Re: [Harp-L] Transposing instruments? (and maybe about 'harp tab')



2 2+ 3 3" 2 3" 3 2 2+ 3 2 3" 3"
The "Tab" tells me the notes, but I have to guess or know the timing, but if the tab is written over the notes, not only do I have a clue about the timing and articulation, but I don't have to memorize the piece. This is great for learning (or remembering) new stuff once it is annotated.


[Note on this tab:
There is no standard tablature for the harmonica.
This system I use is used by others, including David Barrett.
A number name by itself means a draw note. 3 is 3 draw. We like draw.
A number followed by a plus sign means a blow note. 3+ is 3 blow.
Each apostrophe ' (tick) means a 1/2 step bend. 3' 3'' 3"' 8+' is all 3 draw bends and 8 blow bend.
The letter "o" after a number means overbend.
I first ran across it in a document titled "Playing Positions of the Major Diatonic Harmonica."
I haven't found the document again, but I encountered it about 2 years ago on modernbluesharmonica.com. It lists tab for all 12 positions, and I refer to it often.
]


Most of our blues heroes aren't music readers. From reading his biography, Little Walter apparently couldn't write well in English. Lot's of great musicians, especially blues players, don't read music. That's not what made them great..., or easy to play arrangements with. Even Count Basie didn't read music in a practical sense, certainly not in his early career.

If you are a musician, you should be able to at least decipher conventional notation. If an eight-year old can do it in school, donât be too lazy about it. It is an important skill for the complete musician. In the past, rather than say, "No," when asked if I could read music, I would say "Yes," and get the gig and "read" the music slowly and laboriously before the gig or rehearsal. No one had to know was mainly an "ear" player.

I like horn sections, especially behind a blues band. The best horn players around here, really don't want to rehearse, and I usually have something better to do, too. So when I hand out the parts, I've got one for the harp player, usually me, and I don't have to remember the arrangement. If I'm playing guitar or bass on the gig, I can give the harp part to another horn player, or maybe a harp player who can also read a little. She can certainly take the harp part home and psych it out.

Reading music enriches my life, helps me communicate with other musicians, and is good for my head. I can't believe I was so lazy about it for so long. I would recommend reading a little every day until you can do it without thinking about it too much. I know it sounds crazy, but eventually you will be able to read music without an instrument. Sometimes, I read Charlie Parked solos in bed before I go to sleep. I can still only do this if I am familiar with the piece, or the piece is trivial. But often when reading a book about a musician or a type of music, there are examples of written music interspersed in the text, and I simply read them.. Still, laboriously.
1 2 3" 3 4+ 4 3 4+ 4 3 2
-----Original Message----- From: Aongus MacCana
Sent: Wednesday, September 04, 2013 6:12 AM
To: Harp-L List
Subject: [Harp-L] Transposing instruments? (and maybe about 'harp tab')


Rob Paparozzi's recent post caused me to think about this subject and to
wonder if I am the only guy on this list who finds harp tab virtually
useless. What little music I have learned has been totally by ear and when
making a meal of the tin sandwich "blow 4 draw 3" makes about as much sense
to me as saying "salami and cucumber". For a start with the device in your
gob who knows where the heck hole 4 is?

Mind you, when I do get the hole and direction of the first note of a tune,
my 'automatic pilot' does seem to be able to know where to go from there.

I have come to the conclusion, that even at my advanced years the only
viable solution to reading music is to get seriously into the five lines and
the four spaces as recommended by all you professional know-alls.

A YouTube video of an interview with Howard Levy lit a light bulb for me. He
said that he started with the piano, which gave him a fix on where all the
notes were and that he still visualises the piano keyboard when playing
music on other instruments.

In the spirit of "Reverse Engineering" I decided to take a page out of
Howard Levy's book and invest in an electronic keyboard. I have no
aspirations to become a piano player, but now on my daily constitutional I
occupy my mind by visualising reading the G and F clef and picking out two
octaves of the C scale on each of them using the appropriate hands. When I
am able to apply this practice - physically - to the actual keyboard and to
pick out (not play fluently) a reel from O'Neill's collection, I will regard
myself as having achieved "lift off". No doubt I shall find myself unable to
restrain myself from letting you guys know all about it and I will depend on
my trusty "automatic pilot" to transfer the tune from keyboard to harmonica.

Beannachtai

Aongus Mac Cana




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