as far as I can tell the song is in E minor. and I would like to accompany on harp by simply playing chords. I recently had a major breakthrough. As I was listening to the song I could actually hear in my head how the harp fits in. SoI worked up the harp part but can't find the right key for 2nd pos. So I guess what I what to know is: is this song in Em and if so what harp to play with it? ----------
Joch and AirMojo are both right. I think D harp in 3rd doesn't sound the best though. I first tried a G harp in 4th position and the C harp would be in 5th position.
To my ears, 4th sounds the nicest. Here are the notes I was using: 3" +4 -4 +5 +6 -6 -7 +7 -8. You can also work the -2 2" -1 +1
Try a G harp! Now I'm gonna play over this song a few times myself.
Peace - Dan
EDIT: " = Double bend. You can also use the 4 overblow in there.
Double Edit: If you want to play in 5th position on a C harp, your root notes are 2 blow, 5 blow, 8 blow -- All E notes on a C harp :)
Last Edited by on Feb 21, 2011 6:51 PM
Thanks all for the good help. I will explore all advice but am still wondering what would be cross harp to Em? Is there a cross harp for Em? I couldn't figure it out on a circle of fifths.
@ ridge I'll play with those tabs tomorrow and see how they work for me. Any idea where I can get info on 4th pos. scale? ----------
Last Edited by on Feb 21, 2011 7:07 PM
G harp does sound good too. Hard to play a bad note. Easy to chord as well with this song...kind of like 1st position Bob Dylan stuff. I've never really messed around in 4th position. Seems pretty easy to pick up.
Stick, what do you mean by cross harp to Em? You can play an A harp in 2nd, but you have to be more choosy about what notes you hit.
As for 4th position scale --
E Maj on G harp 1st Octave: 3" -3 4' -4 +5 5ob 6' -6 2nd Octave: -6 -7 7od -8 +8 +9' 9od -10 (Just figured this out by playing my E harp first and matching tones on my G harp)
E Blues Scale on G harp - According to me 1st Octave: 3" +4 -4 4ob +5 +6 -6 2nd Octave: -6 +7 -8 +8' +8 +9 -10
EDIT: Sorry if my notation is difficult -- +#' = Blow Bend #ob = Overblow #od = Overdraw #' = Draw Bend #" = Double Draw Bend
Last Edited by on Feb 21, 2011 7:31 PM
g paddy richter in 4th position, you will even have a full em chord, an Em7 and multiple inversions thereof. There is no cross harp for minor keys with a major key harp by definition. Closest thing to it would be 3rd position. When you think of cross harp here you are thinking of 3rd position. ----------
"There are only two things money can't buy - true love and homegrown tomatoes." - Lewis Grizzard
Last Edited by on Feb 21, 2011 8:08 PM
Paddy Richter, you raise the 3 blow one step, in this case D to E. Just changing that one note transforms any blow chord involving the 3 blow into an Em. Your Em7 would be 3456 blow. The Em would be any three blow notes from 1-5. The notes of Em7 are EGBD, the G chord is GBD, this is why you can also at times play a G chord in place of an Em. If you are using a regular G, you can play a doublestop G and B note together as a sub for the Em chord ----------
"There are only two things money can't buy - true love and homegrown tomatoes." - Lewis Grizzard
Last Edited by on Feb 22, 2011 6:09 AM
I fooled around with this a little and that C in 5th sounds very good and mellow against that song. You can get some sweet octaves (throw some heavy throat vibrato on 'em) with that C and come up with some nice lead lines up in the high end without having to get too tricky. Actually If I were on stage behind this, I would be using a D chromatic (in 3rd of course)..and then switch to the C diatonic for the harp solo if offered one. But each guy attacks it in his own way, I guess. Regards, "Old Grouchy" (after messing with it some more, there is a lot to be said for The Stickman's diagnosis of using a D (diatonic) in 3rd. Its hard to shoot down 3rd, no matter how good a person plays with all those others)
Last Edited by on Feb 22, 2011 4:43 PM
I'd also go for a C harp in 5th, as while it's a technically a minor song there are a lot of major chords (G, C, D) so it's almost a song in G major.
I think that the bridge at least sounds like G major rather than E minor - for instance a 5 draw doesn't seem to clash here, but I'd avoid that note on the verse and chorus.
Stickman, you should also bear in mind that there are at least THREE different minor scales that are often used and it's VERY important to find out as much as possible about the tune because, outside of playing blues, when playing minors, that one note can make a helluva big difference between sounding right from start to finish or doing the sterotypical things that too many players do that perpetuate the negative stereotype of the harp player being the dumbest musician on the bandstand.
Since the tune is in Em, if the melody and the changes of the tune totally fall into the Natural Minor scale, it would essentially be the same as the G major cale, but starting on E rather than G, which is:
E-F#-G-A-B-C-D and the reverse when descending
However, there's another minor scale called the Harmonic Minor, which is essentially the same except that the 7th of the scale is 1/2 step sharp, which is:
E-F#-G-A-B-C-D# and the reverse when descending
Now for another monkey in the wrench, here's another one called the Melodic Minor, which is essentially the same as the Harmonica Minor, BUT also has the 6th of the scale 1/2 step sharp when ascending and when descending, it reverts back to the Natural Minor, which is:
E-F#-G-A-B-C#-D# then descending E-D-C-A-G-F#-E
Remember, LO Minor tuned harps are available in ALL three minor scales and labeled in cross harp (2nd position), so you need to think carefully and do more homework on the tune. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
Last Edited by on Feb 23, 2011 8:24 AM
i didn't know LOs came in 3 minor keys. i thought they only did natural and harmonic minors. i know they have a model called the melody maker, but thought it was a maj 7th tuning. ----------
MP doctor of semiotics and reed replacement.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
@clyde - are you sure about 1st position on a Melody Maker being minor? I'm probably confusing what is termed 1st position when the harp is labelled for 2nd position - but say a G Melody Maker (a C with a few changed notes) I think would still play C major if played in a straight harp approach.
It would just be more difficult as the 5 draw would have to always be bent to hit the 4th.
6th position (Bm on a Reichter C/Melody Maker G) would be easier with the MM tuning, and it gives you a Bm chord
Still don't see the need for the raised note on the 3 blow with this tuning, but I guess it gives more precise intonation and a more even tone across the scale
