Harp

hey dog. I found this dual site while looking for ukes.
there appears to be a nice harp forum going.

http://www.bushmanmusic.com

just click on Forums, and then, 'All Things Harmonica'

Just wanted to say that's Cool!

I'm really self taught, not even web-taught, so I'm afraid I don't have any web resources for you, but I can give you some basics:

When you blow all notes - you get the chord printed on the harp - C in your case
When you suck - you get the dominant to that chord - G in your case

When you play along with a C progression, you play "straight harp", you will find most of the scale notes somewhere. Dylan does a lot of straight harp playing - I like that.

However you can play 'cross harp' too - to the key you get when you suck - G.

Then, also some of the holes are easy to bend, some are not. I have no idea of the numbers, but I know where they are. In order to exploit these notes it is normal to play blues "cross harp - i.e. you'd use your harp for playing the blues in G.

Then you can play to the relative minors - am (think this is called 3rd position). You will find suitable notes high up (right) on the harp - think All along the watchtower.

This is probably wildely inaccurate and probably misleading, but it has worked for me!

Just warn the neighbours and go ahead!!
Good luck, looking forward to a recording!

LaRS

Dog, I think its C for key of G

Here is a website that I kind of liked.

Jim

c is for the key of g. let me tell you i spent most of my life as a teenager playing along to sonnyboy williamson, it took me ages before i could vamp the harp[bend the reeds] pretend your are sucking hard trhough a fine straw and then use your toungh in an up and down style to achieve different pitches. good luck dog your lips will soon be like mick jagger if you practice enough :lol: smoke

I Have this book, used it on and off for a number of years. Never really got the hang of it, but that was a case of noodling not practicing. The book is well done and the accompaning CD helps.

larsko wrote-some of the holes are easy to bend, some are not. I have no idea of the numbers, but I know where they are.

The 2 hole draw/bend is both used alot in blues and hard to get down.

Thanks guys, I'll make a Blues backing track in G and do some woodsheding this week :wink: --the dog

Hey Dog, "PappyJ's" website http://coast2coastmusic.com/ has some good harp learning resources as well as being a good place to buy harps and related gear.

Thanks John, I will check it out 8) --the dog

I have had a C harp at home for awhile, but never knew that you could use it in G. Cool. I'll have to play with it over the weekend.

Dan

larsko, that's a pretty good explanation.
"Blues harp" usually refers to someone playing a harmonica in "cross" positon, which is a fancy way of saying that they mostly play draw notes in the lower holes. When you play the harmonica in cross position, you are playing in the key which is 5 steps up from the key stamped on a diatonic harmonica.

I picked up this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Rock-Blues-Harmonica-Techniques-Generation/dp/0930948106/sr=8-2/qid=1161362732/ref=pd_bbs_2/102-1652881-8020920?ie=UTF8&s=books

a while back and it's pretty easy to learn from. Scroll down toward the bottom of the website for a cool chart for playing "cross" harp in each key.

Here are a few more websites that I've spent a lot of time on:
http://www.bigroadblues.com/harp/basics.shtml

Have fun!
http://www.harmonicalinks.com/
http://www.harmonicamasterclass.com/artist_listing.htm
http://www.harptabs.com/

When you play the harmonica in cross position, you are playing in the key which is 5 steps up from the key stamped on a diatonic harmonica. 5 half steps. The key you use it in is a fourth up from the key on the harp.

Dog, you'll also find lots of harp expertise in this forum: http://bigroadblues.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=13

Give the Dog a harp and a few geetars and the boy is gonna be dangerous!!!

'given the dog a bone
given the dog a bone' :)