I consider myself a fairly beginner player still learning all the chops And so far i have a C and a D harmonica with me with the D having a very bright sound
So i was thinking which key should i get with which that solo sound can be produced like when you play chords and do licks and lines in between them and can keep yourself or anyone entertained for hours at end
My understanding is, which could be wrong is that the key of A or G is best for the sound i'm looking for ?
You didn't say if you can get single notes yet. If you are just starting out, getting clear single notes is a good place to start. A harmonica in the key of C is fine for a beginner because it's the middle key-not too high and not too low. Once you can get single notes, then you can learn to bend notes to give the harp the wailing sound you're looking for. Bent notes are the essence of blues harp. The vast majority of songs in the blues, rock, country and R&B styles are played not in the key stamped on the harmonica but in 2nd position or cross harp ( i.e. a C harp plays in the key of G and a D harp plays in the key of A ). There are other positions as well but you will learn that as you go along. There's lots of harmonica websites with lessons including this one. Adam is an excellent teacher. Good luck on your harmonica journey.
Last Edited by DanP on Sep 01, 2017 6:03 PM
hey thanks for you reply ,i got a free membership at david barett's website with the harp ,so im getting there ,learned how to bend in 6 hours straight practice
Used a tuner to see if the notes were correct and i can fairly move around the harp ,not with speed of course but decent amount
but i'm also looking for that deep dirty sound ,heavy chordal playing ,shuffling and chugging and doing licks and run in them So far C seems nice for them but D is too bright in my personal opinion
So for the sound im looking for ,will that be better with A or G or any other key you might recommend
And yes of course ,Adam has great stuff to learn from as well
Last Edited by Whole lotta love on Sep 01, 2017 4:05 PM
An A harp is my favorite harmonica key. An A harp plays in E in the cross position. E is a favorite key of guitar players. Also you can play on the high register in straight harp without calling every dog in the neighborhood.
If you are talking about playing unaccompanied, something between G and C is probably what you want. 'A' harp is very popular and relatively easy to play most techniques.
If you want to sing and accompany yourself with a harp, it might depend somewhat on the key in which you are most comfortable singing.
If you're interested in playing along with records, the most common harps seem to be in this order: C A D Bb G F Eb E Ab Db B F#
C A and D harps are by far the most commonly used, and to about the same extent. They are each about twice as common as any of Bb G and F. There's not much separation between Bb and G in this way, but F trails behind a little.
F is still much more common than the next pair though, Eb and E which are roughly about as popular as each other.
Ab is more widely used on recordings than Db but they are within shouting distance.
B and F# are clearly the least commonly played harps.
I agree that C, A, and D are most commonly used. I probably use F in 2nd more often than Bb in 3rd to play in C.
When I go light, I carry a C & A (and sometimes D) despite having several full sets to choose from. C & A cover playing 2nd position in G and E, very popular keys used by guitarists, followed by A.
An A harp is a good choice if you play blues in 2nd position, because guitar players like E very much. It has a lower pitch that the C and D you already have.
If you are building a set, A should be the next harp you buy. IMHO! ----------
Taking both your advice ,i think i will order a A harp today and as a guitarist it also suits me since i can play something on A or E on the guitar and overlay some harp music to it using D or A harps in cross positions and also perhaps one day play unaccompanied using the deep sound of an A harp
And yeah ,when i got that D harp and went to the upper register ,all the 7 dogs in our house were standing infront of my room barking ,so yeah haha that happened
But a serious thank you to both of you for your advice and guidance
I definitely recommend getting the A-harp next. It will provide a good introduction to a lower keyed harp. And A is quite often used in playing classic blues in the key of E. So you'll find plenty of songs to play along with, and a number of Youtube lessons using A.
As a beginner with C, D, and A, you will be 'set' for awhile.
For my first 5 years playing, I only had two harps: a C and A. (I now sadly own 40 or 50 harps... definitely too many!)
Last Edited by AppalachiaBlues on Sep 04, 2017 8:30 AM
Here is a helpful video for finding your vocal range...
I find I tend to play the harps that fit the songs I sing. I tend to write in the range I can sing, so Bb in 1st, A in 1st, D in second (singing down an octave, so low F).
Bb harps sound great and I like the sound and range. Key of A is 1/2 step lower and is used much more frequently in blues harmonica playing in E or A, as well as in other music genres. Guitar players use E and A a lot. Bm is common, too.
If you have C and D harps, and are buying your third key of harmonica, which key will be most useful, Bb or A?
My Bb harp is used once for every 40 times I use an A.
I keep an A, Bb, C and G harp on my desk so I can put on some Muddy Waters or Little Walter and play along with 95% of songs. Those 4 harps have the tonal qualities you're after methinks.
When I'm playing solo for fun, I tend to grab my Ab or B harp, but I think that's just because I'm bored with playing those harps keys I just mentioned.
Don't be afraid of that D harp though. As you get your chops developed, go back to it. With a lighter breath and the right tune, it can sound great. My D harp is the second most common harp I pull out in jams as guitar players also like to play in A. That's forced me to stop avoiding it.
As a rule of thumb, if I'm not recording or practicing a specific song for a specific reason, I always practice to my weakness. As much as I hate it, I'm carrying my D and F harps around with me now instead of my C and A. Not because I enjoy playing them most, but because I want to get better at playing them. I always felt like they were too thin and shrill sounding, but when I listen to someone else play them, I dig it. Junior Wells is a good example to look up on YouTube if you want to work on the D harp more. Less air, man. Makes all the diff on those higher harps.
wow ,This turned out to be a really good conversation Thanks a ton people
and im just falling in love with the harp ,just as i fell in love with the guitar the first time around ,im falling in love all over again with the harp
Thanks a ton again everyone!
Last Edited by Whole lotta love on Sep 07, 2017 3:45 PM
Yes, I use Bb primarily for F in second and Cm in 3rd. For C major I use high and low F harps in 2nd. The people I play with as well as my own songs I sing are seldom in F or Cm.
I should mention that for jazzier songs I use keyed chromatics, and probably use Bb chromatic more than Bb diatonic. ----------
for chord chugging and solo country blues playing, G harp all the way. No question in my mind. I guess you could get away with an A harp but the G harp is the ultimate chugging country blues key IMHO. Get one, you won't be sorry.
---------- 4' 4+ 3' 2~~~ -Mike Ziemba Harmonica is Life!
Last Edited by slaphappy on Sep 07, 2017 4:40 PM
Since 1847 declared Bb the winner I didn't post a response. But since others don't agree....
For soloing I prefer Bb, then Ab and Eb. Great for working with horn and piano players. But Bb and Eb are not so popular with guitarists - except T-Bone Walker.
Ab is nice for 3rd position solos too. ---------- BnT
For soloing I prefer Low (F)....(A)....(B Flat) and then (G) in that order....no right or wrong answer here...your playing style and preferences dictate what you like the best :)
I've been on another forum where someone used the word "unanimous" of a split vote. Unanimous means "of one mind" in other words everyone says Bb; no-one says A. Everyone is not of one mind when some say A and some say Bb. They are of two minds.
There's only a semitone between Bb and A. Two ootb harps will potentially differ by a lot just in manufacturing tolerances between those two keys, so if someone prefers Bb, it may just be that theirs was a good one. My experience is that my A harp is great; my Bb harp is a bit of a dog.
You can play a Bb harp on its own, but if you play it with others, you'll need the music to be in F if you play in 2nd position. C minor in 3rd position.
A is more useful, giving you E in 2nd position. And it's not useless in third position - guitars can easily play in B minor, e.g. if the chord sequence is i,IV,i,IV, which is also convenient on a harp in 3rd pos. ---------- Andrew. -----------------------------------------
Last Edited by Andrew on Sep 12, 2017 7:37 AM
When the post said, "it is unanimous key of Bb final answer" I interpreted it as the poster saying "it is unanimous with me because I like Bb", since the opinions voiced in previous posts were clearly NOT unanimous in choosing Bb.
Or maybe that comment was online sarcasm indicating a lack of agreement, a comment that is being misinterpreted? Hard to tell...
If you only have a C and a D harmonica and you are buying your third instrument, I strongly recommend A (NOT Bb!) as your next purchase. The key of A harmonica is much more likely to be used with other musicians.
It is OK to play with yourself, all of us have done that, and it can be quite enjoyable, but making music with others is much more satisfying.
The key of A harmonica would on average be far more useful in making music with others. ----------
Doug S.
Last Edited by dougharps on Sep 12, 2017 7:46 AM
Different harps are unsuitable for playing with others for different reasons - one is the key. The other is, the lowest harps may need amplification.
Doug, your caveats are right, except that I had seen it before, as I said, where it was very annoying. (it was a thread about how Llobet should be pronounced, and the contribution of a Catalonian with a Catalonian name was over-ruled by a narrow majority vote described as unanimous. How I laughed!) ---------- Andrew. -----------------------------------------
Last Edited by Andrew on Sep 13, 2017 7:35 AM
This gets better and better. Clearly' "unanimous" was sarcastc...or at least reflected a vote which concurred with the opinion immediately prior. I thought it was a pretty funny response (considering the number of different opinions posted).
Harp players who like Bb should carry a capo so when guitarists whine about not being able to play in F "because I'd need a capo" they can lend them one.
The only "best" key is what's best for you. If you find low keys (G) too limiting, high (E, F) too thin or irritating, only like the Junior Wells songs that require a D, or only have one harp - and it's in low D#, you'll figure out "best" eventually. Since I learned blues listening to and playing along with records the "best" key for soloing was always the one Sonny Boy, Big or Little Walter used on the song. Besides, the different keys contribute to the unique mood and feel of each song. Best? Another four letter word. ---------- BnT
those that know a Bb harp is the best for solo harmonica playing...
and those that will eventually realize it is the best for solo harmonica playing, and will ask themselves... why didn't i realize this sooner?
most people have to figure things out the hard way. life is too short to make all the mistakes yourself, learn from other people's mistakes. take the short cut.
