RE: [Harp-L] Re: Chromatic and Diatonic - Understanding Music Theory?



Rob- I agree...
 
However I have a qhestion for whomever wrote the following (got a little lost in the thread)
 
> >> This is where music theory and learning all the notes comes in handy.
> >> Because my ear is good (TOO good), I've always relied on it for learning
> >> songs, and my reading skills were laughable, a huge handicap in 
> >> Hollywood,
> >> where good reading skills are needed for lucrative recording sessions.
> >>

I have never been given a true lead sheet for a harmonica session here in Nashville (26 years); just number charts. So in Hollywood you get actual music notation lead sheet?
 
BW
 

 

> From: chromboy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> To: mikefugazzi@xxxxxxxxx; harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Re: Chromatic and Diatonic - Understanding Music Theory?
> Date: Tue, 6 Dec 2011 18:57:59 -0500
> CC: 
> 
> Excellent Point Mike Fugazzi and totally true!,-) I know players on both 
> perfectly tuned Diatonic & Chromatic harps that play out of tune with and 
> without overblows.
> 
> We all need to practice playing in tune regardless of the techniques we 
> employ!
> 
> best,
> Rob Paparozzi
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Mike Fugazzi" <mikefugazzi@xxxxxxxxx>
> To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2011 6:27 PM
> Subject: [Harp-L] Re: Chromatic and Diatonic - Understanding Music Theory?
> 
> 
> > Rick,
> >
> > Does traditonal blues sound out of tune to you? Rarely do player hit
> > any of the traditional bends intune. Nor are they playing ET
> > instruments...heck, often the greats had instruments tuned to 7LI
> > which, when played against ET pitches at A=440 are terribly out of
> > tune.
> >
> >
> >
> > On Dec 6, 4:55 pm, "Rick Dempster" <rick.demps...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >> So, Mike, if you have perfect pitch, how does the new generation of 
> >> incredibly amazing overblow players strike you?
> >> To me, it all sounds out of tune, no matter how competent the player.
> >> RD
> >>
> >> >>> "Mike Curtis" <ironma...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> 7/12/2011 2:51 >>>
> >>
> >> I have perfect pitch. I didn't have to learn note names and such. I hear
> >> all music as absolute pitches.
> >>
> >> I play diatonic, with valves on the bendable reeds (1-6 draw and 7-10 
> >> blow).
> >> This allows me to bend the OTHER (normally unbendable) reeds. My lowly
> >> diatonic is now fully chromatic, and capable of being played in all 
> >> keys -
> >> IF you know your theory!
> >>
> >> This is where music theory and learning all the notes comes in handy.
> >> Because my ear is good (TOO good), I've always relied on it for learning
> >> songs, and my reading skills were laughable, a huge handicap in 
> >> Hollywood,
> >> where good reading skills are needed for lucrative recording sessions.
> >>
> >> So I pestered some musician friends for reading information and theory
> >> pointers. I started using charts and fake books to learn new tunes. An
> >> added bonus was that I learned these without being influenced by the 
> >> record,
> >> forcing me to play them in my own unique style.
> >>
> >> I don't need to visualize a piano. I just "know" the absolute pitches by
> >> sound.
> >>
> >> I hope this information is helpful.
> >>
> >> -Mike
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: "Mike Fugazzi" <mikefuga...@xxxxxxxxx>
> >> To: <har...@xxxxxxxxxx>
> >> Sent: Wednesday, November 09, 2011 8:42 AM
> >> Subject: [Harp-L] Chromatic and Diatonic - Understanding Music Theory?
> >>
> >> >I just ordered my first chromatic, an Educator 10. I have no idea how
> >> > into learning chromatic I will become, but am very open to learning
> >> > how to at least play a song or two. Ideally, I would be able to use
> >> > it to help with brushing up on and studying music theory.
> >>
> >> > Howard Levy talks about visualizing a piano in his head when finding
> >> > notes on harmonica. I am totally guilty of only playing harmonica and
> >> > being able to ignore some of that reasoning by changing the key of
> >> > harmonica or picking a position I already know. I don't have to think
> >> > much about note names and relationships if I know scales/intervals.
> >> > Meaning, I have a deficit in knowing note names as I can just
> >> > transpose intervals and keys by switching harps. I also can, and
> >> > have, skipped learning some positions and scales because I can just
> >> > use a harp and position I already know well.
> >>
> >> > Am I way off base in thinking that learning some of these things on
> >> > chromatic can help my understanding of diatonic and music theory in
> >> > general? Like if I learn my scales in 12 keys on one chromatic and
> >> > know the note names and intervals, will that help my diatonic thinking
> >> > (sorta like how Howard thinks of a piano)?
> >>
> >> > It is ok if it won't, as I can still have fun with chromatic.
> >>
> >> > If what I am saying doesn't make sense, here is an example.
> >>
> >> > If you call out a tune that is diatonic to C, I can find the tonic of
> >> > each chord on a C harmonica. I can probably even improvise over most
> >> > changes. I can even tell you the note name of each whole. However,
> >> > if you asked me to tell you the note names on a Bb harp, I'd have no
> >> > clue. I could give you the tab of a scale, but I don't have the
> >> > relationships of the intervals down enough to calculate the note
> >> > names. Furthermore, I can only play the scales I know, I can't think
> >> > of what a new scale would look like without a reference guide.
> >>
> >> > This is frustrating when I see a guitar tab for a song and see the
> >> > note names but can't figure out how that best lays out into a
> >> > position, etc. I have to look at a chart of 12 harmonica keys and
> >> > find which harp has the right notes in a way that is easiest to play
> >> > and then I don't know what chords/double stops I can play as I don't
> >> > have the scales memorized by notes, etc.
> >>
> >> > Obviously, I could just start memorizing diatonic harp charts along
> >> > with scales by note names, but that is way boring compared to learning
> >> > that to actually play an instrument. I want to be able to think
> >> > things like, "Oh, that song is Em, C, G, D...it is diatonic to G and
> >> > the chord tones of the Em are Em, G, B and D", in keys that go beyond
> >> > a C harp.
> >>
> >> > Thanks!
> > 
> 
 		 	   		  


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