Re: [Harp-L] How to tell the key of any song or music

[Dave Land <land@xxxxxxx>]

Alfred, et al,

A lot of the people on this list are orders of magnitude better players
than I am: I'm just a guy with a couple of harps that he spits through
with friends from time to time, occasionally on a stage in front of a
crowd. As you note with your deft humor, in a live performance situation,
this business of figuring out the key is something we harpists need to
do right quick, before we make a hash of our fellow players' fine work.

Dave

On May 5, 2011, at 8:55 AM, Alfred Barten wrote:

> <This is the funniest thing I've seen on Harp-L in at least a year.
> 
> Figuring out the key *before* the band leader throws it over to you for a wailin'
> Harp solo is kinda important.>
> 
> Thanks, Dave. You're making me feel good about participating here. I don't recall anyone mentioning that it had to be "before the band leader throws it over to you for a wailin' solo." I would expect a solo to be somewhere inside the piece - at least after the first verse - but hey, that's just me.
> 
> -- Al
> 
> -------------------
> Alfred Barten
> RETIRED ... and all that jazz!
> 
> 
> 
> On Thu, May 5, 2011 at 11:44 AM, Dave Land <land@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> On May 4, 2011, at 3:58 PM, Garry wrote:
> 
> > On 05/04/2011 04:41 PM, Alfred Barten wrote:
> >> In case you don't know, most (not all) songs end on the root. You still have
> >> to decide whether it's major or minor.
> >
> > that's what i do.  at a jam or sitting in, i listen for that last note,
> > and then i know what key i should have played it in.
> 
> This is the funniest thing I've seen on Harp-L in at least a year.
> 
> Figuring out the key *before* the band leader throws it over to you for a wailin'
> Harp solo is kinda important.
> 
> Dave
> 
> 
> 
>