Re: [Harp-L] Are there pro harp players who do not know theory?



For bending notes on pitch, one of the most important things to understand is that the cheap $50 electronic keyboard is key to locating and matching bent notes. This gets the right note on the right pitch every time*.



If you can already bend to pitch, disregard the rest of this.

The C harp is the easiest example -- but the relationship is true for all keys.

On the C harp, Blow 1 is C; Draw 1 is D. Find the C on the keyboard (white key to left of double black keys) The bent note on Draw 1 is the black key (C#/Db--same key has 2 names). Blow Hole 2 is E, Draw Hole 2 is G: (E is to right of two black keyboard keys) and G is to right of first of three black keys. Bent notes on Draw 2 are notes between descending-- F#, F.

The bent notes are the notes on the keyboard (and harp) between the blow and draw reeds. Same is true for 3Draw, 4 Draw and 6 Draw. It is NOT true for 5 Draw because there are no notes between E & F (check the two adjacent piano white keys).

Blow bends work the same way. Same idea.

*And after you get done learning your bent notes, you can use the keyboard to work out licks that have a lot of bent notes on them.

And remember, music is not any more complicated than 3rd grade math.(MP said that!)

hope this helps
Phil



-----Original Message-----
From: michael rubin <michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thu, May 19, 2011 12:15 pm
Subject: [Harp-L] Are there pro harp players who do not know theory?


As you guys probably have figured out, I am a big believer in what I consider to be very basic music theory as important to reaching high levels of playing. Every now and then I teach a student who wants nothing to do with it and we reach a type of compromise with the lesson plans.I have worked with a student for three years who is now a fairly famous harp player. He was not into theory and we spent lots of time with him imitating me by ear. Yet nowadays, 10 years of him playingin clubs later, he'll still say he knows nothing about theory but hewill speak in context using theory terms. Are there any pros on the list who really can honestly say they do not know what I am talking about when I say: Major scale Blues Scale Minor flat 3rds the circle of fifths1st, 2nd and third positionsthe 12 bar blues progressionI, IV , V chords half steps and whole steps. If so, what type of music do you play? How do you think about what you are doing? Is there any kind of music you have a difficult time playing? How do you find which harp to play for the key the band isin?And for those people into theory, what other theory concepts do youbelieve are so crucial that you cannot communicate with othermusicians or make good note choices without them? Thanks in advance, MichaelRubinMichaelrubinharmonica.com





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