[Harp-L] Hoochy Coochy Man

["samblancato" <samblancato@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

"What key do you all play this in, my band says E but most recordings i have
the harp player sounds like he is playing in A on a D harp on all the parts
other than the main E-A-E-G riff. Any help?"

I play it in E because that key puts in a range for my voice.  I don't know
how other's feel about this subject but IMHO it matters very little FOR MOST
SONGS what key it's in.  What ever key the vocalist needs it to be in for
his or her voice range is the key that is the best.  For harmonica
considerations there are plenty of exceptions I'm sure.  "Help Me" for
example sounds best with harp keys C and up.  Think of those riffs on an A
or G harp and they sound kind of clunky - but I'm sure there are harp
players out there aplenty that could make that work too.  Also, I think
transposing classic standards isn't really an issue for harp.  It's more an
issue for piano and guitar where the fingering might change a great deal
depending on what key you chose.

Sam Blancato, Pittsburgh