RE: [Harp-L] Help a learner








Hi All, I'm a piper just starting to learn harp. I had
thought I could just start playing my pipe tunes on harp
with little difficulty, I could not be more wrong. I had
thought today of re tuning a cheep (remember I'm Scottish)
harp to the pipe chanter scale, then it dawned, unlike pipes
a harmonica can play more than one note at a time, I dread
to think what that would have sounded like. I have 2 harps
both Lee Oskar, as advised by the music store. One in C to
go with the instruction book, and one in G because I thought
it would be closest to folk music (I want advice on this) or
Scottish music.

I am at a stage of playing a nice steady scale, and when the
saints go marching in, from memory, so you can guess my
status is raw beginner. I have played the Great Highland
bagpipe for 20 years and know loads of tunes, so have a
little music in me.

I love Scottish music by R Burns etc and all Scottish folk
music, I'm looking for a source of sheet music with TAB if
possible, and advice on converting my thousands of pipe
tunes to be played on harmonica. What key should I be
playing etc etc.

I know this is a big ask, but any advice to set me down the
road is gratefull accepted.

All the Best, Bob


Any guy who's got thousands of pipe tunes and who wants to get going on the harmonica is a treasure indeed! I've written to Bob offlist, but among my many deficiencies is a complete lack of knowledge of TAB.

If you want to play trad Irish or Scottish tunes, especially in traditional settings such as sessions, and 10-hole harps are your thing, you need harps in D (preferably low), G and A. They are your "indispensables." Other keys come in handy too for a few tunes: C, F, and, if you play along with some pipers (get an amp!!), Bb and Eb. Darn it - just get the whole set! But it's worth bearing in mind that good ol' Paddy Richter is worth his weight in gold too.

Steve




http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/trad_irish_harmonica HEAR my CD clips: http://www.gjk2.com/steveshaw/cd.htm READ review of my CD: http://www.irishmusicreview.com/sshaw.htm






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