[Harp-L] converting diatonic notation to tab - charts

[philharpn@xxxxxxx]

DO-IT-YOURSELF TAB MADE EASY


This is a quick and dirty method to convert standard notation into harmonica tab -- regardless of the key.
If you have a blues fake book or any kind of song book, hymn book, camp fire you can easily make your tab.


Several years ago( 2009?)  in preparation for teaching my Harmonica 101* class at a local community college I decided to include a notation chart that I found on the web showing standard notation on the treble clef and the equivalent diatonic tab (-4 = draw 4, +5 = blow 5) in all12 keys. I used the chart to demonstrate how easy it was to convert standard notation into harp tab -- even without reading music. 



Needless to say, when I recently went looking for this collection of layouts, I couldn't find them. 


(*I always use songbooks with notation and tab for my classes. Anybody can read tab after 2 minutes (music reading takes longer, at least 5 minutes). I tell my students you use the music notation like traffic signs. Quarter note gets one tap, half note = 2 taps, whole note 4 taps etc -- rest sign HOLD YOUR TONGUE. SILENCE! Plus, if I'm demonstrating how a song goes on a keyboard, it's easier to me to play a note instead of a blow 6 on the keyboard.)




But I found what I needed -- in a better format -- at the <harptabs.com> home page under Tab Rulers in the 4th box (resources) on the left side of the page. 


To use these charts you don't need to read music, you don't even need to read English.
However, you do have to be smart enough to find a dot (note head) on say the first line of the treble staff on your sheet music and then again on the tab ruler (key chart) and write down the corresponding number +4 or -4 or whatever. If you are writing your home-made tab directly on the sheet music, use a pencil -- in case you write down the wrong number.


I read music but I don't know the layouts of all 12 diatonic keys off the top of my head. So if I wanted to play a song in Eb, I would find these charts handy.


The added advantage of making your own tab, it that, of course, tab transposes. The same tab that works in Eb will also work in C or any other key of standard major diatonic tuning.


You can download pdf files for:
* All 12 diatonic keys complete with bends and overblows
* Individual diatonic tab rules for every key
* chromatic music scale and diatonic tab  in color (shows overblows, overdraws)






FYI: HARPTABS has a truck load of tabs,  some better than others,  some with lots of wrong notes. If you make your own tabs using the tab ruler you at least know who to blame and do it over if it doesn't sound right. 




Or link to the below address: and take your choices


<http://www.harptabs.com/ruler.php>


(All tab rulers are copyright by M.W. Moliino.)



hope this helps,


Phil