Harp Tips

Harp Tips 

Which Keys Do I Need?

The Good Doctor 0 Comments , , , , , , , ,

The keys to success
Different players and tutors will give different answers depending on their experience and personal preference. The choice is subjective and may also be steered by budget. From a practical perspective however, there are keys that are used a lot and others that tend to gather dust. Here’s our take.

A complete set of regular tuned harps will have twelve keys : A  Bb  B  C  Db  D  Eb  E   F   F# G  Ab

Most players start with a C harmonica. This is mid-range tonally and most tutorial information is published in this key. Next up are  A  D  G  F  and Bb. These keys are used most often on the band stand, when jamming and when learning from recordings by the greats.

We then recommend a Low F. A regular F is very high tonally. A Low F lends itself to blow bending in holes 8-10. It’s also good for familiarising with the feel of Low tunings. Then we’d recommend Eb and Ab, and finally B, Db, E and F#. From experience, these last four are used least frequently.

You might also like to supplement your spread with a High G. Tonally a normal G is the lowest of the regular tunings. There may be the odd occasion when you want to work in a higher pocket. Pencil Full of Lead by Paolo Nutini is an example.

How low can you go?
From here, and if you’re willing to splash out, you can add your choice of Low tunings. These are an octave below regular tuned harps. They are not only ideal for creating a darker mood, but also for occupying a lower pocket when accompanying, for example, slide guitar. Listen to recordings by Son of Dave for an idea of how great these sound, and also Mr Lucky by Gary Primich.

Harp Tips 

1st Position Blues Harp – An Introduction (Part 1)

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Harps and Guitar 1A guide to straight blues harping

No force, however great, can stretch a cord, however fine, into a horizontal line which is accurately straight. Elementary Treatise On Mechanics (William Whewell)

The classic blues harmonica journey starts with a crusade to the Holy Shrine of cross harp. Whereupon, straight harp (normally in the guise of Oh Susannah) is swiftly abandoned. Drunk on the glories of success, and soon lavishly equipped with assault amplifiers and bullet microphones, the crusade continues.

New techniques are won – including tongue blocking, vibrato, blow bends and third position blues – before a dark specter looms like a cloud on the horizon; the ghost of first position past. It’s been neglected for too long and now it’s broken our serenity, and it’s raining torment. Here’s how to make amends…

Listen to

(more…)

Beef Up Your Bends Harp Tips 

Why Is 2 Draw So Difficult?

The Good Doctor 65 Comments , , , ,

I think my harmonica’s broken…

When learning to play individual notes for the first time, 2 draw (2D) is often the hardest reed to master. Harp Surgery frequently receives emails asking, is it me or is there something wrong with my harmonica? It may not be what you want to hear, but the short answer is, it’s not the harp.

2D is a long old reed, which swings through a big slot when we play. Picture in your mind a spring diving board, fixed at one end and unfettered at the other. The 2D reed and a diving board behave in the same way. Consider also, the fact that 2D shares a chamber with 2B, another long reed in another big slot. These two reeds constantly interact, working as a pair. Consequently, we expend a lot of air when we work in hole 2 and it can feel like we run out of breath really quickly.

Consider also the flexibility of the reeds. With a choice of one natural and two bent positions, 2D is very sensitive to changes in air pressure. When we play 2D for the first time, it can sound mangled or flat. Alternatively it won’t respond at all. At the same time we seem to be inflating really quickly.

Fear not, this is a common experience for beginners. Let’s investigate things and see if we can help you overcome an important hurdle. It’s a relatively short process and we promise you it will be painless. Kim followed our advice and look what happened to her! (more…)

Harp Tips 

3rd Position Blues Harp – An Introduction

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Harp Pic 2Anon they move, In perfect phalanx to the Dorian mode, Of flutes and recorders. Paradise Lost (Milton)

When we first pick up a diatonic harp, we’re on a mission from God. Nothing, but nothing’s going to get in our way. In short order we buy some cheap shades and a big old hat, then we embark on a crusade to capture that sound. You know the one. It fits in your pocket and goes da DAH da da.

Listen to

We raid the wardrobe, car glove compartment and every drawer for loose change, and then plunder the sofa. Then we invest our accumulated swag in a used copy of Play Like Walter in Ten Minutes, while bidding on ebay for a second hand entry level harp with a fancy name like Sonny Boy’s Special or Blues Howler. (more…)

Harp Tips 

Why Are Draw 2 And Blow 3 The Same?

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Every truly cultured music student knows

Find your 10 hole C diatonic harmonica and blow hole 3. You’re playing G natural. Now draw hole 2. You’re also playing G natural. So why do we have duplicated notes on our instrument?

Well before we get all technical, for beginners it’s a great way to check that your 2 draw is true and not partially bent when you’re playing. When starting out, 2 draw can be hard to master. It can help to blow 3 and see if you are in pitch by comparing it with your 2 draw. If you’re experiencing problems, check out this helpful post ‘Why is 2 draw so difficult?‘. Now back to our two note conundrum. No it’s not a mistake, and yes, it does seem strange.

To solve the apparent mystery, let’s first consider blow 3. Our blow notes are arranged uniformly in terms of pitch. If we blow them in sequence from hole 1 to 4, we’ll hear the C major arpeggio. The same goes for holes 4 to 7, and 7 to 10 respectively. It’s the same result in three different octaves, each one higher in pitch than the previous, rather like a piano keyboard. (more…)

Harp Tips 

Using Your Head (Or Your Hands)

The Good Doctor 0 Comments

hPut your hands on your head, Simple Simon says

It was the end of another busy week in the village. There’d been so much rain, the duck pond had swamped the High Street and a family of widgeon was floating past the Surgery’s kitchen window. Our Monica had finished mopping up the puddle by the kitchen door and it looked like there would be no way home for a while, short of borrowing the Good Doctor’s waders.

‘Time for a nice hot cup of Yorkshire Tea!’ the Good Doctor said cheerily, placing a couple of logs in the AGA and setting the kettle on the hob. ‘Now here’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you for a while,’ he continued, ‘head or hands?’.  Our Monica looked worried. ‘Do you mean heads or tails?‘ she replied cautiously. ‘No, no, when one plays a trill on one’s gob iron, should one move one’s head or one’s hands?’, the Doctor asked in earnest. ‘Doctor, I’m sure I don’t know what you mean,’ giggled Monica. ‘Hmmm, I’ve been weighing it all up..’, the Doctor replied, ‘here’s what I think..’ (more…)