The band I'm in added a new song to our set list, Born Under A Bad Sign in C#m. I'm thinking I'll just sit this song out unless someone has any suggestions on what key harp to use. I thought maybe an F#, but I don't have one. I appreciate any suggestions.
Try an A harp in 5th position. Blow 2 is root. Draw 2 and Blow 3 are flat third. Don't bend anything but draw 3 and try to avoid draw 5 and draw 9. This will put you in C# natural minor.
E or better LE harp n 4th position can be good. But for Born Under A Bad Sign I'd recommend B harp in 3rd position. Ask your bandmates to transpose tune to Cm or Dm and use your Bb or C harmonicas respectively. ---------- Excuse my bad English. Click on my photo or my username for my music.
2nd pos (F# harp) will work but you will lose a beautiful minor blow chord.
see jason ricci video comparing LO natural minor harp to major harp in 3rd pos. to see what i mean about the superiority of 3rd pos. ---------- MP hibachi cook for the yakuza doctor of semiotics superhero emeritus
You guys gave me alot to work with, thanks! I'm gonna order a low F# and try some of your other ideas. We don't rehearse again til next Sunday, but I'll let you know how it goes.
Unless the singer absolutely needs to sing that song in that key I don't see any reason why they can't transpose it to a different key. Shouldn't be too hard and it'd probably be easier on the guitar players to play in straight C or D rather then C#m. ---------- Hohner Big River in Low F,G,A,Bb and D Hohner Special 20 in Bb Suzuki HarpMaster in C Suzuki FolkMaster in D,E and F
TNF, I guess I could ask the guitar player/singer to play it in a different key, but he's been pretty accomodating to me. He let me pick most of the songs we play, and he puts up with my shit, and values my opinion when others aren't willing to. So didn't question him on this one.
It just seems like C#m is such an odd key to play or sing in. I mean it'd not hurt to ask at least. ---------- Hohner Big River in Low F,G,A,Bb and D Hohner Special 20 in Bb Suzuki HarpMaster in C Suzuki FolkMaster in D,E and F
IV and V chord are major which may refers to melodic minor or dorian minor and harmonica minor. However melody and solos are actually in blues/pentatonic scale as far as I can hear without deep transcribing no one in band emphasize nor #VI or #VII steps of the scale (maybe as passing tones in some passages only) and no one plays melodic minor passages. ---------- Excuse my bad English. Click on my photo or my username for my music.
Last Edited by on Oct 08, 2010 1:55 AM
After giving this a little more thought, i am re-thinking what i said in my last post.
This tune seems to use the jazz melodic minor scale (minor third, major 6, major 7). I don't OB, but I do play multiple positions. However, so I'm uncertain about what position I could play in to actually get this scale. Any suggestions?
hvyj Chord progression looks like it have to be jazz melodic minor. But actually melodic minor will not fit the song. It's better to use blues scale or some dorian. ---------- Excuse my bad English. Click on my photo or my username for my music.
