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Using the Key Cycle

Lesson 5/145 | Study Time: 5 Min
Using the Key Cycle

Using the Key Cycle

A good way to become more confident playing in all keys is to take a phrase and play it in every key in order of sharps and flats around the key cycle as shown in the following example which moves around the cycle anticlockwise (adding a new flat for each new key and then continuing through the sharp keys).

It is also important to repeat the process going clockwise around the cycle. Write the scale degrees under the notes at first if necessary, and sing them to yourself as you play. If you hope to play Jazz, this ability is essential, as the majority of Jazz tunes modulate around the key cycle in this manner. Make this process part of your everyday practice. The eventual aim is to be able to pick up your instrument and be able to play any melody in any key instantly.

Peter Gelling

Peter Gelling

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Class Sessions

1- INTRODUCTION 2- The Diatonic Harmonica (Key of C) 3- Making Musical Sounds 4- Rests 5- Playing Single Notes 6- Hand Vibrato 7- The Eighth Note 8- 12 Bar Blues 9- The C Major Scale 10- Cross Harp Playing(Second Position) 11- The Triplet 12- Sliding Between Notes 13- Bending Notes 14- Grace Notes 15- Sixteenth Notes 16- Dotted Eighth Notes 17- What are These Sounds? 18- Cross Harp Sounds 19- Articulations 20- Improvisation 21- Eight Bar Blues 22- Third Position 23- Fourth Position 24- Harps in Other Keys 25- The Chromatic Harmonica 26- Solving Reading Problems 27- Sharps and Flats 28- More About Major Scales 29- Playing the Chromatic Scale 30- More About Keys and Key Signatures 31- Transposing 32- More About Blues Scales 33- Intervals 34- Minor Keys and Scales 35- Relative Keys 36- Using the Compact Discs 37- How to Hold the Harmonica 38- Reading the Notation System 39- Moving Between Positions 40- The Lead-in 41- The Train Whistle 42- Double Tonguing 43- Rhythm Playing 44- Key of C Major 45- More About 12 Bar Blues 46- Swing Rhythms 47- The Trail Off 48- Licks 49- The Trill 50- First and Second Endings 51- Notes on the C Harmonica 52- The G Major Pentatonic Scale 53- Accents 54- The Turnaround 55- The Dorian Scale 56- Relative Major and Minor Keys 57- Bending Exhale Note 58- Holding the Chromatic Harmonica 59- Positions on the Chromatic Harp 60- The Chromatic Scale 61- Major Scale Pattern 62- Enharmonic Notes 63- The Key Cycle 64- The Key of E Flat Minor 65- Interval Qualities 66- The Harmonic Minor Scale 67- Learning a New Minor Key 68- Approach to Practice 69- Bar Lines 70- Playing Songs 71- The Tie 72- Breath Control 73- Syncopation 74- Chord Numbers 75- The Shuffle 76- More Notes to Bend 77- Throat Vibrato 78- Sixteenth Notes and Ties 79- Complete Range of the C Harmonica 80- The Minor Pentatonic Scale 81- Ghost Notes 82- Ear Training 83- Simple and Compound Time 84- Swinging Sixteenth Notes 85- Understanding Chords 86- Understanding Music 87- Intervals 88- The G Major Scale 89- Major Scales in all Keys 90- Interval Distances 91- The Melodic Minor Scale 92- Minor Scales in all Keys 93- Types of Harmonicas 94- Consecutive Breaths 95- Combining Chords and Single Notes 96- Posture 97- Root Notes 98- Stop Time 99- The Major Pentatonic Scale 100- The Blues Scale 101- Learning From Horn Players 102- Call and Response 103- The Blues Scale in Third Position 104- Playing in Other Keys 105- Melody and Harmony 106- Standard Music Notation 107- Using the Slide 108- Key Signatures 109- Using the Key Cycle 110- Identifying Intervals by Ear 111- Table of Minor Scales 112- Tonguing 113- Tone Development 114- Learning Vocal Melodies 115- Playing Octaves 116- Different Types of Chords 117- Learning the Notes on the Staff 118- The F Major Scale 119- Jam Along Progressions 120- Playing by Ear 121- Leaving Space Between Phrases 122- New Topic 123- Note Values 124- Performing in Public 125- Riffs 126- The Note Tree 127- Overcoming Nerves 128- Range of the Chromatic Harmonica 129- Eye Contact 130- Playing Songs on the Chromatic Harmonica 131- Stage Presence and Stage Craft 132- Slurs 133- Developing Your Own Style 134- Cut Common Time 135- Microphones 136- Octaves on the Chromatic Harp 137- Microphones for Performing Live 138- Developing Your Music Reading 139- Amplification 140- Overdrive 141- Using a Harmonica Rack 142- Listening 143- Transcribing 144- Recording Yourself 145- Learning More About Music

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