Working on Ruby with a student on a C chromatic. He has a band that is playing in the key of C, but Stevie is playing in the key of G. When my student used the amazing slow downer to transpose up to the key of C, he noticed that all of the trill button in/out effects continued to work. When we played in the key of G on a C chromatic, we needed a sixteen hole chrome to get the full range of the song. But when transposed, the entire song fit on a 12 hole chrome. Is it possible that Stevie played this song on a G chromatic? Thanks
That's a long way to change the pitch though - would it be noticeable with the range of the instrument? I've not really much experience of chromatics in keys other than C.
Stevie has always recorded with four-octave chromatic in C. That's my experience, anyway, from transcribing several of his solos. Occasionally they are pitch-shifted by one semitone ("Do I Do," from Bb up to B, "I Feel for You" from F up to F#). Any more than a semitone would sound weird.
After re-listening to the track, at about 3:10 I hear him hit the high D which is the highest note on a C chromatic but which is above the range of a G chromatic.
Of course a G-harp will fit the low end of the range - the notes below Middle C. But that's not a compelling reason to think that Stevie decided not to use his customary instrument that would also fit the range.
Most of the slide ornaments that work on a C harp also work on a G, because the notes in the two scales are almost identical - the only difference is F-natural in the C scale versus F# in the G scale.
Now, if you find slide moves that would work only on a G harmonica - such as smooth ornaments that involve quick moves between F# and G, that would be another story. But I'm not hearing them on this recording, and that high D shows that he's using a C instrument.
Last Edited by on Oct 10, 2011 5:50 PM
Since it's an instrumental I see no reason to switch harmonicas or change the tape speed. He was the star so he would just have them write the arrangement in the key that was best for his harmonica playing.
---------- Emile "Diggs" D'Amico a Legend In His Own Mind How you doin'
