Guitar and Harmonica and Key

[Doug]

I play the guitar, some. Don't know much about music theory (barely
the basics). I can read music, know how to build keys, relative minor
and simple stuff like that. So I play a 12 bar blues in the key of E.
This guy plays the harmonica with me, he plays an A harmonica.

Can anyone explain to me why?

Thanks,
Doug the guitarist

[lutonomy]

Post by Doug
I play the guitar, some. Don't know much about music theory (barely
the basics). I can read music, know how to build keys, relative minor
and simple stuff like that. So I play a 12 bar blues in the key of E.
This guy plays the harmonica with me, he plays an A harmonica.
Can anyone explain to me why?

Since you're playing an E blues (I'm assuming a basic form using E7 A7 B7,
maybe a couple more chords as well), you generally don't have much need for
a D# (7th). So using an A harmonica naturally has a D natural in it (A B C#
D E F# G#), which gives the root chord (E) a dominant 7th color, rather than
a major 7th. In short, it's an easy way for a harmonica player to employ
blues scales/colors without a lot of constant note bending. You can use
other keys too. It's really just a matter of the player's style and
preference.

Hope this helps.

[David Kotschessa]

Post by lutonomy

Post by Doug
I play the guitar, some. Don't know much about music theory (barely
the basics). I can read music, know how to build keys, relative minor
and simple stuff like that. So I play a 12 bar blues in the key of E.
This guy plays the harmonica with me, he plays an A harmonica.
Can anyone explain to me why?

Since you're playing an E blues (I'm assuming a basic form using E7 A7 B7,
maybe a couple more chords as well), you generally don't have much need for
a D# (7th). So using an A harmonica naturally has a D natural in it (A B C#
D E F# G#), which gives the root chord (E) a dominant 7th color, rather than
a major 7th. In short, it's an easy way for a harmonica player to employ
blues scales/colors without a lot of constant note bending. You can use
other keys too. It's really just a matter of the player's style and
preference.

Right, forgot about those factors like having the dominant seventh!

Post by lutonomy
Hope this helps.
--
L U T O N O M Y
www.lutonomy.com

[David Kotschessa]

Post by Doug
I play the guitar, some. Don't know much about music theory (barely
the basics). I can read music, know how to build keys, relative minor
and simple stuff like that. So I play a 12 bar blues in the key of E.
This guy plays the harmonica with me, he plays an A harmonica.
Can anyone explain to me why?
Thanks,
Doug the guitarist

Yeah, that's called "cross-harp." Basically it's easier to get the blues
scale you want.

You're in E:
E Blues scale: E G A (Bb) B D

A Major Scale
A B C# D E F# G#

Now the B note on a harmonica can be *bent* downwards a half step by
constricting the air in a certain way. I also believe the G# can be bent
this way too. (The easiest bends on harp are with inhaled notes). So you
get the cool blue note and the G.

E G(bent) A B Bb (bent) B D

I could be wrong about that. I'd check but I'm too lazy to dig for my
harmonica. It's a lot of fun to just buy a harmonica and a harmonica
holder (the neck brace) and try and accompany yourself with some blues.
It's not that tough to get some fairly mediocre improvisation going.

Have fun!

[Steve Latham]

Post by Doug
I play the guitar, some. Don't know much about music theory (barely
the basics). I can read music, know how to build keys, relative minor
and simple stuff like that. So I play a 12 bar blues in the key of E.
This guy plays the harmonica with me, he plays an A harmonica.
Can anyone explain to me why?

Doug, it's called "cross harp" - where you choose a harp (harmonica) keyed
a 5th lower than the key you want to play your blues in. As lutonomy points
out, this gives you a D instead of D# (which is what you'd get with an E
keyed harp). Since blues patterns are often E7 A7 and B7 in E, the D gives
you the 7th of the E chord (a blue note), and the minor 3rd above the B7
chord (another blue note).

More importanly, using cross harp in this way gives you an E mixolydian mode
which consists of the notes E F# G# A B C# D E. Jazz players usually play a
Mixolydian mode over Dominant 7th chords (such as an E7), and blues players
use it in a somewhat similar manner. The Beatles' "Love Me Do" has a nice
and obvious lowered 7th (the D instead of D#) in the harmonica part. "What I
Like About You" by The Romantics also has a really obvious one in the song's
harmonic solo.

Even if you don't use E7 A7 and B7 (some guitarists play patterns like E5 E6
that never hit the 7th, but kind of imply it, and others play just standard
triads in a blues progression), the cross harp used in this way will work
fine over a I IV V blues progression.

Have Fun,
Steve

[Brad Beyenhof]

Post by Steve Latham

Post by Doug
I play the guitar, some. Don't know much about music theory (barely
the basics). I can read music, know how to build keys, relative minor
and simple stuff like that. So I play a 12 bar blues in the key of E.
This guy plays the harmonica with me, he plays an A harmonica.
Can anyone explain to me why?

Doug, it's called "cross harp" - where you choose a harp (harmonica) keyed
a 5th lower than the key you want to play your blues in. As lutonomy points
out, this gives you a D instead of D# (which is what you'd get with an E
keyed harp). Since blues patterns are often E7 A7 and B7 in E, the D gives
you the 7th of the E chord (a blue note), and the minor 3rd above the B7
chord (another blue note).
More importanly, using cross harp in this way gives you an E mixolydian mode
which consists of the notes E F# G# A B C# D E. Jazz players usually play a
Mixolydian mode over Dominant 7th chords (such as an E7), and blues players
use it in a somewhat similar manner. The Beatles' "Love Me Do" has a nice
and obvious lowered 7th (the D instead of D#) in the harmonica part. "What I
Like About You" by The Romantics also has a really obvious one in the song's
harmonic solo.
Even if you don't use E7 A7 and B7 (some guitarists play patterns like E5 E6
that never hit the 7th, but kind of imply it, and others play just standard
triads in a blues progression), the cross harp used in this way will work
fine over a I IV V blues progression.

One point of clarification:

Here are the notes on an A harmonica:

hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
blow A C# E A C# E A C# E A
draw B E G# B D F# B D F# G#

Harmonicas are built so that blowing always produces notes in a major
triad that is the tonic of the labeled key. The way that the draw reeds
on an A harp are tuned, an E triad (and optionally E7) can be produced
with holes 2, 3, 4, and 5. A B triad (albeit a minor one) can be
produced when drawing through holes 4, 5, 6, and 7. This is the closest
you can get to I, IV, and V triads on a diatonic harmonica: drawn 2,3,4,
blown 4,5,6, drawn 4,5,6. The minor V chord is rarely noticed,
especially if played melodically instead of harmonically.

[lutonomy]

Post by Brad Beyenhof
Brad Beyenhof
http://augmentedfourth.blogspot.com

Hey Brad, I noticed you have a Kingdom of Loathing link on your site. That
game is great! Rock on!

[Brad Beyenhof]

Post by lutonomy

Post by Brad Beyenhof
Brad Beyenhof
http://augmentedfourth.blogspot.com

Hey Brad, I noticed you have a Kingdom of Loathing link on your site. That
game is great! Rock on!

It *is* a great game, but I don't play anymore. a) I got bored, having
finished everything there is to do (I left not long after the Familiar
Arena was established), and b) I'm working on a big freelance
orchestration project that commands most of my attention. At least it
*will*, whenever the guy who hired me gets his funding and actually sees
fit to give me the recordings and lead sheets from which to work. The
finished project will be performed by the San Diego Symphony, so I
really hope he gets his money soon so that I can get this to be the
best-quality work possible.

[Doug]

Cool! Thanks guys.