[Harp-L] 12 keys with one harp

[Michael Rubin]

It is really disheartening when Rick Dempster asked "Why?" concerning
learning to play the diatonic in all 12 keys.

Doesn't he understand that when driving, it is much more convenient to jam
along with one harmonica to the radio no matter what key or style of music
the song is in?  It's safer too.  I don't have to rummage through the glove
compartment to find the correct harp.

Rick, why do you tongue switch while alternating bending and not bending
the low note?  Because it's fun, sounds cool and it is in your nature to
explore the harmonica and music in general.

That's about it.  It's in my nature to explore.

But I will tell my history in the hopes that it answers your question.

When I first started playing I didn't really understand keys.  But I would
buy different key harps and love the different tones.  Still do.

Then I played chromatic in jazz improvisation classes in college.  I had no
idea what I was supposed to play during the changes but I knew my major
scales.  My guitarist friend would take our songs that were were given to
prep for the upcoming classes and tell me the best major scale for a four
bar phrase.  It must have been a great theory exercise for him.

My teacher introduced scale degrees.  I advised that would not work for me
because the chromatic has numbers for the holes (4 draw, etc.) and I could
not be expected to learn a whole new set of numbers.  But he insisted I did
and so I did.

I remember not knowing about overblows but saying to a friend concerning a
diatonic, if I can just find a one and a five, I can make a solo.  I had a
fantasy of recording a song name "A Harp" where I would play an A harp and
the band would switch keys.  Notice the double meaning in the name.  I was
clever even then.

I lived in Sonoma County as did Charlie Musselwhite, who I saw many times
and had a lot of his albums.  I knew he sounded very different than most
players.

I had a student who was a musician besides harp who was more hip to what
positions were than I was.  He woke me up to how positions related to what
I was thinking about.  I started realizing Musselwhite was deep into
positions.

Rick Estrin lived in Sacramento and was a mentor of mine.  He took one of
my harps so I knew there was no tricks and showed me an overblow. (Of all
people!  Rick is one of the great traditional blues players and would never
overblow in public.  Sorry for blowing your cover, Rick.)  He told me about
Howard Levy.

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones came to my college and I missed it.  They put
out the Sinister Minister and I hear it but didn't get excited.

I could overblow a bit.  In my early twenties I drove 3 times to the
Augusta Heritage Blues Week in Elkins West Virginia (from Austin!).  There
I met my first serious overblower, Larry Eisenberg who gave me a private
lesson on gapping and overblowing.

I was a serious chromatic player and had learned to play blues in D and C,
using George Smith's Boogieing with George as my guide for the C stuff.  I
realized that he was using the same scale degrees for both keys.  I set out
to be able to play chromatic blues in all 12 keys.  It actually proved
fairly easy.  I just transposed everything through the numbers system.

When I was 29 I lived in New York and took a lesson from Adam Gussow, who
imo brought overblows to the blues with Satan and Adam.  He showed my some
overblow ideas.  It was nothing new to me, but I realized I was a full time
harp player who didn't have control over an issue of my playing.  This has
been the impetus for me to learn many a thing that I wasn't necessarily
interested in.  I believe a serious student of any instrument should be
able to play all elements of their instrument at a professional level.  I
still cannot do it all and expect I never will, but it doesn't stop me from
trying.

So I made a determination to learn all the overblows on a harp.  To my
surprise, a month later I had them all.  This reconfirmed one of my main
beliefs on the harmonica and life in general.  It is all about
determination.

I heard many people say only Levy could play in all 12 positions.  This
seemed ridiculous.  Levy is a person.  I am a person.  We have the same
power.  Although I think it highly unlikely that I will ever achieve Levy's
mastery, I place that more on his serious music training since childhood.
Genius is a factor, and I certainly would give him that label, but I don't
think it is as big a factor as his immersion in music since childhood.

So I decided to have a professional level ability to play in all 12 keys on
the diatonic and chromatic.  I began by transposing melodies via their
scale degrees.  On diatonic it proved much harder due to the technical
difficulties but also due to all three octaves having unique layouts.  So
not only did I have to learn a song in 12 keys, but all in 3 octaves.  36
ways to play a song!

Then I began a long and arduous journey into scales and arpeggios.  I
cannot tell you how many hours and years I did nothing but scales and
arps,  but I would estimate 5 to 8 hours a day for 5 years.

Then I performed the all 12 keys to a blues thing at SPAH.  It was a huge
success.  Jason Ricci hired me to teach at the first Rocking in the
Rockies.

I performed the 12 keys thing but called the song out too slow.  It was
extremely boring.  I looked bad to 40 people.  I let that destroy my
confidence for a long time.
Don't let that kind of thing mess with you!  Easier said than done, but I
went overboard.

I continued to learn and progress on the harmonica and music in general and
actually was performing in three bands of great variety.  I still used
overblows and unusual positions publicly but it was not a focus.  One thing
I have discovered is that every position does something really well.  Not
necessarily blues, but SOMETHING.  So when that somethings is begged for in
a song, 7th position harmonic minor is the best tool for the job.

Around 5 years back I was called to teach and perform at The Tulsa
Harmonica Summit (forgive me I forget the actual name).  I knew I had a
half hour performance set and so I began to practice the blues in all 12
key thing.  To my surprise, not only was it a lot of fun, but I was leagues
better!  Part of it must have been everything I had learned about music
since I put it down creeping in, but I believe part of it was my old rules
no longer felt so strict.  I can be healthy to put something down a while.
It can help you gain new perspective.

Since I have become obsessed with jazz, it seemed a perfect fit.  I
continue to work on both chromatic and diatonic in all 12 keys.  Persoannly
I think jazz is one of those styles that I will never master, but I will
have fun chasing and have moments of the sun shining on me.

Alright, that's my take on why.

Michael Rubin
michaelrubinharmonica.com








On Tue, Nov 6, 2018 at 6:30 AM The Iceman via Harp-L <harp-l at xxxxx>
wrote:

> Seems that most have overlooked that fact that playing 12 positions on
> diatonic, "just because you can", is a fantastic way to improve your bends
> to correct pitch and deal with OB.
>
>
> As a teacher for advanced students, I recommend venturing into this
> territory - not to show off or actually only carry one harmonica for all
> situations, but as more of an advanced exercise towards improvement. When
> you come out the other end, I guarantee that one's 2nd, 1st, 3rd position
> playing will certainly be more impressive in one's ability to create any
> note needed through bending technique!
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Robert Hale <robert at xxxxx>
> To: Sébastien Frémal <sebastien.fremal at xxxxx>
> Cc: harp-l <harp-l at xxxxx>
> Sent: Mon, Nov 5, 2018 10:52 pm
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] 12 keys with one harp
>
> 1. Playing jazz is probably the best criteria for deciding to play 12
>    positions on diatonic. "Just because you can."
>    2. The other criteria would be your brand of harp. Lee Oskar's are my
>    choice, and I have read that they are not effective for setting up
>    overblows.
>
> When my music growth seems to approach the need, I may join the "12
> positions, one harp, overblow" tribe. It certainly would be nice to pack
> one harp instead of 12 keys and several tunings. Meantime, by needs are
> wonderfully met by re-tuning Lee Oskar harps into Spiral, which combines
> the power of his Melody Maker and Natural Minor. And Spiral offers two-note
> harmonies throughout the scale that are just delightful, in 3 Major and 3
> Minor keys per harp! (Oops, I'm talking positions again!)
>
> FOR NEWER SUBSCRIBERS TO THE LIST
> There are a ton of great tools and techniques to learn from each
> contributor, but don't worry about overblows. I admire those who have
> accomplished it. I don't admire any less those who play well and don't use
> overblows. For me, it's the joy of music that counts. Playing or hearing.
>
> Robert Hale
> Serious Honkage in Arizona
> youtube.com/DUKEofWAIL
> DUKEofWAIL.com
>
>