groyster1
3307 posts
Jan 26, 2019
6:54 AM
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I play harp at local tavern and get called up frequently.....but I have to ask what key????how many have trained ears and don't need to ask????last night it was driftin` blues.....they did it in E......always have an A harp on me......but its a shame and a sin to not be in correct key
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The Iceman
3755 posts
Jan 26, 2019
7:15 AM
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I learned to "read" basic guitar chords from finger and/or fret placement. However, one must be sure guitar player doesn't tune down 1/2 step, which is rare but does occasionally happen.
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The Iceman
Last Edited by The Iceman on Jan 26, 2019 7:15 AM
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groyster1
3309 posts
Jan 26, 2019
8:18 AM
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but they need to tell me iceman.....theres one band that plays there that play everything in Eflat…..so I need an Aflat harp.....which I have
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dougharps
1896 posts
Jan 26, 2019
8:41 AM
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As does Iceman, I read basic chord shapes and very often can choose keys and harps correctly on the first try. I play with different groups and sit in frequently, so this is a skill I have worked to develop.
One guy in whose band I am a sideman tunes down 1/2 step, but then capos up some frets depending on the tune and his key choice for vocals. He has lyric/chord sheets I can refer to, but he notes the fingering key, not the actual key to which he capos. I have to do math!
However, if the guitar player is using barre chords or less common shapes, I will guess and try one or two harps off mic. If the goal is to make good music and you can't figure it out quickly, I believe it is best to just ask. No point in letting pride stop you from playing. I continue to work on building skill in key/position choices for songs.
A different band leader I played with had no charts, no set list, and often changed the keys in which he played his many songs. The bass player would flash me fingers up for sharps and fingers down for flats. Knowing the circle of fifths was a lifesaver.
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Doug S.
Last Edited by dougharps on Jan 26, 2019 8:41 AM
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agarner
40 posts
Jan 26, 2019
8:59 AM
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Hey Groyster. If you learn the notes of the harmonica, you can play a scale and eventually hit the tonic for the song. Then ya know! Following the fingering doesn't always work for me because I play on one end of the stage and don't always have vision of the guitar or bass.
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jbone
2818 posts
Jan 26, 2019
9:02 AM
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I used to have a pretty good ear. Or I'd try harps away from the mic and get it right before making a fool of myself.
These days I work nearly exclusively in the duo and we have it all written down. I also know I can hit it in one of 3 positions most times!
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dkrulewich
26 posts
Jan 26, 2019
1:43 PM
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I wish I knew guitar fingerings. I do watch for changes after I've found key and groove.
But I guess I'm lucky. My ear usually we tells me within a few notes. I'll start on a C, G, or A, match the guitarist by ear, project forward to root note, sense the position, then adjust harps if I want.
Somehow, this is a quick enough process, that it often me telling or confirming with other players the key before anyone says.
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Thievin' Heathen
1104 posts
Jan 26, 2019
3:23 PM
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You were not at the practice and you don't have a set list. There's no shame in asking. Hell, you shouldn't even have to. Key info should be freely disseminated to every musician who sits in. Would they not tell a trumpet or sax player.
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AppalachiaBlues
235 posts
Jan 27, 2019
4:42 AM
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This can be an on-going challenge for harp players. I practice a multi-prong approach:
1. When invited up to play a song, I immediately ask the band leader: what key are you playing it in? Its an expected question, so no reason to be shy about asking.
2. I scan the floor for a set list, which will usually show the key of each song.
3. I can play guitar, so I look at the chord fingering of the guitar player for clues. When there is a capo involved, I need more time to think about it, so I usually don't try.
4. If I'm not playing harp on the opening of the song, I will stand back and play a few quiet notes with the mic off, to test my hypothesis.
Using this combination of techniques, I get it right probably 99% of the time. That 1 out of 100 songs where I play a few notes on the wrong key, I quickly change harps. The band members will often notice, but the audience rarely notices if you correct it quickly.
Probably my bigger problem is when I know the correct key, but I pick up the wrong harp and start playing ;-)
Last Edited by AppalachiaBlues on Jan 28, 2019 10:12 AM
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The Iceman
3757 posts
Jan 27, 2019
6:11 AM
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Appalachia - how about knowing the correct key, picking the correct harp, but playing it upside down?
That's happened to me a few times - kinda funny/embarrassing all at once, but pretty easy to correct!
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The Iceman
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dougharps
1897 posts
Jan 27, 2019
8:13 AM
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Good to know that I am not alone in sometimes having it upside down!
Michael Rubin has learned to play it either way. I have seen him demonstrate this.
I am too lazy for that...
I just flip it over when on rare occasions I make that mistake.
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Doug S.
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Tom585
89 posts
Jan 27, 2019
8:42 AM
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I find using a chromatic to be a quick way to find the key.
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STME58
2078 posts
Jan 27, 2019
10:57 PM
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Lots of good advice here. A method I use along with those mentioned is to have a tuner with me and sing the root into the tuner. A tuner I have with a pickup intended to be clipped onto the bell of a horn works particularly well for this if I hold the pickup in my fist and sing into it.
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