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

["Aongus MacCana" <amaccana@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks for this Joe.
This sounds like a great idea.
I produced a spreadsheet a few years ago where I entered in doh ray me
soh...etc. on the top row and then filled in the actual notes in each key on
the rows below. Seeing as I was mostly interested in Irish trad, I only
needed C, G, D and A. Maybe I should just start actually using the darn
thing - especially since I also produced blank sheets of music manuscript
using Word.
Of course I also bought a terrific piece of software called "Transcribe" to
do the job in living audio and how often did I actually use it? Never!
Procrastination is enemy number one - especially when you are getting on in
years.
Beannachtai
Aongus

-----Original Message-----
From: Joseph Leone [mailto:3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: 04 September 2013 15:44
To: Aongus MacCana
Cc: Harp L Harp L
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Transposing instruments? (and maybe about 'harp tab')

My favorite Aongus, the way 'I' learned to read music was to WRITE it. We
had a Xerox machine at work that was always clogging up because it wasn't
used enough.
So, I found that running a few pages through it every day cured that
problem. It saved my employer a lot of expensive service calls.Then I went
and bought myself a package of paper, drew lines on a piece of card stock
and started making music paper at the rate of a few sheets a day. 

Then I would take a piece of music and RE-write it into a different key.
Like for example from C to Bb. At first I used a crib sheet where C became a
Bb, a D became a C, an F became a Eb, etc. After a while, as I was able to
look at the treble staff, I no longer needed the crib sheet. Then I started
to spread out my transposing. Going from (say) Bb to E. 
Eventually it all locked into my head. And while still not a good reader, I
manage in about 6 keys....and a few minors. (B & E still give me
fits..lolol).

During my layoff of 30 years on harmonica, I played clarinet for 18 years,
and then trumpet for 12. They are both Bb instruments and most of my music
is IN Bb transpositions. 

smokey joe 

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