4 replies to this topic

[SmilnJackB]

Blues men (and womens), I play two songs in the key of Am on guitar. I want to do harp solos on them and I play STRAIGHT harp - not cross harp. What key harp do I need? The songs are "One Kind Favor" and "Saint James Infirmiry" using primarily the chords: Am, E and Dm.
Jack

[FatJim]

When you play straight harp that means you play the harp in the same key as the music - so if you intend to play straight harp, the answer is easy, you need a harp in Am.

You could play it in 3rd position using a G major harp or in 4th position using a C major harp.

4th is the easiest as the Am and C maj scales have all the same notes - so you can't hit a bum note!

[SmilnJackB]

Thanks. My C harp sounds pretty good on that song.

Question regarding the Am Harp. I don't get it. I understand that there are MINOR CHORDS, but NOT MINOR NOTES. So if I am playing notes, it seems like a Minor key harp would not be of value. What is the value of Minor key harps?

[Dauber]

A minor key harp would make it easier to play notes of a minor key, that's all. And really, Am is probably easy enough to do with a C harp...

[FatJim]

Hey Jack!

I just found this link which might help with St James Infirmary:
http://www.patmissin.com/articles/BRQ2.html

As for minor keyed harps - they are laid out so you can blow minor chords, but yes if you are just playing single notes then you can use a major tuned harp and bend down the necessary notes (which is how 3rd position works) or pick the relative major key (like the C/Am example above) and play without the need for bends. 4th is easier, because you can't really hit a bum note, but 3rd sounds bluesier because you can slide down those bends a little