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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Harmonica RHYTHM Notation / Beat Tab
Harmonica RHYTHM Notation / Beat Tab
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Shaganappi
59 posts
Dec 03, 2013
8:38 AM
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Harp Notation. We rarely come to agreement or even ask why we use what we use. Just because that is what we started with? Existing harp tab significantly misses RHYTHM, PRECISION and even CONVENIENCE if non-QWERTY used, so if a better one with RHYTHM exists …
I suggest a QWERTY system with the hole numbers CONSISTENTLY followed by modifiers of direction, pitch, chords & rhythm (in that order). I wish to start three specific threads per 1.{Holes, Direction & Pitch}, 2.Chords and 3.Rhythm to encourage comments on each these details. This is the first one.
Harp notation comes in a variety of colors - graphical, dual systems, dots and tails, squiggles, weird symbols, staffs, mnemonics - you name it. But basically all notations should address at least, the 5 issues of - holes played, direction, pitch (varying), chords and rhythm. Too many systems. One more? Yes - but Beat Tab has SIGNIFICANT similarities to common Harp Tab (almost identical if without the rhythm modifiers) and total QWERTY is well worth it. Particularly for TRANSPOSING.
A good notation system should not only be ACCURATE and CONCISE, it should also be easily learned, be visually INTUITIVE and at least account for the most COMMON occurrence of notes, rhythm & ornamentation. In the end, it should encourage less time on notation and more time on improvising.
As I have not seen a decent analysis of harmonica notation theory presented anywhere per modifiers, symbols, chording, QWERTY, etc., I have tried to list the basic objectives, theory and comparisons of notations on my webpage. Briefly I see the overall needs of music notation as:
1. Communication - quick "napkin scratching" email, forums & full detail archiving
2. Analysis - breakdown detail of note patterns, beats, connectors & structure
3. Learning - muscle memory lick practices and accurate "classical" playing
4. Transposing - moving lick positions via a computer to re-tab the piece
Many players dislike tab (often to avoid going into a "crutch" scenario of learning), but the above are valid reasons to have a good system in place. Even for players that don't use it for themselves, they often still need tab to communicate to others. We need more precision (& RHYTHM) and yet still be easy enough for the average and occasional user. Then to have software to convert it to Standard Music IF needed. Standard Music notation is not for the average harp player.
For more info on Beat Tab, visit:
https://sites.google.com/site/btabnotation/
or email me at BeatTabNotation@gmail.com
Thanks to all of you that have helped to date. Much appreciated.
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Shaganappi
60 posts
Dec 03, 2013
8:42 AM
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Harmonica HOLE, DIRECTION & PITCH Notation
Holes are fairly straightforward for a 10 hole harp although Beat Tab (BT) suggests using 1, 2, 3 … 9, 0. (0 for hole 10) giving a unique SINGLE symbol for each hole. Longer harps can use A, B, etc. for 11, 12, etc. Avoiding multiple digit hole representation avoids a situation of confusing one hole (eg: the 12th) with a chord like (12), etc. And it allows MUCH easier QWERTY manipulation for PC transposing, etc.
Standard Music notation (SM) is forced to use a positional staff(s) type of representation because of the big variance of different notes. Luckily, most harps usually have the same number of holes as fingers on your hand. Granted that a 16 hole Chromatic could entail an A to F representation, but this is not the normal case and should not significantly color notation decisions for the standard harp.
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For QWERTY tab, a blow is often shown as plain hole numbers and a draw with a dash (-) before OR after the hole. Blues pieces have WAY more draws typically. So reverse the emphasis and just notate the blows as special (+) and leave draws plain. Use blow UNDERLINING to make that even more concise.
But when underlining is not easily accessible (eg: for forums), then use +'s for blows. And since underlining has not been historically used, one would immediately know that BT is being used. Underlining is much better as it does not "stretch" out the symbols giving a visually "false" idea as to the duration lengths held for each note.
A simple VBA program can switch to and from Underlined BT or BT Plus (4 5+) as well as between standard Harp Tab formats of (-4 5) or (-4 +5) or (4B 4D). Very easy to do.
On a related point about holes (the avoidance of showing holes), repeats can be shown as follows:
Eg: /4' 4 5 4 / / indicates a repeat of the bar
Eg: /4' 4 5 4 /4 4 3 2 /1st/2nd/ indicates a repeat of the first bar and then the second one
Eg: {/4' 4 5 4 }}}/ indicates that /4' 4 5 4 is played three times (3 bars). This is particularly useful not only for bar repeats but also to CONDENSE and write complicated note and rhythm repeats for commonly repeated triplets, shakes, etc. within a bar or between several bars even.
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For QWERTY, changes in PITCH (bending, etc.) should use small, concise symbols similar to what most normal Harp Tab (HT) now uses but ALL modifiers should be consistently AFTER the hole.
Beat Tab (BT) shows common bend modifiers as apostrophes eg: 2'', 3' or 3''' and blow bends as an underlined number also followed by apostrophes. When underlining is not available, it would be shown like 8+' with the direction modifier always coming FIRST.
A dip bend can be shown as 4` being the 4 draw bent moving quickly up to the 4 draw unbent.
For overbends, the most compact yet clear notation available is 5+* or 8* (for the five overblow and the 8 overdraw). When underlining is used, this becomes even more compact.
For chromatic playing, to parallel Standard Music (SM) sharp notation, 4# is suggested for the button being engaged to obtain a sharp on the 4 draw. If ALL the piece is being played with the button in, a side note should say so and then to disengage the button for a desired flat, 4$ can indicate (similar to the SM natural). Again, if underlined, even the blow 4+# is compacted further.
For more info on Beat Tab, visit:
https://sites.google.com/site/btabnotation/
or email me at BeatTabNotation@gmail.com
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