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- Newsgroups: alt.guitar
- Path: sparky!uunet!van-bc!cs.ubc.ca!unixg.ubc.ca!kakwa.ucs.ualberta.ca!access.usask.ca!skyfox.usask.ca!holtslander
- From: holtslander@skyfox.usask.ca
- Subject: RE: Harmonicas
- Message-ID: <19NOV92.17011806@skyfox.usask.ca>
- Sender: news@access.usask.ca (USENET News System)
- Nntp-Posting-Host: sask.usask.ca
- Organization: University of Saskatchewan
- References: <Zapper.0p72@qube.OCUnix.On.Ca>
- Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 17:01:18 GMT
- Lines: 33
-
- A keyed harp is called a diatonic harp. It only has all sharps and
- flats for the key it is in. The reason for this is too make it easier
- to play. If you are playing in a particulat key you don't need all
- those extra sharps and flats that aren't used in that key.ie a diatonic
- (or keyed harp) only has 8 notes over a single octave range, it makes
- things very simple as long as you play in the key of the harp. Any note
- played on the harp will be in the scale of the key you are playing. If
- you goof up you won't sound really bad.
-
- A chromatic harp has all the notes on one harp, ie the full range of
- sharps and flats (12 notes over a single octave range). Since it
- can play the full range of sharps and flats you can play in any key,
- but it is much harder to play. There will be a lot of notes that
- you simply won't use depending on what key you are playing in and
- they will sound really bad if you goof up. In order to play this
- harp you would have to learn the scales of each key that you are going
- to be playing in (Not all that difficult, about as hard as learning all
- your guitar chords, depends on how bad you want to learn). If you were
- playing a song in the key of G you pick out notes from the G scale on
- the harmonica, not all that difficult, but you have to know your scales
- cold.
-
- Another alternative is to play cross harp. You can use a harp that is
- a 4th above the key your are using. ie when I play in G on the guitar I
- use a C harp, when I play in D I Use a G harp. By playing normal and
- cross harp you can play in G,C & D with a C & G harp.
-
- Hope this helps. If only I could play guitar and harmonica at the same
- time, then I'd be really happy - its like patting your head and
- rubbing your stomach.
-
- Gord Holtslander When you dance to the blues
- Holtslander@skyfox.usask.ca The drummer owns your soul
-