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

[Joe Leone <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

When did it become a sin to ask the key? jus sayne
smo-joe

On May 5, 2011, at 12:37 PM, Dave Land wrote:

> 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
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>