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Permalink Reply by jim on February 11, 2010 at 6:39pm

Here's some info that mite help http://www.grothmusic.com/online/crossharp.htm

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Permalink Reply by ChickenboneJohn on February 11, 2010 at 9:42pm

This assumes a couple of things firstly that you are using a diatonic harp (not a chromatic), and that you are shooting for a bluesy sound.

So, looks like you have got a diatonic harp in A - you could tune your guitar in A and play 'straight', which would be the folk or country way of doing it. If you want to play blues, you play "cross harp" (using a different harp key to the key of the song), so you either need to tune your guitar to E (or capo it to play in E) with an A harp, or keep your guitar in A and get a D harp.

With diatonic, "matching" harp to guitar isn't a term that is used: either you play "straight" or "cross". I'm no harp player, but I play with plenty of good harp players, and I leave it to them to select their harp once I've told them what key I'm playing in.

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Permalink Reply by Jerryrig240 on February 12, 2010 at 4:54am

I have harps in the following keys.

2 C harps
A
D
G
F

I was looking at a chart last night that was a cross harp chart. It said that in the key of A song, I would use a D harp....in 1st position. But (now mind you, I am sort of new to all of this harp stuff) I looked at the keys of harps, and you can play a a G harp in a key of D, in 2nd position. This will give you a different sound, but in the same key. I think, and I can be wrong, this is so you get some different sounds the same key, other wise, when you think of it, harp would kind of be boring. If I have it figured out the right way, say I want to play Jummy Crack Corn and I want it to sound folky I would play it in straght harp in D, but if I wan it to sound blusey with a different, deeper sound, play it cross harp on G 2nd positon. Now, where I get confsued is 2nd position is a draw and blow notes... now on G in the key of D.....so can I just draw, or can I blow? So I looked at my charts again, and I found a music key chart. The way I saw it was I could play my A harp In 2nd position and still be in the same key which would be a key of D.....and blow on the 4 hole and draw on the second hole. I am betting as long as it sounds good, I am in the right place. Did I loose anyone? I got lost...Here are the charts that I am using.....and don't forget, there is also your circle of 5ths. The Circle of fiths tells you what key you can play in from what key you start at.....here are the links to the charts that I found for all of this info....if this all sounds wrong, then let me know. I think this is a good discussion and this is someting we all should know to bring more harmonica music in to this spectrum of music. Plus there is just something about playing 4 instruments all at the same time....lol.
http://www.harmonicalessons.com/overview_chart.html

http://www.ezfolk.com/uke/Tutorials/1four5/music-theory/key-chord-c...

ChickenboneJohn said:

This assumes a couple of things firstly that you are using a diatonic harp (not a chromatic), and that you are shooting for a bluesy sound.

So, looks like you have got a diatonic harp in A - you could tune your guitar in A and play 'straight', which would be the folk or country way of doing it. If you want to play blues, you play "cross harp" (using a different harp key to the key of the song), so you either need to tune your guitar to E (or capo it to play in E) with an A harp, or keep your guitar in A and get a D harp.

With diatonic, "matching" harp to guitar isn't a term that is used: either you play "straight" or "cross". I'm no harp player, but I play with plenty of good harp players, and I leave it to them to select their harp once I've told them what key I'm playing in.

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Permalink Reply by FretMonkey on February 12, 2010 at 9:22am

This guy has a life time of learning on his youtube channel (he has done real lessons as well on the youtube channel) - he has recorded a number of records on Rounder - he's very good.

Adam Gussow

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Permalink Reply by Keni Lee Burgess on February 12, 2010 at 10:48am

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/crossharp-1?context=user

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Permalink Reply by Keni Lee Burgess on February 12, 2010 at 12:12pm

This might be helpful too. Enjoy

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/13-keys?context=user

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