Re: [Harp-L] Chromatic and Diatonic - Understanding Music Theory?

[Arthur Jennings <timeistight@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Mike,

Sorry if I'm being Capt. Obvious here, but the notes on a Bb harmonica are
the notes of the Bb major scale, so what I think you really want to do is
learn all your major scales. I don't think it matters whether you learn
them on chromatic or diatonic harmonicas or on piano or guitar.

That being said, each new instrument gives a new opportunity to look at
music from a slightly different angle, so it's all good.

On Wed, Nov 9, 2011 at 8:42 AM, Mike Fugazzi <mikefugazzi@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> I just ordered my first chromatic, an Educator 10.  I have no idea how
> into learning chromatic I will become, but am very open to learning
> how to at least play a song or two.  Ideally, I would be able to use
> it to help with brushing up on and studying music theory.
>
> Howard Levy talks about visualizing a piano in his head when finding
> notes on harmonica.  I am totally guilty of only playing harmonica and
> being able to ignore some of that reasoning by changing the key of
> harmonica or picking a position I already know.  I don't have to think
> much about note names and relationships if I know scales/intervals.
> Meaning, I have a deficit in knowing note names as I can just
> transpose intervals and keys by switching harps.  I also can, and
> have, skipped learning some positions and scales because I can just
> use a harp and position I already know well.
>
> Am I way off base in thinking that learning some of these things on
> chromatic can help my understanding of diatonic and music theory in
> general?  Like if I learn my scales in 12 keys on one chromatic and
> know the note names and intervals, will that help my diatonic thinking
> (sorta like how Howard thinks of a piano)?
>
> It is ok if it won't, as I can still have fun with chromatic.
>
> If what I am saying doesn't make sense, here is an example.
>
> If you call out a tune that is diatonic to C, I can find the tonic of
> each chord on a C harmonica.  I can probably even improvise over most
> changes.  I can even tell you the note name of each whole.  However,
> if you asked me to tell you the note names on a Bb harp, I'd have no
> clue.  I could give you the tab of a scale, but I don't have the
> relationships of the intervals down enough to calculate the note
> names.  Furthermore, I can only play the scales I know, I can't think
> of what a new scale would look like without a reference guide.
>
> This is frustrating when I see a guitar tab for a song and see the
> note names but can't figure out how that best lays out into a
> position, etc.  I have to look at a chart of 12 harmonica keys and
> find which harp has the right notes in a way that is easiest to play
> and then I don't know what chords/double stops I can play as I don't
> have the scales memorized by notes, etc.
>
> Obviously, I could just start memorizing diatonic harp charts along
> with scales by note names, but that is way boring compared to learning
> that to actually play an instrument.  I want to be able to think
> things like, "Oh, that song is Em, C, G, D...it is diatonic to G and
> the chord tones of the Em are Em, G, B and D", in keys that go beyond
> a C harp.
>
> Thanks!
>



-- 
Arthur Jennings
http://www.timeistight.com