lumpy wafflesquirt
688 posts
Feb 12, 2013
11:29 AM
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How many times in a jam situation does the guitarist ask what key you want to play in?
I normally say it doesn't matter to me as I have the full set, and ask which is easiest for them.
If they really insist that I choose, I could go for an easy one for them A[?], E[?] but which key would be really awkward for a guitarist to play in? It appeals to my malicious side to say Db or some such, but not being a guitarist I have no idea what would be hard for the average guitarist on an ordinary tuned guitar.
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"Come on Brackett let's get changed"
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Goldbrick
63 posts
Feb 12, 2013
11:58 AM
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As a harp player for me it would suck-I don't own an F#
Guitar is easy to switch keys so unless its an acoustic fingerpicker that likes to use a lot of open strings no key is a big deal. electric guys like me just usually play bar chords so it doesn't matter.
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SmokeJS
59 posts
Feb 12, 2013
12:58 PM
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Eb is a bit unfriendly for guitar players who don't wander too far from the most common minor pentatonic position.
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eharp
2071 posts
Feb 12, 2013
12:54 PM
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if you got a full set, you would be better off asking for a key in which you could use one of your less used keys.
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Goldbrick
64 posts
Feb 12, 2013
12:54 PM
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Eflat-just tune down 1/2 step. Lots of guys use that as normal tuning 'cause strings are easier to bend-SRV and Jimi to name two. myself and lots of others use it on acoustics for better handling of heavy strings
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SuperBee
903 posts
Feb 12, 2013
1:18 PM
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To me there is some difference. Depends on the song. If I want to play something which depends on a bunch of accurate bending I'd go for an A or Bb harp as a preference because I'm more immediately proficient and confident with those harps. But if its gonna be a real uptempo piece I'd probably choose a higher pitched harp because I find a D or F much easier to play fast. And the C harp is a good compromise.
I was going to sing I'd generally go for G or A...although I like F and E, depending on the song.
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FMWoodeye
564 posts
Feb 12, 2013
1:44 PM
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Horn keys, B-flat, E-flat, just as common guitar keys are uncomfortable for horn players, to an extent. As a rule, though, the horn parts in blues and rock songs aren't very difficult. In the end, if you know your instrument....
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timeistight
1119 posts
Feb 12, 2013
1:54 PM
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You're looking for keys that are harder for your accompanists? You like the band to play badly?
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Rubes
667 posts
Feb 12, 2013
2:22 PM
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F makes my mates wrist sore!
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lumpy wafflesquirt
689 posts
Feb 12, 2013
2:27 PM
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timeistight - I just want to make a point, that it is really down to what key they want. People can be too polite. If I ask them what key they want why can't they just say instead of turn the question back to me.
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"Come on Brackett let's get changed"
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RyanMortos
1395 posts
Feb 12, 2013
2:38 PM
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I only get asked what key I wanna do when Im singing. Otherwise it's whatever key the singer is singing in. The only times I got asked is when the singer didn't realize I could play in any key diatonic or chromatic.
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Gnarly
477 posts
Feb 12, 2013
3:00 PM
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Yeah, I say call a blues in Db and play second position on an F#--
That ought to annoy everyone . . .
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Martin
238 posts
Feb 12, 2013
3:15 PM
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It´s a good thing if the harp player don´t make any fuzz about the keys; that´s the singer´s thing, as Ryan Mortos says, and harmonica players has enough against them as it is.
If you bring enough harps and/or technique to the jam you´re all set mate. A, Bb, C and D takes me trough just about everything on a blues jam.
That being said, quite a lot of guitar players, esp. blues guys, are really uncomfortable with some of the flat keys.
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Littoral
771 posts
Feb 12, 2013
3:32 PM
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"How many times in a jam situation does the guitarist ask what key you want to play in"?
Gotta say, almost never. we'll negotiate sometimes and I only weigh in if it's a choice that favors a position or range.
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Thievin' Heathen
150 posts
Feb 12, 2013
5:38 PM
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It is not that I don't have a preference, I have too many preferences. I think the one that I would let govern is, let's play something a little different. My A & D riffs could be getting too much air time. My Suzuki Hammond F is my favorite right now, but it could be a little shrill for some of the drunks out there. Let's ask the singer.
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kudzurunner
3911 posts
Feb 12, 2013
7:17 PM
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Eb and F are not good guitar keys for most players, and Eb is one that I've found special resistance to.
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nacoran
6494 posts
Feb 12, 2013
8:43 PM
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If the guitar player asks the key he probably doesn't care. The guitar players who can't play in all the keys will tell you the key. The singers range will be important too, but some open mic singers won't know the keys, so you could play a couple notes away from the mic and see if it fits their range.
Higher keys tend to respond quicker, lower keys are better for chugs, so you can grab a key based on what you want to do. I'm learning a song now that is in F (1st pos.) but doesn't sound right down on a Bb and the bends are wrong in first. I'm almost wishing I had a high Bb. Maybe I'll try some extreme retuning. :)
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A440
64 posts
Feb 13, 2013
5:21 AM
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I carry a full set of keys. Usually the vocalist determines the key for a song, the guitars move to that key, and then I grab the right harp (90% of the time cross-harp). So they never ask me to choose the key.
Our band seems to go through stages, depending on the songs in rotation and the new songs we write. Lately we're doing a lot of songs in E, F#, G, A.
What do I prefer? I guess I don't have a preference, except I find that very high harps (F, F#, Hi-G) are less fun to play. My favorite harps to play are A, B, C, D -- exactly what I'm using cross-harp with our current play list. I also like playing E-harp, even though I rarely use it with the band.
Last Edited by A440 on Feb 13, 2013 5:33 AM
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