SonnyD4885
109 posts
Sep 13, 2011
7:39 AM
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just wondering what harp to play in when the guitars kapoed
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hvyj
1773 posts
Sep 13, 2011
7:43 AM
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I don't play guitar, but each fret represents a half step. So a capo on the first fret raises the key a half step, second fret a whole step, third fret a step and a half, etc.
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arzajac
650 posts
Sep 13, 2011
7:45 AM
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Putting a capo on a guitar changes the pitch so the song will be played in a different key. Depending on where the capo is put and what chords are played, you will need to pick the key of harp to match the key of the song.
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barbequebob
1734 posts
Sep 13, 2011
7:54 AM
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You'll know once the guitar player tells you what key he's playing in. The reason a guitar player uses a capo is so that he can use fingering patterns from a different key that's easier to play, just moved up by half steps. In other words, let's say the guitarist wants to play a downhome blues in G, but E, which uses more open strings is easier to play, and so by placing a capo on the 3rd fret, he now plays in G, but uses the fingering patterns that he used in G.
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KingoBad
913 posts
Sep 13, 2011
8:20 AM
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Same fingerings he used in E... We knew what you meant...
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Danny
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hvyj
1774 posts
Sep 13, 2011
8:29 AM
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The problem typically arises at open mics (as opposed to jams) when you are sitting in with a guitarist/singer who has minimal experience playing with other musicians. Some of these players will know what key they are in WITHOUT the capo, but won't know what key using the capo puts them in. They never have to worry about that or think about it because they don't usually play with anyone else. In that situation, just count up the frets where the capo is and raise the key by a corresponding number of half steps to select the appropriate harp.
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Joe_L
1450 posts
Sep 13, 2011
10:14 AM
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Take BBQ Bob's advice. Ask the guitarist. After you know the key, pick the appropriate harp.
I've never met a guitarist that couldn't tell you what key they are in when using a capo.
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SonnyD4885
110 posts
Sep 13, 2011
10:39 AM
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i have
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oldwailer
1710 posts
Sep 13, 2011
10:39 AM
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Just a mostly on-topic reminiscence (that's what old guys do--they reminisce):
I went to a rehearsal with Buddha once--a pretty young lady who wrote some amazing kind of country songs was playing with Buddha. I was surprised to learn that she had no clue of what key she was playing in--capoed or not! She didn't seem to really know what a "key" was. Of course, Buddha, with his perfect pitch, didn't even need to ask--but the amazing thing was that she was actually a very proficient musician--using chord substitutions well and able to do a nice job of what she was playing--and she could REALLY sing.
Before that experience, I would have said, if the guitarist doesn't know what key he's in--don't play with him (or her). Since that time--I'm more willing to just look and find the key for myself--at least for a song or two.
I don't have perfect pitch, but I can usually find a key of a song (especially blues) in a couple of tries by just guessing--one of Adam's lessons on You Tube discusses how to do this, but I couldn't find it right off. Of course, I play guitar, so if I can see the guitarists fingers, I almost always know the key right off. . .
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Tuckster
883 posts
Sep 13, 2011
11:11 AM
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Bluegrass guys do it a lot. They'll usually know what key it is. One long, bourbon filled weekend, I could actually figure out the key by capo position(I don't play guitar). By Monday morning I had forgotten them.
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nacoran
4586 posts
Sep 13, 2011
12:24 PM
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I ask our bass player, since he doesn't use a capo, but sometimes he confuses whether he is in major or minor. I think he names the key by playing the root. If it doesn't sound right I ask the singer/guitar player. He'll let me know if it's major or minor. If I ask the second guitar player he asks the bass player. He thinks in terms of chords but has to stop and think what key that makes (so do I).
We do mostly originals so at least on the ones I write I just pick a key and tell them what key I'm in.
I have a hard enough time figuring out what key the guitar player is in without the capo to get to the stage where I can tell what key they are in with a capo.
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hvyj
1775 posts
Sep 13, 2011
1:48 PM
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"I ask our bass player, since he doesn't use a capo, but sometimes he confuses whether he is in major or minor."
There's a reason for this. Since bass lines are commonly constructed from the root/5th, the bass player is often not playing 3rds. So it may not make any difference to him if the tune is a major or a minor.
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nacoran
4593 posts
Sep 13, 2011
3:12 PM
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hvyj, huh, good to know.
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