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

["steve@xxxxxxxxxxxx" <swebb@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

The easiest way to tell the key of a  song, other than asking, is to 
learn some basic guitar chords and look at the guitarists fingers... If 
I don't know the key, I usually give a quizzical look at a guitar player 
and if we've had any communication, he just forms the chord and shows it 
to me.
Steve webb in Minn.



On Thu, May 5, 2011 at 12:31 PM, Richard Hunter wrote:

> Dave Land wrote:
> <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.
>
> The easiest and fastest way to figure out the key is to ask the 
> guitarist or bass player what the key is.
>
> that's what I do.
>
> If they get it wrong, THEN I go to Plan B, which is to listen hard and 
> compare to whatever harmonica I have in my hand.
>
> But usually the guitarist or bass player knows the key.  Just don't 
> let them tell you what the key would be if you were playing in 2nd 
> position on a standard tuned harp--usually in that case they'll say 
> something like "use an A harp."  It's up to me, not some half-aware 
> guitarist, what harp I use to play in a given key.  You can stop a guy 
> like that in his tracks by asking "is that first, 2nd, or 3rd 
> position?"
>
> Thanks, Richard Hunter
>
> regards, RH
>
> author, "Jazz Harp" latest mp3s and harmonica blog at 
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