with a Bb harp. In that case, I think like a trumpet, and consider my
instrument as a C instrument. And I transpose the music sheet for a Bb
instrument.
Doing this, I can play with the exact same mental schemas than if I were
playing with the C harp, which I know perfectly, without having to know
which notes are present on the Bb harp.

For example, let's say the tune begins by "Bb C D Gb", and I want to play it
on a Bb harp.
I transpose the tune for Bb instruments, so the new music sheet will be : "C
D E Ab"
I know that "C D E Ab" on my C harp are played : +1 -1 +2 -3'''
If I read the music sheet and play what I read on a Bb harp (as if it were a
C harp), I will get : Bb C D Gb.

Best regards,

Jerome
www.youtube.com/JersiMuse


-----Message d'origine-----
De : harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] De la part
de John F. Potts
Envoyé : mardi 20 juillet 2010 02:09
À : bob@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc : harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Objet : [Harp-L] How we learn Blues Harp

Why don?t most diatonic players read?  Well, assuming they want to,  
(which may be an unwarranted assumption) the problem is  
transposition.  Since you change  harps and positions depending on  
the material when you are playing diatonic, it is almost impossible  
to associate a certain written note with a particular hole or  
location on the diatonic harmonica.  This isn?t a problem on the  
chromatic because you ordinarily use a single instrument and the  
relationship of the holes on the instrument to the written notes  
stays the same.

I can sort of read music.  At least i can read well enough to learn a  
tune from a chart if you give me enough time.  Can't sight read,  
though.  In order to play from a chart i need to convert the notes to  
degrees of the scale and then decide what key harp to use in what  
position.  I know which holes correspond to what degrees of the scale  
in which position, so I don't have to struggle to transpose if i do  
it this way.  And it IS a lot easier for me to learn a tune this way  
than just from listening to a recording. But unless i am familiar  
with what the tune is supposed to sounds like, I almost always need a  
recording to guide me as I learn a tune from sheet music.  I can't  
usually do it working from a chart by itself.

JP