Who plays the Harmonica / Harp?

[Sweetfinger]

F# country tuned is an oddball harp. I could ask the next 20 pro harp players I see if they have one and I'd bet none would and most wouldn't even be carrying a standard tuned F#. In your video, you're playing "straight harp", in the key printed on the harmonica. It's Bob Dylan-ish. For the majority of blues, rock, and country, you need to play in "cross-harp", in the key a fourth up from what is labeled on the harp. Try that same sort of chord progression, only in the key of B (in your case, as if you are in C). Your tonic note will be draw on hole 2.

You confuse me here.... I thought if he wants to play the F# harp as a cross harp, the key he needs to play guitar is the 4th down (not up) which makes it C#

Um... that is correct. I thought about it way too hard. I will edit....

[UlricvonCatalyst]

F# country tuned is an oddball harp. I could ask the next 20 pro harp players I see if they have one and I'd bet none would and most wouldn't even be carrying a standard tuned F#. In your video, you're playing "straight harp", in the key printed on the harmonica. It's Bob Dylan-ish. For the majority of blues, rock, and country, you need to play in "cross-harp", in the key a fourth up from what is labeled on the harp. Try that same sort of chord progression, only in the key of B (in your case, as if you are in C). Your tonic note will be draw on hole 2.

You confuse me here.... I thought if he wants to play the F# harp as a cross harp, the key he needs to play guitar is the 4th down (not up) which makes it C#

Nope, it's a fourth above i.e. B.

Aside for Johnny who professes to not know much in the way of music theory - a fourth is the interval between most guitar strings, so the cross harp to use for a song in E major is A, A is D, D is G, etc. etc. Also for playing the blues, once you've figured out which harp you need for the key you're playing, you're likely to start on a suck rather than a blow. The rest is just feeling your way around, guided by your musical ear.


Edit: I just reread SuperAxe's post and realised I was at cross-purposes with him. In the interest of clarity, SuperAxe is indeed correct in stating that an accompaniment in C#major would be appropriate for an F# harmonica playing cross-harp.

I guess my misreading was apparent from the examples I gave above, but just wanted to clarify for future readers of this thread looking for beginners' tips on harmonica playing.

[JSett]

F# country tuned is an oddball harp. I could ask the next 20 pro harp players I see if they have one and I'd bet none would and most wouldn't even be carrying a standard tuned F#. In your video, you're playing "straight harp", in the key printed on the harmonica. It's Bob Dylan-ish. For the majority of blues, rock, and country, you need to play in "cross-harp", in the key a fourth up from what is labeled on the harp. Try that same sort of chord progression, only in the key of B (in your case, as if you are in C). Your tonic note will be draw on hole 2.

You confuse me here.... I thought if he wants to play the F# harp as a cross harp, the key he needs to play guitar is the 4th down (not up) which makes it C#

Nope, it's a fourth above i.e. B.

Aside for Johnny who professes to not know much in the way of music theory - a fourth is the interval between most guitar strings, so the cross harp to use for a song in E major is A, A is D, D is G, etc. etc. Also for playing the blues, once you've figured out which harp you need for the key you're playing, you're likely to start on a suck rather than a blow. The rest is just feeling your way around, guided by your musical ear.

I know my 3rds, 4ths, 5ths, etc by counting

What neck harness do you use? I looked and there is a LOT of options

[sal paradise]

F# country tuned is an oddball harp. I could ask the next 20 pro harp players I see if they have one and I'd bet none would and most wouldn't even be carrying a standard tuned F#. In your video, you're playing "straight harp", in the key printed on the harmonica. It's Bob Dylan-ish. For the majority of blues, rock, and country, you need to play in "cross-harp", in the key a fourth up from what is labeled on the harp. Try that same sort of chord progression, only in the key of B (in your case, as if you are in C). Your tonic note will be draw on hole 2.

You confuse me here.... I thought if he wants to play the F# harp as a cross harp, the key he needs to play guitar is the 4th down (not up) which makes it C#

Nope, it's a fourth above i.e. B.

Aside for Johnny who professes to not know much in the way of music theory - a fourth is the interval between most guitar strings, so the cross harp to use for a song in E major is A, A is D, D is G, etc. etc. Also for playing the blues, once you've figured out which harp you need for the key you're playing, you're likely to start on a suck rather than a blow. The rest is just feeling your way around, guided by your musical ear.

Johnny plays half a step down, so that song was in B…?

[JSett]

Johnny plays half a step down, so that song was in B…?

It was in F#, so a B would be the 4th, standard tuning would be Guitar G, harp C

I think

[sal paradise]

Johnny plays half a step down, so that song was in B…?

It was in F#, so a B would be the 4th, standard tuning would be Guitar G, harp C

I think

Yep. I’m not sure the original commenters realised you were playing in B on the guitar already.

It’s times like this, my trusty cheat sheet poster comes in handy

[UlricvonCatalyst]

Johnny - I just bought the one they had (out of JAS instruments on Chalk Farm Rd. as I was in London at the time). It was under £20, but it does the job fine. It has 'Made in Germany' engraved on it, so it could be a Hohner one.

I watched a friend trying to use one at a gig one time and, just as it came time for the harmonica break, the part that holds the harmonica began to slowly descend to the 'hopelessly out of reach' position. So....mine has a wing-nut for tightening it up; maybe avoid anything that doesn't.

Sal - I thought he said he tuned down a semi-tone. So a G major becomes F#, same as the harmonica he was using.

[JSett]

Good to know. I was going to try one of these...

[UlricvonCatalyst]

^ Yep, looks like it'll do the job.

[Nudger]

Heres matched keys for blues

[JSett]

Heres matched keys for blues

Handy, but whhhhyyyy didn't you write them in alphabetical order? that is the stuff of psychos

[Nudger]

Wrote it many moons before picking up a guitar, had no concept of keys, scales etc

[Sweetfinger]

Heres matched keys for blues

For playing in C, I prefer a low tuned F. Serving suggestion:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdUwbDts6gU

[Nudger]

Nice clip!
Lets keep it simple for the nube..
https://youtu.be/5_g1Ot-QOtQ

[Sweetfinger]

Nice clip!
Lets keep it simple for the nube..
https://youtu.be/5_g1Ot-QOtQ

That Henderson tune is actually quite basic as far as blues harp playing goes. If Popeye or Pop Goes The Weasel, Three Blind Mice, or whatever turns you on, great. I would have almost zero need for learning or playing stuff like that, and what I would learn from those wouldn't translate to modern pop, rock, country, or blues. I would put more effort into simple things I'm likely to use or lead into the type of things I might use, like this very simple part one could just fish around and find:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aowSGxim_O8
I didn't check but I think this is 3rd position, probably playing a G harp? I know it isn't a D. I learned it to sit in with a friend's cover band about 20 years ago.