[Harp-L] New Orleans Jambook-- for fakebook fans

[philharpn@xxxxxxx]

For those who frequent fake books and collect them, the New Orleans Jambook has a fakebook that is "Good enough for jazz" that features a collection of Dixieland and old blues type tunes on a website called <http://cjam.lassecollin.se/index.html>


The index is broken down into A-L and J-Z. The address listed above is for the first half of the collection.


The index shows the tune and date it entered the list and a click to listen to the tune by a group called the Jazz Pirates. Not all songs have Jazz Pirates renditions.


Since this fakebook is intended for use by a traditional New Orleans (Dixieland) band, the melody line (often with lyrics in the same key) is in a transposing key for instruments tuned in Bb (trumpet, clarinet, soprano- and tenor sax, trombone. Above the lead line fakebook melody line is a series of boxes representing the measures (bars) of the tune in Concert or C-instruments (banjo, guitar, piano, bass).  The melody line also includes the chord names about the music staff. This allows you to play a song in the key of D with D chords instead  C (to compensate for the transposing instrument.)


1. So if you play guitar or uke and rack harp, you can play the chords as listed along with your Bb harp (pretending it is a C harp) and it will transpose just like any Bb instrument.


2. OR YOU COULD play the melody line as written. If tune is in F (12th position on C harp) play it F on the C harp.


3. If you want to get fancy, you could play it in a position you like (check with Circle of Fifths) that either renders the tune in F or allows "reading" the tune on a C layout and play it in key of F.


4. If you don't read music, find one of those charts on the Internet that shows 12 keys of harps and notation for each hole so you can make up your own tab. Like: 12 KEY HARMONICA NOTATION.


5. You can't use a standard harmonica book to create your own tab in most cases because the standard harmonica book has only tunes in the key of C and this collection has several other keys.


6. You can print out individual songs; you don't need to print the whole book.


7. Or just listen to the tunes by the Jazz Pirates and play along. With all the overblows, valved and supervaved harps, this should present few problems for most harp players.


8. Or just get out your chrome (in C or the key of the song) and play along with the band. Or your diatonic in the right key and position.


Hope this helps.
Phil