A question about Keys and Harmonicas.

[Alex_DeLarge]

Hi guys, this is my first question in this forum. I hope you can help me

 

I don't know how to correlate the key in the song to the key of the harmonica that is used.

 

For example in this video:

 

[YOUTUBE]Eh44QPT1mPE[/YOUTUBE]

 

The key of the song is E minor (same notes as G major), so what in what key is the harmonica??

 

And for what I've read some rock and blues songs use off key harmonicas for bending and such.

 

And also how can I know "where" are the notes in the harmonica?? Which notes are what holes ?? Is there a formula to know this??

 

In wikipedia I read that the first row of holes is just the chord of the harmonica, for example if the harmonica is in C the first row (blow)would be C-E-G in different octaves but I have troubling figuring out the lower row (draw) notes. Don't know If you are getting me

 

Like this: http://www.michael-thomas.com/music/class/harmonica_notes.htm

 

Hope you can help me guys I want to get an harmonica and learn to play some folk songs.

[sunburstbasser]

It'll usually be easiest to start with harmonicas in the key of the song. Most are in C Major, but for playing along with guitar, E and A minor make more sense since so many guitar songs are in those keys.

 

I was never good at figuring out the notes, but from the diagrams you've got there is a pattern that you can use. I see that on both, the far left draw gives you the second note of the scale, and the next hole over gives you the fifth. While the pattern might sound daunting now, its something everyone with a wind-powered instrument learns on some level, with fingerings or otherwise. It'll be second nature after a few weeks of practice.

 

I can't tell you too much about bending on harp. I've heard guys really stretch the notes out, like a half step or more, but even when I played harmonica I couldn't get more than a little bending action and it never sounded as good as those old bluesmen.

[Alex_DeLarge]

But the Harmonicas used, for example in this song, are used in the same key than the song??

 

Or they use other-key harmonica??

[sunburstbasser]

Use the same key harmonica. It sounds like the harmonica in that song matches the key of the guitar.

[TN.Frank]

Depends on weather you're playing 1st Position(Straight Harp) or 2nd Position(Cross Harp). If you're playing straight harp then yes, get the harp in the same key as the song but if you're playing cross harp then for an Em song you'll need an Am harp(unless you get a Lee Oskar Natural Minor harp, they mark those in the Cross Harp Key.) You could also play a D harp in 3rd Position to get Em but that's a whole new ball game.