[Harp-L] tricks for reading and transposing on the fly for diatonic

[Leonard Schwartzberg]

Winslow;  Thanks for your tricks in reading on the fly…….. although I’m not totally convinced it is the easiest trick to perform.   I guess it’s similar to reading staff notes on the Bass Clef vs. reading staff notes on the Treble Clef.   Obviously, a piano player does it almost subconsciously as his hands play both Clefs using different notes, and perhaps many different timings and dynamics.  A very difficult task, you would think.   So, if I understand correctly, Winslow, you’re asking me to (sort of) read the staff (on the fly) for many different keys.   As I’m writing this I’m thinking, “hey” that’s not a bad idea.   Need a bunch of practice, but wow, if you can master it, you’re light years ahead of the average harp player, and surely able to communicate your thoughts with other musicians (even harpists) with crystal clarity.   Ok Winslow, I can tell you that I’ll need to do some “homework” ‘fore going to bed tonight (otherwise, no dessert for me).   Hope my short dissertation made some sense.  Thanks again, Leonard

 

From: Winslow Yerxa [mailto:winslowyerxa at xxxxx] 
Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2017 5:32 PM
To: Arthur Jennings
Cc: Leonard Schwartzberg; Harp-L
Subject: Re: tricks for reading and transposing on the fly for diatonic

 

OK.

 

Let's assume second position. (This trick can be made to work easily enough with other positions as well).

 

Your home note is Draw 2. Find it on the staff. That's your anchor point of reference. (Use another anchor note for another position; everything below will still apply.)

 

If Draw 2 is on a space, Draw 3, 4, 5, and 6 will be one the spaces above, and Blow 2 will be on the space below, with Blow 1 on the space below that. Draw 1 will be on the line above Blow 1.

 

If Draw 2 is on a line, then all those notes will also be on lines. As long as you keep track of the location of Draw 2, you have quick access to those other 7 notes.

 

Let's go back to Draw 2 being on a space, if only because I started with that.

 

Draw 2 bend will be on the line below, with the appropriate sharp or flat depending on the depth of the bend.

 

Draw 3, 4, and 6 semitone bends will probably be on the same space, with appropriate flat or natural.

 

The Draw 3 two-semitone bend will be on the line below the space where unbent Draw 3 is located.

 

Blow 4 will be on the line below Draw 4. Blow 5 will be on the line below Draw 5. Blow 6 will be on the line below Draw 6.

 

I'll let you work out the top octave for yourself; you see how the system works.

 

Winslow Yerxa
Producer, the Harmonica Collective <http://harmonicacollective.com/> 
Author, Harmonica For Dummies, Second Edition: ISBN 978-1-118-88076-0 <http://www.amazon.com/Harmonica-Dummies-Winslow-Yerxa/dp/1118880765/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449002840&sr=8-1&keywords=harmonica+for+dummies> 
            Harmonica Basics For Dummies, ASIN B005KIYPFS <http://www.amazon.com/Dummies-HFDPK-Harmonica-Learners-Package/dp/B005KIYPFS/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392924701&sr=1-1&keywords=harmonica+basics+for+dummies> 
            Blues Harmonica For Dummies, ISBN 978-1-1182-5269-7 <http://www.amazon.com/Blues-Harmonica-Dummies-Winslow-Yerxa/dp/1118252691/ref=pd_bxgy_MI_img_y> 
Resident Expert, bluesharmonica.com <http://bluesharmonica.com/> 

Instructor, J <http://jazzschool.com/> azzschool <http://cjc.edu/classes-for-adults/instrumental-courses/harmonica/>  Community Music School

President emeritus, SPAH, the Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica <http://spah.org/> 

 

  _____  

From: Arthur Jennings <arturojennings at xxxxx>
To: Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa at xxxxx> 
Cc: Leonard Schwartzberg <leonard1 at xxxxx>; Harp-L <harp-l at xxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2017 12:51 PM
Subject: tricks for reading and transposing on the fly for diatonic

 

 

 

> On Apr 25, 2017, at 2:31 PM, Winslow Yerxa via Harp-L <harp-l at xxxxx> wrote:

> 

> [...]I have a couple of tricks for reading and transposing on the fly for diatonic that I figured out while playing Big River.[...]

 

I'd love to have some tricks like that. Any chance of you sharing them with us?

 



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