Vlad3
1 post
Sep 18, 2011
11:22 AM
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Iv been playing a Lee Oskar C major diatonic for a while and would like to change my key. What is the best next key. Is a lower tone better for the blues? Thanks for the help.
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Rich
61 posts
Sep 18, 2011
11:37 AM
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A then D IMO
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Nickapalooza86
4 posts
Sep 18, 2011
11:37 AM
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I am not an expert player by any means but I do own all 12 keys and if I am just messin around blues style its always Bb or G for me Bb mostly i would say though
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Stevelegh
294 posts
Sep 18, 2011
12:29 PM
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I'm with Rich. A and D.
But a low G and a high F are helpful to help understand the range of harps and different techniques required to play throughout the range.
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nacoran
4636 posts
Sep 18, 2011
2:03 PM
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It depends on a lot of things, but for my second harp I think I'd decide if I wanted to play higher or lower. If you want to go lower, Bb and A are both good options that will help you play along with a lot of stuff. If you want to go higher D is a really good choice.
As for which is better for blues -low or high- I personally prefer the middle. I only have one song that I regularly use a harp higher than D on, and that's a really light, slow one. On the low end G harps aren't as easy to bend when you are starting out.
There are very good players though who specialize in higher or lower harps, and switching keys is a good way to keep your music from all feeling the same.
You might want to experiment with a couple other models while you're at it. I like Lee Oskars. They are a very sturdy, Equal Tuned harp, but I'm not an overblower (they have a poor reputation for overblowing) and not everyone like Equal Tuned harps. If you like the general feel of the Lee Oskar you might try a Hohner Special 20. It's about the same price but it's tuned a little differently (chords will sound smoother but individual notes may not sound as pretty). I'm not saying one is better than the other, but that they sound a little different and it's probably worth exploring the different sounds a little before you settle on one particular model. (As a non-overblower who likes Equal Tuning I really am a fan of Lee Oskars though.)
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Nate
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Tommy the Hat
305 posts
Sep 18, 2011
3:37 PM
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I find that a lot of blues songs I listen to are in A which gives my D harp good use. A little less for "A."
Sometimes Bb. I seem to mostly use C,D and Bb. But I guess it depends on what you're playing to most. We all may have different music taste.
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Tommy
Bronx Mojo
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Matzen
294 posts
Sep 18, 2011
4:00 PM
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I would check out an "A" harp. A lot of guitar players like playing in "E" which would put you on an "A" harp in second position. It would also give a chance to get used to playing a lower tuned harp. As others have said, you might also like to try out a special 20 while you are at it.
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Last Edited by on Sep 18, 2011 5:49 PM
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KingoBad
923 posts
Sep 18, 2011
5:40 PM
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You mean A in first position...
Get an "A" harp. Best all around blues key.
If you are big into Junior Wells, you better get a "D" harp.
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Danny
Last Edited by on Sep 18, 2011 5:42 PM
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hvyj
1781 posts
Sep 19, 2011
8:48 AM
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"As for which is better for blues -low or high- I personally prefer the middle."
It's not a question of which is better--what harps you use depends on what keys get called. Unless you are the band leader, you sorta don't have a choice.
For blues, the most commonly used harps for playing in 2d position are C, A, D and F in that order. In 2d position this covers you for blues tunes in G, E, A and C.
Last Edited by on Sep 19, 2011 8:49 AM
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Tommy the Hat
308 posts
Sep 19, 2011
9:15 AM
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@KingoBad
Don't confuse me now...lol. Matzen said "A" harp in second position and you said "you mean "A" in first position (?)
If the band is playing in E, then wouldn't you pick up an A harp to play in second position? Like Matzen said. That would be A,B C,D E. Circle of fifths makes second position E played on an A harp. Right?
@hvyj I don't question your statement because I hear the same thing often. But I have 12 cds on a USB that I play daily in my car and I rarely use an A harp. I use C and D very much though. Unless I'm just playing in the wrong key...lol. I have been looking into getting another harp and have been thinking about an "A." I already have a SP20 in A but I wanted to try a Soloist Pro in another key (I have one in C). My hesitation is that I don't seem to use A much. I went through a lot of songs today without much success. Paul Butterfield, SBWII, Howlin Wolf, Gussow (Back In The Game, Little Walter,
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Tommy
Bronx Mojo
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Gnarly
92 posts
Sep 19, 2011
9:21 AM
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I would think a key that went well with the existing harmonica in the key of C would be a good choice.
I would say G, since 1st position would be the same key as second on the C.
F might be good too, for the same reason, but it's so high . . .
Or Bb or D, there is some harmonic action between the C harp and either of those keys.
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hvyj
1782 posts
Sep 19, 2011
10:00 AM
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@Tommy the Hat: Well, i guess it depends on what you are doing. Just about all of my playing is with other musicians, and E is an open chord on guitar and a fairly commonly called key for actual blues performance. I don't play along with recordings very often, so I have no opinion about what harps are best for that. I guess that depends on what recordings you are listening to.
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KingoBad
927 posts
Sep 19, 2011
10:06 AM
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Sorry Tommy the Hat, Matzen changed his post, makes mine seems confusing...
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Danny
Last Edited by on Sep 19, 2011 3:16 PM
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LittleBubba
101 posts
Sep 19, 2011
10:16 AM
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If you're just starting to play harp, the more or less middle register harps will present less problems with bends on the low and high ends of the harp. If you've been jamming with a particular player, I'd find out what keys he/she likes & go from there. As has been stated, the key of E ( thus a harp key A for 2nd position)is easy for guitar players, and if you get a standard A harp, it's a lower register harp (they DO make high A's) and can be fun to do some chuckin' low register train songs, etc.
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Tommy the Hat
309 posts
Sep 19, 2011
10:34 AM
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@hvyj
That makes sense, thanks. I didn't consider that I am still playing to records while most players here are talking about playing with a band. My bad...lol. Thanks
@KingoBad
Ok, thanks, confusion lifted! I'm back on track.
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Tommy
Bronx Mojo
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bluemoose
611 posts
Sep 19, 2011
11:22 AM
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If you've been playing a C for awhile the next key is all of them (possible exceptions of B,D-flat,F#)
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groyster1
1413 posts
Sep 19, 2011
1:03 PM
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I would strive to eventually get all 12 keys but if you are going to jam with a guitar player go with an A and a Dharp
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Tommy the Hat
312 posts
Sep 19, 2011
1:34 PM
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Well, reading back through this thread, and being a relative beginner myself, I have a new opinion for the OP.
If you have been playing for 6 months, roughly how long i have been playing, then you are probably playing to CD's and or Youtube/videos etc. I have purchased the 7 basic keys, A,Bb,C,D,E,F and G. I started with C, then bought a D, then I bought the other keys all at once. Now I'm starting to double up but with different brands.
My suggestion, since you are pretty new, is to figure out what you practice or play to most and what you like and go with that. However, only owning a C harp at the moment it may be hard to know what key the songs that you listen to are in. At least for me it is since I usually just keep picking up different key harps until I find the right one..lol. But on a personal note, I really liked my D harp when I go it. Although it is right on the border of being too high for my taste. It fits a lot of songs I play to but that seems to be my borderline. I rarely touch my E or F harps.
My Bb is a great key also, I like the sound of it. I originally got it so I could play along with "Help Me" by Sonny Boy Williamson II. I had been playing my C harp to a transcription in G prior to that.
I like Charlie Musselwhite and have found, through his version of Just a Feeling, that 3rd position on an "A" harp sounds really soulful.
Ok...re-reading this post I guess I was no help....lol.
You'll eventually get all the keys so at this point put A, D, and Bb on a wall and throw a dart!
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Tommy
Bronx Mojo
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DanP
211 posts
Sep 19, 2011
3:52 PM
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click on the FAQs on the left side of the page. Adam answers this question in detail.
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hvyj
1783 posts
Sep 19, 2011
4:19 PM
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"I have purchased the 7 basic keys, A,Bb,C,D,E,F and G....I rarely touch my E or F harps."
Well, for blues, a player will get quite a bit more mileage out an Eb than an E. One uses an F harp in second position to play in C which is a commonly called key in actual performance situations.
But, yeah, a set of G, A, Bb, C, D, Eb and F will cover you for 95% of the second position blues playing situations you will confront in live performance.
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Tommy the Hat
316 posts
Sep 19, 2011
4:35 PM
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I'll pick up an Eb at some point. The only reason I have an E is because it is a Marine Band I have had since the 90's in a drawer at the house. I threw it in to round out my key's. It doesn't even play well. I've used the F once or twice playing to a backing track of "Messin' With the Kid" in C that I found. I'm sure at some point I'll find more use for more keys but for now I only play to CD's and backing tracks, lessons etc.
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Tommy
Bronx Mojo
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groyster1
1414 posts
Sep 19, 2011
5:27 PM
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@hvyj
I agree the 7 basic harps are widely used I use Eb in third position for Fminor you would not use E
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hvyj
1785 posts
Sep 19, 2011
6:18 PM
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Eb is also useful for G natural minor in 5th position and C natural minor in 4th position. I use my Eb harp quite a bit.
Btw, Ab is used for C natural minor in 5th position and F natural minor in 4th position. I do quite a bit of playing in minor keys, so I use my Ab a lot since C natural minor is such a commonly called key. Ab also gives you Bb Dorian minor in 3rd position and Eb in 2d position. Eb is not a key that gets called often, though.
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nacoran
4647 posts
Sep 19, 2011
8:11 PM
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When you get to adding an F to your collection, give some thought to a Low F.
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Nate
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Vlad3
2 posts
Sep 20, 2011
8:38 AM
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THANK YOU ALL. The info you posted is by far the best info I have received about different keys. Ive only been playing for a few months, but I have a blues guitar backgroung. Its a good feeling when you can play both at once. I listen to Big Walter Horton, Little Walter, Sonnyboy Williamson, James Cotton, Snooky Pryor, Paul Butterfield and many others. THANKS AGAIN!
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