There is a wealth of information here and I am a beginner compared to some....does anyone see a problem with using Bb as a standard practice harp as opposed to C? I know I saw this mentioned in a video and I thought it was by a respected player here....I just can't seem to remember who it was. Any thoughts?
I've tried it today and seen little if any issue with it but would appreciate anyone more experienced giving a "yeah" or "naw".
A lot of Adam's earlier videos use a Bb harp, if I remember correctly.
If you are playing along with most lessons (except those ones by Adam) they will be using a C, but a Bb harp is fine for playing as long as what you are playing with works with Bb.
Bb is my go to harp, but that's mostly because I sing some too, and Bb seems to go with the sweet spot in my vocal range.
Thanks guys I have no real reason to like Bb...just my ear does....often I use C or G if I play country....but if the song will stand that Bb I do love it
It doesn't matter what key harp you use for practice. But IMHO it is Iimportant to put practice time in on all keys that you use. This is because each key responds differently. For example, bending the 2 hole draw on a G harp is very differrnt from bending the 2 hole draw on, say, an F or a D harp.
You've got to be able to handle all keys, so you need to practice your tecnique on all keys.
Here's a good reason to practice with a Bb. This forum has made me aware that Big Walter Horton was once known as Mumbles Horton, and recorded songs like this one. This forum, and the players and songs it has turned me onto, have led to a desk full of harps in most keys. Someone posts a great song I hadn't heard before and it sends me going through my harps looking for the correct key. Often I'll play that harp for days till someone posts another song that grabs me. Each day, as I pack my lunch for work, I decide what key to take along and play in the 15 minutes sitting in the parking lot before starting work, and at break,and lunch. At night they all sit there before me, waiting for some song to make me choose them. All fit some great song, and each has their own properties. Learn them all, love them all, and let each teach you their secrets.
Nate is on to it. Adam used a Bb for a lot of his early YT videos, the discussion of which was pretty much the reason this forum came to be, if I have it straight.
