A Few More Harmonica Notes
Although not of much use to the blues player, the Major Scale provides the notes used in many of the world’s best-known songs. You are probably already familiar with it, in the vocal form: DO RE MI FA SO LA TI DO. Most American folk music, much American popular music, a great deal of all English language folk music and classical music can be played using the notes of the Major Scale.
The Major Scale is quite easy to play on the harmonica. In fact, the harmonica was originally constructed so that Major Scales and Major Chords would be very accessible.
Since you have a key of C harmonica, you will be playing a C Major Scale, that is, a Major Scale beginning and ending on the C note. This may also be called a Major Scale in the key of C. Major Scales in keys other than C can be played on the C harmonica, once the technique of bending is mastered, but they are far more difficult than the C Major Scale.
If you had a key of D harmonica, playing the notes written below would produce a D Major Scale. Likewise, if you had a Bb (B flat) harmonica, playing the notes written below would produce a Bb Major Scale.
Now play a Major Scale. Note that the e i – e i – e i pattern of the holes of the Major Scale changes as you go from the 6 hole (e i) to the 7 hole (i e).
Playing this familiar sequence of notes will help you to learn your way around the harmonica, which will help you to play the selections in Part Two, even though there is not much blues to be found in the Major Scale.
About Octaves
"Octave" notes are notes that have the same letter name. They sound very much alike, even though there is a difference in pitch (the highness or lowness of a note ).
In the following chart of the notes available without bending on the C harmonica, you will see four C notes, four G notes, three D and E notes, and two F, A, and B notes. Any note with the same letter name may be substituted for any other note with the same letter name. Notice the missing F and A notes in the low end of the harmonica, and the missing B note in the high end.
About Sharps and Flats
Many non-classically trained musicians tend to find the terms "sharp" and "flat" confusing. Since these terms have been used in the text, and will be used in the following charts, it is important to understand them.
Simply put, sharp (represented by the symbol #) means higher pitched than. Therefore the note labelled A# and pronounced "A sharp" refers to the note pitched slightly higher than the note A. The note A# is mid-way between the notes A and B.
Flat (represented by the symbol b) means lower pitched than. Therefore the note labelled Ab and pronounced "A flat" refers to the note pitched slightly lower than the note A. The note Ab is mid-way between the notes A and G.
Since any note in between two other notes can be described as either higher than its lower neighbor, or lower than its higher neighbor, many notes have two names. The note in between the A note and the B note can be called either A# (higher than A) or Bb (lower than B). Not all letter notes have notes in between them — there is no note between E and F, and no note in between Band C. The upper line of the following chart lists the twelve existing notes using their "sharp names", and the lower line lists the same notes using their "flat names".
If you plan to play with other musicians, it may be worth your while to memorize the two names for the same note, so that you understand that "one man’s A sharp is another man’s B flat".
Certain notes tend to be referred to by a sharp name, and others by a flat name. For example, Eb is more commonly used than D#, even though both names are technically correct. In both the text of this book, and the charts that follow, the more common names, whether sharp or flat, will be used.
Playing Along With Records
Playing along with records is an excellent way of honing your harmonica skills. It is important to make certain that you are playing along in the correct key, however.
Your C harmonica can easily play blues in three different keys: C (first position), D (third position), and G (second or cross position).
Blues songs will tend to follow the twelve bar blues structure, and use the Blues Scale. Listen to a song that you like, and attempt to identify the twelve bar structure if possible. Then try to play a simple second position blues structure along with it. If that does not sound correct, try a first, then a third position accompaniment. If one of these sounds right, you are probably in the correct key, and can try using some of the riffs from the appropriate position. Unfortunately, without having a harmonica in all twelve different keys, there will be many songs that you cannot accompany.
Which Key Harmonica To Obtain Next
When choosing additional harmonicas, you will find the following most useful and versatile, in this order: A, G, D, and E for playing along with guitars, F and G for playing along with keyboards, and Bb, F, and Eb for playing along with brass instruments.
Although they may be very enjoyable for solo harmonica playing, Eb, B, F#, C#, and G# harmonicas are not too useful for playing along with records or other musicians, since the keys that they can accompany are not popular.
Playing With Other Musicians
There are a number of considerations to keep in mind when playing with other musicians. If you adhere to the following suggestions, you will find it easy and satisfying to play along with other musicians of any level.
Tuning To Other Instruments
When playing with other musicians, it is important to make sure that you are in tune with them before playing.
Since your harmonica is factory tuned, the other musicians must tune to you, since it is not practical (and possible only after long practice with specialized files) to re-tune your harmonica.
It is probably not necessary to check tuning before playing with either a keyboard or a group that includes a keyboard, since you will most likely be in tune with the keyboard (which is also pre-tuned), and everyone else will have to tune themselves to both of you.
However, it is likely that a guitar player or bass player will need to tune his or her instrument to your harmonica. Most string players will want to tune their lowest string to an E note, which you can produce on your C harmonica by exhaling on the 2 hole. They will then tune the rest of their strings to that low E.
Occasionally guitar players may want you to provide them with the proper tunings for the rest of their notes. In that case, for standard guitar tuning, their second lowest string, A, will tune to your 6i, their third lowest string, D, will tune to your 4i, their fourth lowest string, G, will tune to your 6e, their next to highest note, B, will tune to your 7i, and their highest string, high E, will tune to your 8e. The following chart will help you to help a guitar player tune up.
Standard Guitar String Tunings, from Lowest to Highest Note, with C Harmonica Equivalents:
* The correct note to use here would actually be the A note provided by a bent 3i, but don’t try to use that unless you are an experienced player.
Timing And Other Musicians
Tap your feet together to make sure that you agree on the timing of the song, and remember that the rhythm notation of songs in this book may sometimes double the number of taps per note, for ease of reading.
If you are tapping together but your song seems to be slower than theirs, this may be the case.
How To Play The Blues Structure In Any Key
As you know, the standard blues structure is the twelve bar chord structure that you have been playing throughout this book.
It is often worth making sure before beginning a song, that this is the chord structure that will be used. Simply asking, "Will we be playing a twelve bar blues?" should be enough to let you know what you’ll be in for.
If the others plan to play a non-standard blues structure, ask how it differs from a twelve bar. The most common variations may involve using two or eight bars of the first chord, instead of the four bars that you are used to.
If the other musicians are not used to playing blues, they may ask you what chords to use in a twelve bar blues. The chart below will let you describe the chords to use in any key blues, and the following section will tell you how to choose what key blues to play. If they are asking you what chords to use, that usually gives you the right to choose the key.
Choose a key from the left-hand column. Reading that row from left to right will tell you which chords to use, and the top row will tell you how many bars to hold each chord for. For convenience, the turnaround is assumed to be a full bar long. You may want to look at the G row, and compare it to the key of G twelve bar blues described in Lesson Nine. Also, many guitarists or keyboard players may sometimes wish to use a chord variation called a seventh chord, which can be substituted for any of the chords listed below without damaging the structure.
Twelve Bar Blues In Every Key
What Key to Play In: Second or Cross Position
Always inquire as to what key the song to be played will be in. Sometimes, in informal playing situations, you may have some control over what key to play in.
As discussed in Lesson Eight, blues songs will generally be most easily played in second or cross position. So if you can request a key, make certain that it is a key that you can play in cross position. With your C harmonica, this will mean requesting a blues in G.
The following chart, which serious blues harmonica players may wish to memorize, will tell you which key harmonica to use (for playing second position) with which key blues. If you are asked what key you would like to play in, choose a harmonica that you own from the bottom row, then request the others to play a blues in the key in the row directly above it. So if you have a nice new harmonica in the key of A, you would ask the other musicians to play a blues in E, which you would then accompany in cross position.
If the other musicians are going to tell you which key to play in, simply locate that key in the top line of the above chart, and the letter directly beneath it will tell you which harmonica can accompany that key blues in cross or second position. If you do not own a harmonica in that key, you have two choices: either skip that song, or check the following charts to see whether you have a harmonica that could accompany that key blues in first or third position, if you feel competent to do so. The sections below will help you to determine which harmonica to use in these other positions.
What Key to Play in: Third Position
If you wish to play along with a blues using third position harmonica, the following chart will tell you which key harmonica to use with which key blues.
As with the cross position chart, look for the key that the blues is in on the upper row, and look for which harmonica to use on the lower row. Or, if you prefer, choose a harmonica that you own from the lower row, and request the key blues directly above it, then play along in third position.
What Key to Play in: First Position
Choosing a harmonica to play along in first position is easy, although finding interesting things to play will be harder, especially if you are not yet a proficient bender. Simply use a harmonica tuned to the same key as the blues.
Safety First
If you know what harmonica you are supposed to be using to play along with, but are not sure what notes to play (due to stage fright, general nervousness, or lack of inspiration),
Simply create some rhythms using only one note, or a few easily obtainable notes, of the appropriate first, second, or third position Blues Scale. As is said of physicians: "First, do no harm," might be paraphrased for harmonica players who want to accompany other musicians as "First, don’t sound wrong." It is better for beginning and intermediate players to play less and sound right than to play more and risk sounding wrong. Here is how to ensure that you will always sound, at a minimum, "not wrong".
In second position, either 2i or 6e will always be safe notes to use to create tongued rhythms. Any of the riffs based on the 6e, 5i, and 4i notes will be safe, as well.
In third position, either 1i or 4i will always be safe notes to use to create rhythms. Any of the riffs based on the 4i, 5i, or 6i notes will be safe, as well.
In first position, either 1e or 4e will always be safe notes to use to create rhythms. Any of the riffs based on the 1e through 10e notes will be safe, as well, if not particularly exciting. The higher notes 7e through 10e may prove more interesting to use, but if overused will be piercingly high, so be sparing.
Playing Politely
If you agree on the chord structure, the key to play in, and the timing of the piece, there is only one other point to consider: politeness. It is considered impolite to play too much, but there are no clear cut rules as to what is too much.
However, it is generally considered impolite to play while another musician is playing a solo, or while a vocalist is singing.
If you are one of the less senior or proficient players, it is wise to be humble, and only to play when encouraged to do so. By maintaining eye contact with the other musicians, and playing less rather than more, you will usually be able to tell when they do want you to play more.
It is better to be urged to play more, than asked to play less. This is especially important when playing with other musicians for the first time, or when playing in front of an audience.
About The Progressive Harmonica Method
The Progressive Harmonica Method can be considered a companion volume to this book.
It includes material on playing folk and classical music, and in conjunction with Progressive Blues Harmonica will allow you to play virtually any style of music on the harmonica. The first few basic lessons are similar to those included here, but later lessons cover dozens of favorite songs in the same simple notation system. Minor scales and songs are explained, as well as bluegrass harmonica, carols and holiday songs, and how to play standard musical notation on the C harmonica. A Supplementary Songbook is available as a companion to this method, for those who wish to have additional songs to play.
About the Progressive Blues Harmonica Lick Books and Recordings
If you would enjoy having additional blues material to work with while you use the Progressive Blues Harmonica Method, you may wish to obtain Volumes One and Two of the Progressive Blues Harmonica Lick books and recordings.
They contain a variety of licks, exercises and solos graded for use once you have completed certain lessons in this book.
For example, Volume One of the Progressive Blues Harmonica Licks series is divided into four parts. Part One can be used after you have completed Lesson Nine of this book. Part One contains a variety of blues chord structures that can be played without using single notes. Part Two of Volume One can be used once you have completed Lesson Twelve of this book, and contains additional arpeggiated blues solos, and very simple blues scale licks and solos. Part Three is for use after you have finished Lesson Fifteen of this book. It contains more rhythmically complex licks and solos, as well as new variations and solos using the Stop Time blues. Part Four is for use after you have completed Lesson Nineteen of this book, and contains additional blues style trains, simple note bending exercises, licks, and solos, and suggested ways of improvising on the song Saint James Infirmary.
In similar fashion, Volume Two of the Progressive Blues Harmonica Licks series is divided into three parts. Part One is for use after you have completed Lesson Twenty Three of this book, and covers the technique and usage of bending notes in much greater detail. Part Two is for use after completing Lesson Twenty Five. It provides a variety of licks and solos requiring note bending, some easy, some quite challenging. Part Three can be used after finishing Lesson Twenty Seven, and contains advanced blues harmonica solos including the four verses of Exercise 97 from the recording that accompanies this book.
You can purchase the Progressive Blues Harmonica Licks series from your local music store, or use the ordering information on page 1 of this book.
