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Ear-Training related question (and harmonica)


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Posted

I was just reading the topic with almost everyon one the lesson loft recommends to train our ears :D. I've tried it before but I haven't been consistent.

 

I was listening to Neil Young's "Heart of Gold" and I wanted to try and get harmonica melody.

 

I know there are diatonic harmonicas, but they use 'em strictly on key?? I mean the song is on E minor (I think :D), the harmonica is on E minor as well?? or could be other key that share some notes with e minor (so some chromatics could be added)??

 

Thanks again guys :D

 

I just got the first bit and don't know if it is correct:

 

-----3----------------

--/3---3---3h5--3--0--

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Posted

I still don't get how harmonicas really work:

 

Wikipedia says this :

 

 

Playing in different keys

 

Playing the harmonica in the key to which it is tuned is known as "straight harp" or "first position" playing. For example, playing music in the key of C on a C tuned harmonica.

 

More common, in blues and rock at least, is "crossharp" or "second position" playing. This involves playing music in the key a perfect fourth below the key of the harmonica - for example, on a C tuned harmonica, a second position blues would be in G. This is because the notes of the G pentatonic scale (a commonly used scale in blues and rock) are more easily accessible on a C-tuned harmonica. The lower notes of harps in the lower keys (G through C) are easier to bend, but take more wind. Since much of crossharp is played on the inhalation, every opportunity for exhalation must be capitalized upon

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Posted

Diatonic harmonicas are fixed in a certain key by default. So lets take a C major harmonica for instance. This harmonica is tuned so that it has all the notes of the harmonized C scale. So if you are playing along with a guitarist and he is playing in the key of C you can play along with him and nail all the notes. A harp is actually a pretty versatile instrument though. You may have a C harp but you could do some stuff in the key of G or even D because the "C" harp shares similar notes in these other keys. A very popular thing for blues players is to play "Cross harp". Cross harp utilizes 5th degree of the scale of the harp. So get your C harmonica and draw through the second hole on the bottom and you would technically be playing "cross harp" in G. So in Eminor you could nail the notes on either G major or C major harp since eminor is harmonized in both these keys. I'm not sure that Neil young uses too many draw techniques on that track so he may actually be using a G harmonica and emphasizing the blow notes more.

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Posted

This song is in e minor, so what harmonica would fit it ??

 

 

 

You can buy minor key harps, but most blues harp players would use a D harp to play E minor.

 

Typical harps are tuned to a diatonic key, but anyone who not of the "Bob Dylan school of harp" can bend notes to get other pitches.

 

There are also non-diatonicly tuned harps, but they're somewhat rare. For example, one guy I gig with uses harps that are tuned to a diminished arpeggio (all minor thirds - only four different notes), and he just bends notes to play in any key on the same harp.

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Posted

Sorry to not contribute to this thread, but I just wanted to say I hope Alex - being a resident of Chile - is ok after the earthquake.

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Posted
I'm fine, thanks girevik
:D
but several cities are literally on the ground. Its gonna take a long time to rebuild our country
:(



Glad to hear you're ok!

People are claiming on other forums that Chile is better organized than Haiti, so I think the rebuilding will be fast, relative to Haiti.

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