SCALE BASICS

[Winslow Yerxa <76450.3230@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

BASIC SCALES FOR THE DIATONIC

(replying to SAMSAL@build6 asking for scales for diatonic)

If you have a C harp and are playing blues on guitar, the best
key to play in is G. The C diatonic harmonica has two chords:

   - G draw chord
   - C blow chord



      1      2      3      4      5      6      7      8      9     10
   =======================================================================
DR |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
   |  D   |  G   |  B   |  D   |  F   |  A   |  B   |  D   |  F   |  A   |
   |------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------|
   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
BL |  C   |  E   |  G   |  C   |  E   |  G   |  C   |  E   |  G   |  C   |
   =======================================================================

The C chord is a pure C major triad (three-note chord all the way up),
while the G chord has bluesy notes - the minor seventh (F) and the ninth
(A), which extends the 7th chord. Also, you can bend the draw notes of
the G chord from Holes 1 through 6 - lower their pitch in a gliding
fashion.

These facts are what make this position - called crossharp or second
position the position of choice for most blues playing (the other popular
positions are third position - playing in D, off the draw d minor chord
starting in Hole 4, and straight harp - playing in C, usually bending the
high blow ntoes from holes 7 through 10)

When it comes to playing scales, you have to be aware of two things:

  - there are notes missing from the scale in the top and bottom octaves
    (you can supply these by bending)

  - the tuning pattern changes from octave to octave

This is partly why blues players tend to think more in chordal patterns and
"licks" (short melodic patterns that can be strung together) than they do
in pure scales.

To start with the C major scale, without any bending, start in the middle
octave (Holes 4 through 7), as this has the only complete scale. Here's a C
Major scale, played ascending:


      1      2      3      4      5      6      7      8      9     10
   =======================================================================
DR |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
   |      |      |      |  2   |  4   |  6   |  7   |      |      |      |
   |------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------|
   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
BL |      |      |      |  1   |  3   |  5   |  8   |      |      |      |
   =======================================================================

Play the pattern backwards for a descending scale.

Note how in holes 3, 4 and 5, you play blow, then draw to ascend. In Hole 7
this pattern reverses to draw-blow. At this point the tuning shifts so that
the BLow note is the higher note in each hole.

So to ascend the scale in the top octave, you would play:


      1      2      3      4      5      6      7      8      9     10
   =======================================================================
DR |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |  2   |  4   |  6   |
   |------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------|
   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
BL |      |      |      |      |      |      |  1   |  3   |  5   |  7   |
   =======================================================================

It has the quality of zigzagging to the right, compared with the middle
octave. Also, B is missing.

In the bottom octave, any scale pattern you try to play without bending
won't sound much like a scale:


      1      2      3      4      5      6      7      8      9     10
   =======================================================================
DR |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
   |  2   |  4   |  6   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
   |------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------|
   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
BL |  1   |  3   |  5   |  7   |      |      |      |      |      |      |
   =======================================================================

This is because two notes, F and A, have been omitted, and G is present as
both a blow note and a draw note, as it is part of both the C and G major
chords.

Try learning each octave separately, both ascending and descending, then
string them together, so you go from the bottom of the harp to the top in
one sequence, then back down again.

Remember, these scale patterns are also useful for the MODES of the C major
scale. If you use these notes agains a D minor chord for instance, you get
a minor-ish scale called the dorian mode. There's one mode for each note
in the scale, each with its own flavor. Any basic music theory book will
explain this in some detail. It's important in both folk music and jazz,
and plays a part in blues and rock as well.

Bending is another topic entirely. You can use it to supply missing scale
notes, and even notes from other scales, as well as for creating bluesy
expressive sounds. Overblowing is another technique that can supply even
more missing notes, giving you a full chromatic scale on a diatonic
harmonica (learn bending first, it's much easier).

Perhaps someone else would care to jump in and explain bending. David Harp
has a book out devoted entirely to bending, and it's in most major music
stores.

Cheers!

Winslow Yerxa
Editor, HIP - the Harmonica Information Publication
76450.3230@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx